DAY 1 BEGINS....
Grandpa: listen, i have to attend this annual function at my village. Can u take me?
Me: of course grandpa, i can. Well i dont have anything else to do.
The plan set. 2oo kms away from Bangalore, to my ancestral village. Annual ceremony at a temple.
I get up at 6 am. damn. I hate getting up early. But the thought of driving for such a long distance wakes me up even before the alarm goes off. Neatly dressed, getting in the car, I head to my grandpa's place.
We leave Bangalore at 7.30 am. Me, grandpa and some irritating distant cousin(whom I got to know only a few months back). NH4. Empty. Smooth. Grandpa in a total trance about going to his village and attending a holy ceremony. I speed. 70-80-90-100-110-115 kmph. Morning weather and an amazing stretch. What else can a 23 year old speed freak for? (well better company wud have been better). Reach my hometown, Tumkur, at 8.30.
Breakfast at my other cousin's place. As time passes by, grandpa starts getting restless. He has to reach the village before 12. We leave my cousin's place at 9.30. Purchasing flowers, sweets, etc etc we finally head towards this village. The smoothness of NH4 gives way to what can be best described as a dirt track meant for off-roading. And we are in a Maruti 800. :( . I have 2 hours to cover 120 kms. Bad roads, maniacal truck and bus drivers, lazy villagers. I start to question myself, "why did i agree to take up this journey?". Without another thought, i floor the throttle even on bad roads, not giving way to ANYBODY. Atleast my other cousin kept me company. The car being so unstable. I still speed. Too much speeding? Well its in my blood.
Two hours of high speed, high levels of concentration, we reach the village. At 12. Exact. I turn towards grandpa and say, "thatha, we are on time. Now relax." The pleased look on the old man's face on reaching HIS village took away all the frustration of driving on bad roads. Glad that i could help my grandpa. Leaving him and the irritating guy(IG) at the temple, where they are joined by other village elders, me and my cousin go for our FAGS. Much needed ones. Parked outside the village under a tree, smoking, aaah, life.
Lunch at the IG's place. Oh man. Simple, yet so sumptuous. I hog, like there's no tomorrow. Then head out again for our after-lunch fags. We leave the IG's place at 3. Grandpa wants to visit all the temples in that village. He thinks this will be the last time he can possibly visit. So we head to 3 more temples. Well, finishing the appointment with GOD, we finally leave the village. Grandpa totally satisfied. And me too that i could help him out. But all the time only one thing lingered on in my mind, the next day's biking trip.
Bad roads become worse when there's lack of solar power. But it was a relaxed drive. No issues of reaching home early. Finally come back to my cousin's place at 8.30. Aunt, grandpa forcing me to stay and leave tomorrow. But i was adamant and left for Bangalore.
Driving alone at night is such a relief, from the daily grind of life. Cool breeze blowing, heading back to an empty home(parents outta town, yippeee), smoke in hand. Words can never express that feeling. Stop at a roadside dhaba. Chai and cigs, talking to my love, FUN never stops in my life. The best was yet to come. Cigs in hand, outdragging a better, powerful vehicle is such an EGO BOOST. The look on that driver's face being beaten by a guy driving a Maruti 800, was priceless.
Get home, exhausted, but satisfied. A shower, dinner(lovingly packed by my aunt) and a call to my confused zoo inmate. Sleep. Finally.
DAY 1 ENDS.
DAY 2 BEGINS......
Getting up at 9, i feel fresh. Eager to head out, again. This time with the right company. I arrange for my friend's bike(my baby was confiscated by 81). And jingle gets to my area. Smoke with him. Me and jingle head home. I get ready. the Kul finally arrives with Malvika. We leave my home towards Kul's "Sasural".
3 Bikes, 5 young souls, head out to enjoy a day of riding. Someone was missed a lot.
Out on the highway, the highway to heaven, we speed. (again? hell yeah). Stopping at places me and the Kul call our "Fag and pic" spots. Smokes, posing for pics. The fun never stopped. My mind was working overtime, talking non-stop, one-liners, pj's. Nothing "intellectual", well i am incapable of that.
My confidence in riding bikes was back. Thanks to a super stable and fast bike and a bigger thanks to one of the best pillions, Malvika. Salaam. Weaving in and out, taking corners, the screams of a 2-stroker, oh damn i am blessed with too many good things in life.
Lunch at a place called "Hotel Down Town Sagar". Lunch was good. Again a few fags and pics.
Head out onto the road.
CCD. Coffee. Cigs. Chat. More jokes. More laughter.
And then there is an epidemic. Damn. Everybody in CCD gets this sudden craving for bloody Black forest. Kids, parents, everyone. I am surrounded by Black forest. yuck.
Atleast i had good company.
Leaving CCD at 5.30 pm, hitting the road, i get this tunnel vision. All i can see is the road and vehicles. No fear. Just no fear. Been a long long time since i have not been scared of riding fast. And with an amazing pillion, all 3 bikes are taken close to their limits. All this while I am worried about how things are going on in a distant land.
Back to Bangalore. One phone call. I am happy that everything went well in the distant land.
On Shilpa's terrace, we go through the same routine. Chai, cigs and chatter. Jingle getting angry at a certain individual. Laughter, that never seemed to end.
And the day came to an end. Did it? NO.
Dinner at a friend's place. Fags on the terrace at 12. A long talk with the Confused Inmate.
Heading back home, head full of ever-lasting memories. Rest. Much needed. Physically tired but mentally feeling fresh as ever.
2 Days, 550 kms, Tired??? Absolutely no fucking way.
Grandpa: listen, i have to attend this annual function at my village. Can u take me?
Me: of course grandpa, i can. Well i dont have anything else to do.
The plan set. 2oo kms away from Bangalore, to my ancestral village. Annual ceremony at a temple.
I get up at 6 am. damn. I hate getting up early. But the thought of driving for such a long distance wakes me up even before the alarm goes off. Neatly dressed, getting in the car, I head to my grandpa's place.
We leave Bangalore at 7.30 am. Me, grandpa and some irritating distant cousin(whom I got to know only a few months back). NH4. Empty. Smooth. Grandpa in a total trance about going to his village and attending a holy ceremony. I speed. 70-80-90-100-110-115 kmph. Morning weather and an amazing stretch. What else can a 23 year old speed freak for? (well better company wud have been better). Reach my hometown, Tumkur, at 8.30.
Breakfast at my other cousin's place. As time passes by, grandpa starts getting restless. He has to reach the village before 12. We leave my cousin's place at 9.30. Purchasing flowers, sweets, etc etc we finally head towards this village. The smoothness of NH4 gives way to what can be best described as a dirt track meant for off-roading. And we are in a Maruti 800. :( . I have 2 hours to cover 120 kms. Bad roads, maniacal truck and bus drivers, lazy villagers. I start to question myself, "why did i agree to take up this journey?". Without another thought, i floor the throttle even on bad roads, not giving way to ANYBODY. Atleast my other cousin kept me company. The car being so unstable. I still speed. Too much speeding? Well its in my blood.
Two hours of high speed, high levels of concentration, we reach the village. At 12. Exact. I turn towards grandpa and say, "thatha, we are on time. Now relax." The pleased look on the old man's face on reaching HIS village took away all the frustration of driving on bad roads. Glad that i could help my grandpa. Leaving him and the irritating guy(IG) at the temple, where they are joined by other village elders, me and my cousin go for our FAGS. Much needed ones. Parked outside the village under a tree, smoking, aaah, life.
Lunch at the IG's place. Oh man. Simple, yet so sumptuous. I hog, like there's no tomorrow. Then head out again for our after-lunch fags. We leave the IG's place at 3. Grandpa wants to visit all the temples in that village. He thinks this will be the last time he can possibly visit. So we head to 3 more temples. Well, finishing the appointment with GOD, we finally leave the village. Grandpa totally satisfied. And me too that i could help him out. But all the time only one thing lingered on in my mind, the next day's biking trip.
Bad roads become worse when there's lack of solar power. But it was a relaxed drive. No issues of reaching home early. Finally come back to my cousin's place at 8.30. Aunt, grandpa forcing me to stay and leave tomorrow. But i was adamant and left for Bangalore.
Driving alone at night is such a relief, from the daily grind of life. Cool breeze blowing, heading back to an empty home(parents outta town, yippeee), smoke in hand. Words can never express that feeling. Stop at a roadside dhaba. Chai and cigs, talking to my love, FUN never stops in my life. The best was yet to come. Cigs in hand, outdragging a better, powerful vehicle is such an EGO BOOST. The look on that driver's face being beaten by a guy driving a Maruti 800, was priceless.
Get home, exhausted, but satisfied. A shower, dinner(lovingly packed by my aunt) and a call to my confused zoo inmate. Sleep. Finally.
DAY 1 ENDS.
DAY 2 BEGINS......
Getting up at 9, i feel fresh. Eager to head out, again. This time with the right company. I arrange for my friend's bike(my baby was confiscated by 81). And jingle gets to my area. Smoke with him. Me and jingle head home. I get ready. the Kul finally arrives with Malvika. We leave my home towards Kul's "Sasural".
3 Bikes, 5 young souls, head out to enjoy a day of riding. Someone was missed a lot.
Out on the highway, the highway to heaven, we speed. (again? hell yeah). Stopping at places me and the Kul call our "Fag and pic" spots. Smokes, posing for pics. The fun never stopped. My mind was working overtime, talking non-stop, one-liners, pj's. Nothing "intellectual", well i am incapable of that.
My confidence in riding bikes was back. Thanks to a super stable and fast bike and a bigger thanks to one of the best pillions, Malvika. Salaam. Weaving in and out, taking corners, the screams of a 2-stroker, oh damn i am blessed with too many good things in life.
Lunch at a place called "Hotel Down Town Sagar". Lunch was good. Again a few fags and pics.
Head out onto the road.
CCD. Coffee. Cigs. Chat. More jokes. More laughter.
And then there is an epidemic. Damn. Everybody in CCD gets this sudden craving for bloody Black forest. Kids, parents, everyone. I am surrounded by Black forest. yuck.
Atleast i had good company.
Leaving CCD at 5.30 pm, hitting the road, i get this tunnel vision. All i can see is the road and vehicles. No fear. Just no fear. Been a long long time since i have not been scared of riding fast. And with an amazing pillion, all 3 bikes are taken close to their limits. All this while I am worried about how things are going on in a distant land.
Back to Bangalore. One phone call. I am happy that everything went well in the distant land.
On Shilpa's terrace, we go through the same routine. Chai, cigs and chatter. Jingle getting angry at a certain individual. Laughter, that never seemed to end.
And the day came to an end. Did it? NO.
Dinner at a friend's place. Fags on the terrace at 12. A long talk with the Confused Inmate.
Heading back home, head full of ever-lasting memories. Rest. Much needed. Physically tired but mentally feeling fresh as ever.
2 Days, 550 kms, Tired??? Absolutely no fucking way.
