There are few places on Earth where debating about AI overlords and capitalism-fueled fashion trends makes perfect sense while you’re surrounded by snow-capped peaks and the faint smell of momos.
Welcome to Behes Manali 2025—our majestic mountaintop madness that had everything: drama, beauty, rain, birthday cake, and a parrot-less but equally eccentric cast of characters.
Now, full disclosure: this wasn’t just any Behes Round. No, no. This was my birthday round. In Manali. Picture it—a picturesque valley, the wind gently tousling your hair (or at least it was before the storm hit), students bubbling with enthusiasm, and me soaking it all in like the dramatic protagonist of a low-budget indie film. Spoiler alert: I also got cake. We’ll get there.
Day 1: The Calm Before the Storm (Literally) The Manali Round was hosted at the stunning DPS Manali, and I’m not just saying that because they let me eat cake on their premises. This school looked less like an institution and more like a Himalayan Hogwarts. I half-expected snow leopards to walk out of the assembly hall.
The Behes crew rolled in with our usual mix of chaos and charm. We had our ever-wise Founder™, who carries an aura of calm and just a sprinkle of sarcasm; our tech wizard who, let’s face it, could probably fix a printer with his thoughts; our chirpy photography intern who brought the vibes and the vertical Reels; and our beloved outreach guy—part logistics expert, part court jester, full-time serotonin boost.
The kids? Oh, they came in flocks. DPS students, local hill-town debaters, and a whole lot of first-timers eager to argue about everything from space colonization to sneaker culture. It was the kind of energy that could power a small hydroelectric plant. (I’m just saying, if Manali’s looking to diversify its energy sources...)
Post-Round 1, we roamed. New Manali called to us like moths to overpriced souvenirs. We paid homage at a famous temple, devoured scandalously good food at cozy eateries, and even debated whether momos or thukpa was the superior cuisine. Spoiler: it’s both.
Day 2: And Then the Heavens Opened Now, I’d like to thank the universe for making my birthday memorable in the most disaster-movie-trailer kind of way. Because just as Day 2 began, so did The Rains™.
And not your average romantic Bollywood rain, either. We’re talking about Himalayan Rain—a relentless, sideways-blasting, thunder-drum-solo kind of storm. Water everywhere. Students arrived drenched like extras from Titanic 2: The Hill Flooding. Paths became rivers. Umbrellas became useless. And I—well, I wore the wrong shoes. Mistakes were made.
But did the show stop? Absolutely not. This is Behes, baby. We’re powered by arguments and adrenaline. Every drenched student still made it to their rounds, albeit looking like they had just finished an obstacle course on Wipeout. Teachers made chai, students made points, and we made it through with wet socks and dry wit.
The Grand Finale: Cake and Chaos Despite the soggy drama, spirits never dipped. As the final debate ended and winners were crowned, something magical happened—I was surprised with a birthday celebration. There it was: a little cake, a chorus of debaters singing (some louder than others, all off-key), and the kind of warmth that no downpour could wash away.
I got to feed cake to students and staff, smiling wide like a soaked, exhausted, and very happy debate host. It was one of those rare moments where everything—storms, schedules, speeches—faded into the background and all that remained was pure, unfiltered joy.
The Aftermath Behes Manali will forever be etched in my memory—not just for its surreal beauty or the hilarious tech mishaps caused by damp keyboards, but for the resilience and radiance of its people. These students argued like philosophers, laughed like kids, and showed up like heroes in the face of mountain weather that had no chill (literally).
And me? I left with a happy heart, some ruined shoes, and a birthday I’ll never forget. Thanks for the memories, Manali. You brought the altitude—and the attitude.