Friday, September 7, 2007

I'm free.

Distance:140kms
People:4
Ride:The beast(not mine) and the ugly(my bike.Bajaj caliber)

About two weeks back,I called up my friend on a saturday morning and we were discussing about one of the realty investment we had jointly made in the other town(B).We never had a chance to look at it and it was decided that we will visit it.

The crazy guy he is,calls up and says let's go in a bike with a couple of other friends.I don't know what I was thinking(I wasn't), I said yes without thinking of the bad shape my bike was in.
(I didn't tell my folks about this.They wouldn't have let me go on a bike.)
We leave at around two in the afternoon,on a cloudy day.We are interrupted intermittently by the rain.I'm nervous about the bike's condition.Midway we have a stop and I call my dad after seeing some10 missed calls on my cell.

He doesn't call me at all unless ....
He is screaming and scolding asking me to throw away my cell;"what's the use if you aren't reachable when needed" he says.Aaargh.
My cousin sister had given birth to a baby(of all the days...) and I was expected to be @ hospital.After evading him by cooking up some story,we continue.We reach town B at 5 in the evening;attend to our affairs there and start back.

Now the real fun began:It's dark and it started to rain.I can't see the road properly without my glasses and I can't see the road properly with water on my glasses and only 2 out of 4 knows how to ride.

I just kept following the other bike from a distance.
We finally made it back to my place by 10:30 in the night.

This may not sound like much but consider this:

  • Indian roads can be tricky

  • People don't have traffic sense and bikes are mainly used for intra-city commute only

  • The highways have potholes at some places which can fatal for two wheelers

  • Highways are not accesss-controlled.People,animals,other vehicles cross the roads and drivers have to watch out

  • There are speed bumps without proper reflectors and signs which are hard to see at night.



Travelling at around 80mph,in rain,on a slippery road,in a unreliable bike, with no eye-glasses,with cars whizzing past splashing us with water,and with only tail light of my friend's bike as reference and being responsible for on more life other than me gave me a great 'high'.

My friend who rode with me plainly said that he wasn't sure if we could make it safe.

Such a rush OMG.
With age slowly getting the better off of us,I don't know if I can ever take such a risk again.
One thing's for sure:
I will never forget this day in my life.
I had never felt more alive in my entire life before that day.

(interesting times we live in)
--desparado.

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"I walk the lonely roads,the only one that I've ever known."