Harmeen Soch
@HarmeenSoch • 5,652 subscribers
Teacher, traveller, writer & photographer! Love mountains and nature. Philosophy of life - ਨਿਰਭਉ ਨਿਰਵੈਰੁ (Without Fear Without Hate). I am not an ATM. Don’t DM.
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Cat and mouse game for 7km. Couldn’t get these 4 men in Scorpio off of my back. Either they were tailgating or slowing right ahead inhibiting my drive. In between I made a stop at petrol pump to let them move on. They must have halted somewhere on road too as I saw them catch up with me again. Finally I slowed down because speeding up on highway was nerve wrecking. With speed now less than 50 kmph on NH1 which limits speed to 100 kmph (as in video), I am thinking whether to call police or keep moving. Thought i’d try speeding up one more time as my slip road was coming up ahead. They sped up again to slow me down and I turned left at the last moment without indicator which resulted in them going on elevated road and I on slip road. As I heaved a sigh of relief I realized I was shaking in my knees with my heartbeat in my mouth. What is entertainment for a few men can be a trauma for women for many days. Not sure whether men realize that or not. PS: I hadn’t even overtaken this vehicle in the first place that their ego could have been hurt and they began this game. #NH1 #DriveTales
Harmeen Soch1,161,898 views • 2 years ago
Yesterday I made a halt at a petrol pump. I spent a few minutes there getting fuel, using the restroom, drinking water etc. When I was about to leave, I saw this man looking at me but I didn’t think much of it. Second time the gaze was a bit longer but still I didn’t feel any threat. I began moving and he was in front of car. He looks back the third time and slows down. Now my attention was on him. He had something in his hand. Looked like a cell phone. As I was getting out of the petrol pump, he suddenly stopped and gestured for me to stop and talk. I immediately swerved and sped away. He followed behind for some distance but I didn’t look back and increased speed and after a few minutes realised that I had lost him. Although nothing happened but even something as small as this makes my heart race and makes me wonder whether he was a thief or a pervert or maybe a drug addict. I kept imagining that had I stopped my car and lowered the window to ask what he wanted as it seemed like an ordinary gesture, maybe he could have had pepper spray and might have sprayed and picked up my purse. We were on NH1 and this stretch is pretty isolated with just this one petrol pump here. The road is elevated and villages are atleast 20-30 feet below. Just wanted to share this with a note to women here - do not be kind to strangers in today’s world. Distrust everyone! People on social media are also strangers just like the ones on road. Having high situational awareness is a better defence tool than anything else. And when in trouble, run, make noise and dont stay silent in such situations ever! #RoadTales #NH1 #Harassment
Harmeen Soch67,194 views • 1 month ago
Few years back, before Covid, during one of my visits to Kashmir I decided to explore Tangdhar. Found no hotels or home-stays there so sent a message to someone I knew here who had once posted that he was from Kupwara asking him if there is an appropriate place of stay there. As luck would have it, he said, “I live in Tangdhar and currently posted as forest officer in Chandigam. You come and I will arrange stay in Dak Bungalow”. I packed my bags and reached Srinagar. He had arranged for a taxi for me. The route throughout was exceptionally stunning, quite untouched and heavenly. I reached Tangdhar around 7pm. They took me to their home and not to the Dak Bungalow. I thought probably for dinner as a courtesy but he said his wife was adamant that I stay with them as I am travelling all alone and Dak Bungalow might not be safe. I was very flattered and happy as they had an exquisite traditional Kashmiri home in the middle of nowhere with a stream flowing behind the house against the backdrop of stunning mountain range! Anyways, after I spent time there visiting Leepa Valley, Teethwal etc, I came back home. We stayed in touch after that. Three years ago they called me and said they wanted their son to study at our University as I am there and they will be happy that there is someone to keep an eye on him. I asked them to visit campus and they finally got their son admitted to BBA. Three years went by in the bat of an eyelid. I saw him study, get into fights, fall in love and fall from stairs too 😀. Today he graduated and is leaving the University. This boy in video is that Kashmiri kid who I met in Tangdhar when he was in school. He now speaks Punjabi, dresses like a Punjabi (for the day) and ofcourse dances like one too. Life has many surprises but some are very sweet. This is one of that! 😊♥️ #Life #Musings #Tangdhar #Kashmir
Harmeen Soch39,620 views • 2 months ago
Good values of ‘Chardikala’ being passed down the generations. Its ingrained in the blood and no amount of learnings in formal settings can ever match this spirit taught by family. May people of Punjab always exhibit this resilience. Listen to the happy laughs while everything around is down and out. Never ever leave hope even during strife and struggle. And always help each other even if it means going down together. #Punjab #Floods
Harmeen Soch42,328 views • 9 months ago
Had to reach Chandigarh at 9:30am for a meeting. Decided to keep an hour of buffer time for eventualities, so left home at 4:15am. Experienced beautiful sunrise and some of the glorious skyscapes. The sky changed shape and colour every 30-40 mins. And there are pockets of dense fog even now with a sweet nip in the air! No wonder they say that early morning hours are for prayers, meditation and connection with the divine! ♥️ #Mornings #Sunrise #Chandigarh PS: the road were so clean with negligible traffic that I ended up reaching 7:30am for the 9:30am meeting 😄
Harmeen Soch37,088 views • 1 year ago
As much as I used to love ‘The Retreat Ceremony’ at Attari Border, I seem to have outgrown it. Ironically, before leaving for my duty at a border village, I explained to my parents that we shall have mock drills today and they must have their dinner in time. Also told them that I would go watch the evacuation drills on my way back as I wanted to see what and how it is to be done. With that sombre mood I go about my work and here passing by the last toll towards Attari, I find truck loads of people and taxis going for the ‘Retreat Ceremony’. Kind of confusing it is. For those residing in border cities we are being prepared for imminent threats and for those coming from afar it’s a source of entertainment. This post is not meant to offend anyone’s sensibilities but just voicing my thoughts on how I felt watching people happily singing and going to Attari today. #Attari #Amritsar #IndiaPakistanWar
Harmeen Soch33,319 views • 1 year ago
I know it’s just another city. And I know Guru is everywhere, but only the one who lives in ‘Guru Ki Nagri’ knows what it means to be so close to the only inspiration, hope, love and peace one may have in her life! Sri Amritsar Sahib isn’t a city. It’s an emotion that can be felt and not analyzed. You have to visit during this time of the year to understand what I am saying. Wishing everyone a very happy Gurpurab of the great Guru, Sri Guru Ramdas ji, the fourth Sikh Guru who established Amritsar in 1574 AD. #Gurpurab #Amritsar #GoldenTemple
Harmeen Soch23,632 views • 8 months ago
Amritsar May 9, 2025 8:30pm - sudden drone attack followed by blackout. All neutralized. This air show lends such pride to the heart. Thank you to all our protectors. Rot in hell those who raised an eye towards our Golden Temple! You will never succeed. #Amritsar #IndiaPakistanWar
Harmeen Soch31,506 views • 1 year ago
Ticking time bombs on Highways - turn whenever, stop wherever….who cares 😐. Im in left lane with left indicator on as I was to turn left at petrol station. He decided at last minute to turn as well. So far so good. But then he also made a sudden stop in middle of lane to help decipher which lane would be shortest to get gas from 🙄. All my things kept on left seat went flying down! The only good thing here - I learnt how to beep out profanity 😅🙈 #HighwayTales #NH1
Harmeen Soch33,760 views • 1 year ago
Can you believe after almost a year I meet this same guy at the same place around the same time!! This is my most frequented place and as I was parking, I recognized him. He did the same. Walked ahead and then turned back. But was much bolder this time. He began opening his belt and walking towards my car. I was watching him through the rear-view mirror. I immediately called the person who I was going to meet here as he knew what had happened last time. He rushed out and this man came right upto my car and began opening his pants. My friend was beside my car in a minute and this man walked away hurriedly. Shocked to the core this time, heart racing and legs trembling, I can now safely conclude that this man is an exhibitionist. No more visiting this place and if ever, never at this time. I am sure he recognized me just as I recognized him. Or maybe my car registration number seemed familiar to him. Can’t upload the entire video for obvious reasons! #Pervert #Exhibitionist #Harassment #Amritsar #Punjab
Harmeen Soch14,097 views • 10 months ago
Watch this: Now maybe I am reading too much into this but last night as I was coming home, I made a stop at a petrol station only to get out and get a drink from the ice box kept in the boot of the car. I think they saw that a single female is driving. I do have high situational awareness while driving but during nights with so many lights coming in from the back one cannot really tell quick enough if someone is following or not. I got back in and began driving. One bike light was a little too close behind my car so I tried to give way but it slowed down so I didn’t bother. A couple of kms down the road I again felt similar figure and bike behind my car a little too close for comfort. I decided to make a halt at the next petrol station just to check whether they make a stop too or not. They did! Red alert in my mind now. I sat silently in car for about 3-4 mins and they too waited ahead of me. Faces covered and a long big stick in their hand. The last time something like this happened, the police said that car thefts on Highway are on the rise so my mind began thinking the worst. I am thinking whether to begin driving, call my brother or dial the police helpline that I saw them call someone (you can see light on their phone). As they spoke on phone, they repeatedly looked back. I thought maybe they are calling reinforcements. Fight or flight situation for me. I chose to flee. Just as I started driving, I saw them look at me and then I didn’t look back and went above 100km/h for many kms. Eventually I entered a city and only then looked in the rearview mirror. There was no one behind me so I drove back home. Its possible they may be waiting for someone but somehow my mind tells me otherwise. Sharing this to guide other women that I read somewhere that a locked car is first line of defense and one must use it to advantage if ever the need arises. #NH344A #Punjab
Harmeen Soch14,554 views • 1 year ago
Two decades ago when I visited USA for the first time, my relative asked me what I wanted to do the first evening after I landed. Being from the area of Marketing, having analysed many case studies on ‘Walmart’, I asked her if she could take me to Walmart as I wanted to understand supermarket buying behaviour. At that time in India, we did not have supermarkets. Everything was a cultural shock for me then. How people greeted each other, the space between two customers in a line, polite courtesies or customer citizenship behaviour were very new concepts for me to understand. As I walked out of Walmart and was about to cross the road to go to the parking lot, I saw a car coming up so I waited for it to cross while looking down at my phone. A few seconds later the car honked. I looked up and the driver gestured for me to cross the road. I was surprised. My relative said, ‘move so that he can drive’. Another shocker - ‘the right of way is of the pedestrian here?!’ Anyways, I learnt so much in the few months I stayed in USA studying and working. When I came back to India, everything about our behaviour towards each other rattled me until a few days later when I got back to being how we usually are here. But somethings stayed with me for life. The most important one is that - always give way to others. 1-2 seconds isn’t going to change anything so just do it. Today when someone gives me way on road or lets me pass through the door first, I make it a point to give them a big smile, wave and say ‘thank you’. It just gives such a good feeling and warms my heart that someone put me first and chose to go second. But mostly when I give way on road or elsewhere, I don’t receive the same smile in return and hence when I get one, it just makes my day! I really wish we all were kinder to each other in public spaces. Everyone is carrying their own emotional baggage, problems in life, trials and tribulations, that such small joys, smiles and love can just help us tide over bigger issues that plague us much easily. What do you think? #Courtesies #Musings
Harmeen Soch10,810 views • 11 months ago
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