I looked at my new friends. The trees wanted me to dreamily sway with them. The leaves wanted me to join their festival of colors. The blue sky wanted me to fly into it. The soft clouds wanted me to put my head on them. The birds wanted me to share their songs. The river wanted me to travel with it. I took the river's invitation and started following its flow. I would walk along the river bank all day; when hungry, I would eat berries and fruits from my friend, the trees; when thirsty, I would drink water from my friend, the river; when tired, I would sleep on my friend, the Earth.

I learnt how to build a fire from twigs. I would start one in the evening and would let it simmer all night. In the morning, I would bathe in the river's waves and let sunshine dry and warm me up. Although, I now felt healthy and quite happy--happier than I had ever been before--not a day would pass without my thoughts going back to the city behind the hidden door. But I knew, I did not have enough strength to face the creatures, so with a mournful sigh would think of something else.

Many months passed like this. Slowly winter arrived. With winter came scarce food and weakness. Although my friends urged me on, I walked less and less. Even though food was rare, my friends, the trees would somehow provide it for me.

One fateful morning I woke up shivering and covered with snow. My friends, the trees were slowly going to sleep and wishing me luck. My friend, the sun, now distant and cold was also saying goodbye. Even the river was slowing down.  I rubbed myself for warmth and listened to the river. It weakly but urgently urged me to walk with it. I slowly got up and started walking with its flow.

At late afternoon that day, it suddenly became very cold. A strong icy wind started blowing. A blizzard came out of nowhere. Slowly, it became difficult to walk or even see. I went close to the river to listen. To my shock, I realized that it too had given up. I felt completely abandoned. I did not know what to do! I could not imagine living without the river's guiding songs. In desperation, I shouted out to it, “Help me!” But no one answered back.

Without any sense of direction, I walked on. I could barely see, but I walked on. My eyes were barely open. My beard was completely frozen. And I was about to give up and lay down when suddenly I went into an opening and into warmth. I could not believe my fate - I had walked right into a cave! Thankfully, I sat on the ground. My hands felt some kind of a frame on the ground. With joy, I realized it was actually a fireplace. There was even dry wood neatly stacked up. Quickly, I built a fire. It was quite obvious that someone had lived in this cave a long time ago. A wooden shelf ran along one wall. I saw a little bag on the shelf. I opened it up and there were nuts in it! How they had survived for so long, I do not know. Nor did care - I quickly devoured some of them.

There was a little area, which apparently had served as a sleeping place. Quite warm and content, I lay down. Immediately, my eyes fell upon two sentences written on the cave roof. The first sentence read, “Uttering the Guru's Shabad, I defeated the five”. This surprised me so much that with a jolt, I sat up. Vividly my memory went back to the “mad” man at the tavern: he too had mentioned something about a Guru.

A question arose within me, “What is the guru's Shabad?”

The second sentence answered me, “WaheGuru WaheGuru WaheGuru Wahe jeeo”. I instantaneously fell in love with this Shabad. My mouth uttered it, “WaheGuru.” My tongue savored it, “WaheGuru.” My heart sang it, “WaheGuru.” I could neither believe not understand this Shabad but I did not really care - it was such a bliss just uttering it that all I wanted to do was to sing it over and over.

Like a crazy man, I shouted the Shabad over and over again: “WaheGuru WaheGuru WaheGuru WaheGuru WaheGuru WaheGuru WaheGuru WaheGuru WaheGuru WaheGuru WaheGuru WaheGuru WaheGuru WaheGuru WaheGuru WaheGuru WaheGuru WaheGuru WaheGuru WaheGuru WaheGuru WaheGuru WaheGuru WaheGuru WaheGuru WaheGuru WaheGuru WaheGuru WaheGuru WaheGuru WaheGuru WaheGuru WaheGuru WaheGuru WaheGuru WaheGuru WaheGuru WaheGuru WaheGuru...”