Kozhikode (Kerala), April 6 She stayed four days alone in a rain-soaked forest, with no food, her mobile phone dying, and only fireflies for company.
Kerala trekker G S Sharanya, who was successfully located in the deep forests of the Tadiandamol hills in Karnataka's Kodagu district on Sunday night after getting lost while trekking, says she wants to return to the forest.
She emerged from the wilderness not with fear, but with a story of resilience and quiet wonder.
Speaking from her home in Nadapuram here, the 36-year-old IT professional from Kozhikode said on Monday that trekking is her passion, although her parents are not very keen for her to pursue it.
Sharanya, who got lost during a trek to the Tadiandamol hills on April 2, survived on water from a forest stream, braving steep terrain and intermittent rain, before being found by rescuers on Sunday after an intensive search.
Recounting her days in isolation, Sharanya spoke more about the strange, almost surreal companionship the forest offered her, rather than the hardship she faced. As darkness fell each evening, the forest came alive with flickers of light, she said.
"By evening, fireflies would fill the entire forest. There was moonlight, and the sky was so clear. I could see stars...," she said.
There was no food, only the steady flow of water from a nearby stream. "I had nothing but a jacket, a phone, and a 500 ml water bottle. The mobile phone soon ran out of battery. But, as there was a stream nearby, I had plenty of water to drink," she said.
Choosing instinct over panic, she sought refuge on rocky outcrops – spaces she believed were safer from wild animals coming to drink.
The nights were filled with unfamiliar sounds, including the humming of cicadas, but she never encountered wildlife.
Despite the uncertainty, Sharanya said fear never overwhelmed her. Instead, she held onto the belief that help would arrive.
Through rain and rugged slopes, she kept moving when she could, and stayed in relatively open areas, hoping to be spotted by drones or search teams combing the dense forest.
Her ordeal began when she got separated from her 10-member trekking group after taking a different path during the descent.
Her last contact – a call to the homestay in Kakkabe village – was a quiet admission that she had lost her way, before her phone battery died, cutting her off from the outside world.
What followed was a massive, round-the-clock search operation involving forest officials, Anti-Naxal Squad personnel, and local tribal communities, intensified with thermal drone cameras under the direction of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
She was eventually spotted in a remote part of the forest – an area rarely traversed – by local residents after four days.
When rescuers reached her, Sharanya walked towards them, calm and composed, even smiling after days of solitude.
Back home in Nadapuram on Sunday night, she was received with relief and emotion. Her mother, who had waited through days of uncertainty, broke down as she spoke of an unshaken belief in her daughter's return. "I knew she would come back," she said.
For Sharanya, the forest was not just a test of survival, but an experience that has further strengthened her. Even after four days of hunger, rain, and isolation, she remains undeterred – her spirit of adventure intact.
When asked about her next trekking plans, the brave woman said, "Maybe after the summer season".
