Freedom ride

Sunday - 16th August 2009, One more memorable day in my life.

I didn't know what to name this post, but since my "independent" ride was soon next after independence day I aptly named it so.

I was having one more of a lazy weekend (as usual)... sleeping, sleeping and more sleeping, stuck to my couch, wrapped up in bed, not sure of sunrise or sunset! maybe even the clock had doubts in displaying AM/PM! with awesome drizzling weather outside..this Saturday.

Few of our college friends tried to meet-up for lunch on Sunday noon but in vain. :( So nothing much fun this weekend, I thought and again pillow was my "best friend" till 10.30am on Sunday morning.

Mom called me up to get up and wash my face to come out of just-now-got-up look, for her elder brother had come home to bless her with arishina/kumkum (A custom which is usually observed, similar to Raksha bhandhan in North, I suppose) for the Gowri festival, Next Sunday. How sweet of him to come to our place, I thought.. and so sooner did the thought of me going to my cousin sister's place crossed my mind and that is when I decided to goto Mysore!!! It was already 11am on Sunday morning. Me, not yet having a bath or breakfast, realizing my thought was far from reality but I always am game for making probable things possible :)

Having no commitments/meetings, I had all the time in the world to get ready for 100 mile journey from Bangalore. I got it all arranged in quick time. Had a quick-short bath and light breakfast and bidding a tata :) to my parents I started my bike after a long time. My companion, bullet doesn't give up on me in crisis like this.. It started smooth as if I had "buttered" the inside of the engine the day before! Off I leave to Mysore at 12:15pm packing an extra set of clothes and fueling up in a nearby service station off the Mysore road.

I drove slowly for about 20-30 kms for getting the engine hotter. It was around 2pm when I reached kamat(not a Kha-Mat :P) restaurant, 11 Kms behind Maddur. Jowar roti meals with Brinjal curry(they call it ennegai) is too good a feast when you are really really hungry. I called up my mom to say that I was having lunch at Maddur and mom couldn't believe her ears as she had heard my words as a foolish thought and wouldn't do such a thing in reality to drive away so far!

I disturbed my mechanic a couple of times to guide me to tighten brake nuts(The splashing of rain water to rear brakes lessen the effect of drum brakes) and to check the need for topping up of engine-oil, dust in carb-valve. His solutions worked out well.

It was 3pm already but I enjoyed the ride and scenic beauty around as it was drizzling for few moments and bright sunshine the next. There was no need to rip my bike and go fast as I had already plans to come back next morning. Slow and steady, I dodged some bad part of Mysore road on the way and soon I reached the "royal" city of palaces.

Mysore is not the same as before when me and our family used to live there a decade back. It is stretching outwards just like Bangalore with coming up of ring roads and bypass roads. Those were the days where every road had a -puram attached to it! now replaced by large blocks of vast sites called colony.

It was not difficult in finding way to my uncle's place as I had already known the landmarks. I surprised everyone by my untimely visit and It was nice to see everyone at home. It was a almost a year since I had been to their place. I had loads of fun at uncle's place that evening. We played pagade (desi version of dice game - ludo) which I used to play with my late Grandma during school-days. It brought back a lot of memories. Aunt prepared nice onion bajji.. too good for the chilling weather :) Great to know that little sister's education is going well. Nice to know her ambitions of completing BBM with CS and taking up further MBA in Bangalore university. Youngest sibling sister of all in our family is in her 10th grade and kudos to see that she has joined Bharathanatyam senior in dancing classes. I spent a lot of time looking out for myself in uncle's marriage album and had hearty laugh at "young myself" :D

I went back to childhood looking at the cute barbie doll sisters treasured in their photo-album. Sad, that I dont have my own photos when I was a little kid. I seemed like more of Kamsa rather than Krishna when they used to get me fancy dressed for a photo shootout :P

It was late and heavy lashing rains outside with a bit power cuts in between, we could not go out for strolling around famous Mysore palace. Also I had to leave early next morning back to Bangalore. So I was forced to sleep at 11pm to get up early at 4:30am. Its been ages since I slept so early.. I am quite nocturnal type who usually does not go sleep without seeing 1:00am on clock. But due to the tiredness of treacherous journey biking for hours made me sleep like a baby. I do get sleep anyplace,anywhere in this world, even on a stone bench, when I want to rest ;)

Over-cautious of missing my work on Monday, I got up before the alarm. Ready at 5am, I left back to Bangalore and drove all the 140+kms at one strech without a break! till I reached home. This was my longest non-stop journey. Poor engine had to bare all the torture but I accelerated "with care" :).. I didn't care about my back pain and I couldn't stop anywhere because there was torrential rains from the beginning till the end of this journey and I was half drenched!! Not even Niagara falls come close to seeing of such a beautiful rainfall!

I reached back home at 8:15am and had hot shower to ease my cold numb fingers. But my mind was still numb in memories enjoying a memorable day gone by. I had enjoyed each and every single moment, A real bliss!