I refused to lose courage and in my emotional state, I promised to walk up to Tirumala with my son to meet Venkateshwaraswamy as soon as he started walking !
So, after 10 months, when he finally started hobbling around without any external help and support, I started planning for the trip but my FIL suddenly passed away and since we are not allowed to visit major temples for a year, I had to keep that trip in the back burner.
Meanwhile,my son's leg healed completely ! And he started leading a normal life, running,jumping, kicking at the walls and cartwheels, the usual 10 year old ! He and I went on several sightseeing trips all over India without disturbing my busy DH who was already making several trips for my FIL's rituals!
This month,after my FIL's yearly ceremony got over, DH announced - I can't afford any more leaves at office, so any trips you want to make for the summer, don’t involve me!
That's when I told him about my pending promise ! I asked him - just take one day leave - we can club with a weekend and go to Tirupati !
By now my son was alright but MY blood pressure had been up for more than a year, my fitness regimes had taken a very long break (medical care of a bedridden child), Vit D at the lowest, my back at its weakest and I couldn’t breathe normally after climbing up a single flight of stairs.
I need to take a break after 5-6 steps to get my breathing to normal(although I'm not very overweight)
And I have a long history of low sugar levels - I need sugars/carbs and water immediately and instantly or else I black out !!!
And after FIL's yearly ceremony, my back had taken such a hit that I was finding it difficult to walk from my bed to the kitchen every morning! I literally spent the last two weeks in bed rest except for cooking!
So, when we finalised the dates for the trek, DH was extremely worried - he asked all his friends - H has promised that she and DS would walk up the stairs to Tirumala - but she can't, so is it OK if I go up twice??? Once for me and once instead of her? Would that be a reasonable alternative? Are there ambulances on the way?
He constantly worried about it every single day for two weeks -
while I talked about buying a new fridge, he talked about what all he would carry up the steps,
when I spoke about my plans for son's summer vacation, he spoke about the Alipiri way being easier to climb than the Srivari mettu way,
when I told him about my student doing very well in her exams, he asked me did you ask your doctor if your BP is under control !
Everyone he spoke to advised him one thing or the other -
my SIL said - take electral for her low sugar,
his friend's mom said - take Volini spray along for her back problem,
one friend said Srivari mettu way has only 2388 steps, so you'll go faster,
another friend said Alipiri way has 3500 steps but the steps are very easy and there are many more shops and there's a first aid station midway !
My cousin was scolding me - you can wait for another 3-4 months, get your health under control,
while my doctor encouraged me - go on, your BP is under control,and here are some pills for your back issue and take an extra half BP tablet on the morning of your climb - your heart can certainly take it, you can do it,you are young and healthy - go slow and steady!
What was I doing during his fight between his love for his family and his common sense -ha ha ha resting my back while trusting God - HE called me to come there, so He will make it happen !! Whats the worst that will happen ?
So, DH packed water, maaza, gatorade, glucovita, electral, protein bars, biscuits and bananas and Volini spray. I packed in a waist pouch - my BP and back pain tablets and some dry fruits and nuts in tiny ziplock covers and a half liter water bottle !! DS was very excited and he packed his own snack + water bottle + chocolate bag!
We decided on Srivari mettu path - although the steps are very steep and there are no shops in between, it was 2388 as compared to 3500 of the Alipiri route.
So at 8:30 am, after a wonderful early morning no rush darshan at Srinivasa Mangapuram, my DS broke a coconut at Srivari mettu and we started off!
The first 100 steps were few and far with plain concrete path in between - not difficult- I had to sit down and let my breathing come back to normal every 50 steps.That’s OK - DS and DH were enjoying the mountains ! There was drinking water every 50-60 steps - so I took a half-liter bottle from DH and finished it by 200 steps.
At 200th step, I announced - I completed 1/12th of the path, just 11/12ths to go … I kept that up - you see, 2400 is such an interesting number you can factor it by 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10 and 12 - so I approximated 2388 to 2400 and was able to tell the completed milestone, each fraction incrementally higher than the previous one - and that kept my spirits up!!!
At the 400th step there was some travellers rest area (just a doorway with stone portico) and I took the opportunity to lie down and rest my back!
I was still climbing 50 steps at a time and my breathing came back to normal in 2 minutes. I announced that we've covered 1/6th of the way! The steps were getting steeper, the sun was climbing higher and my back had started showing its tiredness.
By the 800th step, my breathing was taking 5 minutes to come back to normal !! Ands uddenly the steps became very steep and continuous ! 1/3rd completed - 2/3rds to go! After 800, ALL the steps are very steep !
Maybe because it was a Sunday, but although there was NOT a single shop on the steps,there were a lot of vendors selling juice, icecream, cut watermelon, mosamb ijuice and buttermilk ! I had already finished my Maaza bottle and bought mosambi juice, ate some water melon and had finished another bottle of water !!Water faucets were there throughout and there were clean toilets after every 300-400 steps!
DH and DS were still encouraging me, and enjoying the very slow (according to them) trek!!
At about 1000th step, my back just gave way - I just couldn’t move further - although my breathing came back to normal, my back had stiffened up and my body WOULDN’T MOVE a single step !! NOW WHAT !!!
With tears of pain in my eyes, I looked at DH, and he produced the magic VOLINI!!! I didn’t worry about the audience as DH discreetly sprayed my back and shoulders with it !! And he took my waist pouch from me !
And unhindered by any weight, the Volini searing into my back nerves, I got the courage to move further - at 1200th step, they took a photo and gave a token for the free divyadarshan, the token needs to get the "proof of walking up" stamp at the step number 2090 for it to be used for darshan!
I was strengthened by the fact that I had come half-way !
I told DH- see my breathing is taking longer but at least it IS coming back to normal -and I'm not having any blackouts!! Venkateswara swamy wants us to complete this!!
By now,my DH was walking with me instead of with DS - because now I told him, stay behind me so that if I blackout, you can come and recognize me 
50 steps- 10 minutes rest, 50 steps - 12 minutes rest, … went up till 1600 and again my back gave way !!! I just flopped down on the steps and signaled to DH with my thumb and forefinger - spray spray !! He came to my rescue immediately and Volini (voila) 2/3rds completed, only 1/3rd to go!!
Some protein bars, water and gatorade later, 50 steps was getting difficult at one go, but kept at it! By 2000th step I said 5/6ths completed, just 1/6th to go -and more Volini, more water and got the stamp at step 2090. DH said - Just 300 steps more to go! You can do it!
Now, DH was carrying both the bags, and also supporting my back while I went up! 50 steps - 10 minutes rest, 50 steps - 12 minutes rest, … my son was now telling me the fractions - amma only 1/8th left, only 1/10th left, amma only 1/12th left !!
Finally reached the last step and all my pain, all my tiredness and breathlessness vanished. Here I am at the God land !! Edukondalavada Venkataramana Govinda Govinda!!!
Thank you God, all I wanted was for my son to be able to walk normally, but you made him alright and at the same time, you also made me able enough to complete this walk !!
It might have taken the men, kids and youngsters about 1.5 - 2 hours, but it took me 3 hours to walk up ! We reached at 11:30 am and lit a karpooram at the last step!
I saw that many women - whether 20s or 60s - had similar difficulties, and took almost the same time to complete the trek. Most husbands were carrying their wife's handbags by the time they reached the top
DH kept asking me - are you alright, how's the pain, how's the heartbeat levels, how's your sugar levels ?
I was totally fine - had some tea, then lunch and walked all over Tirumala, had darshan of Varahaswamy etc and was able to sit/stand in the queue for the darshan!!
I had wonderful darshans at Tiruchanoor too, got lots of laddoos and my DH still can't believe that I completed it and didn’t suffer much after-effects (other than normal heel pain and back pain)
But I never had a single doubt - when God wants you to come to him, HE makes it possible !!!
Our trek up to Godland!
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