Road Trip - The Best Part of Being Single.

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“I always wanted this” – I uttered silently while the speedometer pointer touched 140 Km/h mark. I was waving my hand outside the left window and feeling the rapidity of airstream, it could float me if I was half of my weight, I thought. On the back seat Rajat was struggling with the setting of my baby, my Nikon and Kiran was testing the extreme specifications of the old engine.

It was all I wanted, a Road Trip. A time to unwind with guys I wholly trust. I could invite some more folks but the plan was made so suddenly, I am sorry, Next time.

It’s been six years leaving college and two years saying bye bye Delhi. Road trip with two guys who didn’t know each other was tough thing to plan, but said they knew me since ages they were assured it was going to be fun anyways. And one fine morning our road Trip started with two icons of my College and TCS days. We boys have a nice understanding; we never ask each other uncomfortable questions and don’t get angry quickly which makes the life easier.

Last evening I had only plan of relaxing out the coming long weekend at Bangalore, meet few friends but then an exotic idea popped inside. And within ten minutes we were in unity for this Trip. Earlier today, Rajat was waiting for us in his trademark Chaaddi and carrying pair of shoes in one plastic carry bag, he would be carrying those for next three days but never using it. He even didn’t know where we were going. Frankly speaking I too never knew, our first halt was supposed to be Mysore and then night stay at Coorg.

After beating the Bangalore traffic when we reached so called Mysore High-way, we were already late. We sprinted the nice patch of Nice road sooner than anticipated and then we saw a board , ATV and Go Karting 14 kms away. Sooner Kiran saw the board he looked at me, he knew the obvious answer and without asking the passenger in backseat we already had decided our next stop.

The place was small, but we been only customer there then, it came out to be a private playground where we endeavored our skills on ATVs first where I performed my lifetime worst driving. Rajjo found the root cause, the bike type handle on a four wheeler didn’t suit me, and I couldn’t appreciate him more. By the time Kiran had already jumped into the racer vehicle for go karting, alas I didn’t give him a pass for the entire three laps. I could imagine his frustration. When we came out from there he showed all types of skills just learned on the maruti he was driving and super irritating road of Karnataka was pain for the a**.

We stopped for lunch, which was just ultimate, after long time I had so nice South Indian dishes. We ate side dishes more then the main thali, don’t remember the names, but something called Pongal (both sweet and spicy) were the best.

The engine had just started getting hot when we saw another board, Wine Tour. Baas, what else people want after nice food ? The Wine tour was informative but the last part was the best when we tasted 5 types of wine, starting from table to sparking ! I thought to have a nice sleep at backseat but the one pe one free bumper-some road and Rajjo’s super skills of neglecting them kept me wake and jumping all the way till Mysore only found we were very late.

Had heard about Brindavan Garden of Mysore since childhood but in actual I found it ok-ok, may it I have seen better places, it was just average, or they didn’t keep the place current with changing time. I had plenty opportunity of photo-shoot and to appreciate the birds and greenery around. Really Hyderabad lacks big time in these.

Mysore Palace was closed by the time we re-entered into the city, According to our original plan we were suppose to be 130 Kms ahead now at Coorg, but Mysore was not a bad stay after authentic Bengali food, fish to be specific and a nice hotel from where we took a bed sheet as souvenir or you can say in exchange of the room they show us while booking and ultimately provided.

The night was funny one; we went to bed at eleven, putting alarm at four am. But when the good night talk extended till two o clock we changed the alarm to 5 o clock and who knows who’s conspiracy, none of those three phone alarm did ring. Both of them says I did put the alarm off but they both had passwords in their cells. That was an exciting night One soon to be father, one soon to be married and one soon to be someone’s boyfriend were sharing the exotic stories of last few years, lets skip that part, or they both will kill me.

We didn’t know what to see in Coorg, we just came and that was the best part of road trip. I juggled my memory, took it back to College final year when I came with 18 more here on 3 day long trip. More than six years, wonderful memories started coming up in front of my eyes as I started revisiting the places.  Like Dil Chahta hain scene when Amir remembers his college days, I too could see my gangs there. Saw the hotel we stayed the place we ate, Abbi falls, we had so much fun then, surely I missed those days again. Out of all I missed Chandan who used to organize the trips in college and his cap which we all wore during the trip one by one. 

With some I never met after college but still could recall every name. The day was special like walking into the memory lane. Before I could get more sentimental Abbi Fall’s breathtaking beauty and splash of waters and birds around washed away those feeling and brought me to reality.

The next part was full of surprise when we decided to go Talkaveri, a place 52 kms from Coorg. I had been there before but going again was fun. We just left Coorg with a promise of coming back and sleep the night with, when Kiran stopped the car at a diversion.  The board read Talkaveri 50 Kms, Mangalore 150 Kms.

He looked at me again, he didn’t have to say anything, I could read his mind better than anyone, the sand castle was calling. When Kiran proposed the plan of going to Mangalore to Rajat, he was speechless and the expressing of his face was timeless, but he was soon convinced, we actually bribed him of good sea, beach resort and something else. 
  
The next 30 kms in Ghat section was awesome, more curves than Shilpa Sheety’s hip. But next 40 Kms were painfully ass**** types. As we arrived Sulliya where Kiran became sentimental. We all have a stories, some nice some less nice, but memories never fade. It was not advisable to let him drive, at that state of mind, so Rajat took the steering again and like obvious the Delhi style driving rocked the road.  

We were finally in Mangalore and sun was to set in 15-20 mins when we came to know the famous malpe beach was still 40 kms away. Though Kiran again made instant promise to take there before sunset I had reasonable doubts.We saw the sunset in Ullala beach, can’t say very bad, sunset at seashore is always soothing. Got some nice shots. First time I was at a sea in less than one month.

We had to skip the beach resort part due to unavailability of resort, being a long weekend it was packed so booked a so so hotel. Can't forget the Pabba's Ice Cream Parlour (known as Ideal ice cream also), probably one of the best I have ever had in India.

Next morning we had 380 kms to drive and some a few meetings to attend at Bangalore before I finally catch the bus. Rain, Fog, sunrise, river made the first part of journey fawsome.

Next detour was the Kukke Shree Subrahmanya Temple inside forest. Gods and me are not on the same side recently but still we respect each other. So without much bargain I went to see him. It’s a small template town, crowded but the a small hill at background reminded me of Badrinath. For next couple of hours we drove through hilly terrain and then finally the plains where again we talked with the wind.

Around thousand kms on road, untimely food, all of a sudden brakes -some time loud, senti music and endless road without Plan. Road trips are suppose to be like that without any plan. One thing we couldn’t try, to sleep night out in the car, may be next time at some exotic location. May be @ Ladakh.  At the end of three days the burden was much less, so many secrets and pain which we kept in our hearts were freed. Road has its own story where we contributed some of our own.

Sometime destination is not everything; Journey has its own pleasure. Same applies to life, what we achieve at the end won’t count much unless we have enjoyed the life through. Life is surely not about a special day or a special someone, it’s how we live everyday with all.