Ride to Break Free- Part 2

Continuing from where I left... I slowly started getting back to my senses. It was really the need of the hour. We were to off road our way up to a hill top to watch the sun set. But before we marched on we had a power lunch. A little bit of everything in the right quantity to ensure no one dozed off. We started our way back up to the village. The narrow kutccha roads were a real challenge. But it was only the beginning. As the sun reflected off our fuel tanks we rode on to the dustier and dangerous patches.

 It was my 1st ever experience riding on nothing but big blocks of stones and to make it worse fine sand covering the entire stretch which meant there was no room for error. Throughout the bumpy ride there was 1 big question in my head. Will I make it without scratching the machine and keeping myself alive atleast till my results??? Then all of a sudden a big WHAM and I was nearly thrown off the bike. I was focused on the question which meant no focus on the so called road. I hit a boulder and could have been crushed between the bike and the big rock. Thankfully I was able to hold on to the handlebar and just about keep the engine running. From that point on my heart rate was probably as high as the engine's RPM. A sharp hairpin bend saw a lot of people struggling for grip some of them falling off and getting back without any hassles. That's when I realized that my moment was not too far away. Exactly 10 mins later I braked to avoid a pit only to lose grip and the sand ensured I also finely fell off the saddle. Luckily, I had Manish Sharma behind me to boost my confidence and keep me going. And finally we reached the top which gave us this breathtaking view.

A professional photo session was all we could think of. With the sun beating down on our napes and all of us covered in dust we decided to sit back and watch the sun dip lower behind the mountains.

Unfortunately we had to race with the sun back to the ground as there were no street lights. If the ascend was challenging the descend was like taming a snake. Every grain of sand wanting us to slip at every possible corner and every boulder and crater welcoming us wickedly to their paths. We somehow managed to reach base with not a single puncture. THANKFULLY!! All of us 'soot'ed up we reached our tents finding our way through the deserted streets with the only rays of hope being our headlights.

 It was freezing cold at night and I continued to be wrapped in my dusty riding gear. A tired bunch of us wanted some food and a place to crash. At that moment we were told that our main guests and entertainers for the night were just leaving from Kharghar. Suddenly all of us were pepped up and we decided to collect logs of wood to set the camp fire. At 23:00 hours when almost the entire resort was asleep they were woken up by 9 screaming engines which were welcoming 2 more to our camp site. All they could do was stand at their balconies and stare at this rare sight that showcased brotherhood .We danced, sang and finally ended up in our tents out of sheer weakness after the tiresome day. The next morning was a treat to our eyes with the moon still reflecting in the water's purity and the rays of sun beaming from the other end. All of us cleaned our bikes with the dew that had neatly settled and were preparing for our ride back home.

moonshine on the water

Final moments

We were reluctant to leave this piece of paradise. But that's how life is, short experiences but everlasting memories. I'm saying this because I'm fully back to my senses. One has to get back to his/her senses after such a rejuvenating trip being so close to nature in all possible forms and what better way to do it than on 2 wheels!!