A Ride to remember

My first road ride and it was all filled with emotions.

For a very long time, my heart was aching to go out for a ride. Coupling to that recently I saw a Malayalam film, ‘Koode’, which has been shot in and around Ooty. The cinematographer is Littil Swayamp. I wished to see Ooty again, through the eyes of that Cinematographer.

Coincidentally one of my brother Karthick, proposed the idea of ride to Ooty and I immediately said okay. Then I called my Chitthappa (Uncle), who had this wonderful bike Royal Enfield. Well, Now I don’t feel it just as a bike, but more like a reliable friend, close companion.

Yes! The bike was like my mind and soul. It interpreted my feelings and communicated with me during the whole ride. Thanks to my Chitthappa, who believed me and gave his bike. He is a die-hard bike lover and loves his Royal Enfield so much.

I am a slow rider. I don’t rush in greater speeds. Reasons are, first I am afraid of speed ride, second I need my bones, ribs and more importantly my life, to live and enjoy this beautiful world.

The ride was planned on July 28, Saturday 5am. It was all cool till Thursday. On Friday, I got all kinds of negative thoughts, shivers along the spine, bad dreams, like bike accidents, me thrown out to hills along with my bike, bloodshed, gruesome, hospital, pain, my parents, wife and all relatives crying seeing my dead body, and many more… Friday night I had all this mixed feelings and confusions. I even thought to step back from this ride. But something good was silently whispering in me, ‘It’s now or never!’, ‘Go for it!’

I was double-minded and yet decided to go on with the ride. My parents, wife and sister were also in mixed feelings about my ride. Where there is love, there comes care, the care is transformed into worries.  I knew that, but still I want to do it! I tried hard to sleep with all those negative voices. Got up at 3.30am and was fully ready by 4.30am. I prayed God, to bring me back in one piece. I said, ‘This is my first long ride and I want to do this to overcome my biggest challenges in my life - fear and confusion!’ Yep! It’s like seaweed, grows and grows and grows, that would never allow light in you. After I prayed, I was relieved a bit. Prayers never fail! I believe in it! 100%!

Then I said good bye to my worried parents, messaged my wife and started the ride with my brothers. Karthick, my brother, elder one, he works as Team leader at Ford Coimbatore. He loves bike and road trips.

In fact he is senior to me and Surya, in bike rides. Karthick was the one who taught me to drive bike, during my college days. I got my bike, when I was studying for my Masters Degree! Those bike learning sessions were filled with fun and entertainments!

For the Ooty ride, Karthick was on his own Apache, in front of me, like a guide for the whole ride. Surya, another brother, the younger one, he works as Service Manager at Dynavac Company, Coimbatore.

He is also like me in bike riding experience. He drove his Vikrant, covering my back during the ride. I was riding in the middle of both and started the ride.

We had hot tea and cake at Thudiyalur. And then stopped at Karamadai, prayed at a temple, worshipping ‘Kaarana Vinayagar’ and drove straight to Mettupalayam, where Karthick gave us important instructions about riding through hills. And that’s where all hell broke loose!

 Karthick gave a salute to the hills and started the trip. I was at his back and embraced the same feeling. My heart pumped out so fast in joy. The hills were like inviting me saying, ‘Come home!’ Then it was all turns and fun. We crossed many tricky hairpin bends, lovely little curves, and tiny bends. The ride was from Mettupalayam to Kothagiri. The road was all lovely with hot sun and mild cold rising equivalently. Obviously the coolness overtook the sun!

Karthick signaled us about opposite vehicles or obstacles. Surya and I drove accordingly. It was no hurry-burry driving. We drove cool and composed. We had companions, mostly youngsters driving along with us. We brothers watched each other’s back and took care of one another during the whole ride. I never slipped my eye from rear view mirror watching Surya, who was always behind me.

Finally reached Kothagiri, had hot tea, which was very much expected. The hot tea was more like an elixir at that time. When I am at Chennai, I would long for some cool places like Ooty or Kodaikanal. But at Kothagiri, I was searching for sun!

Then we headed to Ooty. The road was all good. I thanked the roadways department and all the men who would have toiled hard, lost their lives to build such roads in those treacherous hilly areas. We were blessed to travel through such good road. We drove responsibly and so we enjoyed the moments.

                  We reached Ooty, had breakfast, filled my bike with fuel and headed to Masinagudi, the bike rider’s love! I heard many say about the thrill and enjoyment while riding from Ooty to Masinagudi. I enjoyed the same! It was a whole new experience. There is a saying in Hindi, ‘Agar Jannat kahi hai, toh woh Yahi hai! Yahi hai! Yahi hai!’ The heaven is down here on the earth. I felt those words. There were these mist-clad hills, sitting like a monk, silent yet communicating. The whole air was filled with positivity and peace. We engulfed ourselves fully into it. We rode down completely in second gear with utmost caution. The roads were so steep at some point, like a greedy mind, looks all luring from distance, when you get down into it with no caution, you’ll be succumbed completely, thereby never returning back!

Then we drove all through Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, had tea and refreshed ourselves there. We had this fun and smiles with us throughout the ride. Surya is the one who gives best counter dialogues for all my point. I love his counter comedies and timing jokes!

 Karthick is another best in kidding me. He would do in his own style, which I enjoy always!

Then via Gudalur we headed to Ooty. The road was completely awesome. We drove through dense forest. But we were unlucky to spot any animals during the ride. After that we saw this sky-touching trees and they were like our great grandparents who lived so long on this earth and deep-rooted their customs and traditions into us. Under their shadow, we rested for a while, taking selfies and souvenir pictures of our ride.

Then we came through a road where the entire right side was welcomed by bamboo trees, which were shy and they appeared to be like, they want to hug and embrace us. Like a token of gratitude, they bent down to us, wishing for visiting them and have a happy journey ahead. 

Then came the real beauty! Yes! I thought I would be riding only through sun’s mild heat and enveloping cold, which was comforting us all throughout the day. But at a point, we experienced light drizzle and heavy fog spreading around us. It was challenging and interesting to ride along such moments.

The another incredible and interesting thing which I enjoyed through the whole journey is the light. The light played all kinds of drama in front of us. She would shed grayish gloomy cold light to soothe us, then sprinkle some pleasant bright sunlight to comfort us and many times she would go all white, throwing a blanket of fog, thereby covering all her lustful green beauty! Even though she would never cease to attract us, by revealing her charming greens here and there!

Then we reached Ooty through Pykara. At that moment, my mind instigated some devilish thoughts in me and I started to ride recklessly. There was swarm of vehicles infront of me, but even though I was chasing and over-taking them all in those curvy roads. My bike would have been confused! Till that moment, I was driving in peace. But when I gave room to my mind, the witchy mistress, she started to bring up all the negative thoughts, like vengeance and hatred. The people, whom I hate, came into my mind like flashes. My heart pumped out irregularly. The triggered anger was transformed to my bike and he got all the heat which accumulated in my dirty mind.

The moment I reached Ooty, it all came down normal and cool. My heartbeat became normal. I learnt that never give room for negative thoughts, it would engulf you into a dark limbo, from which you would never find a way back home!

At Ooty, I came through a temple and prayed a moment. And we had our lunch, hearing badaga songs. Surya loves to sing and he was all enchanted with the badaga songs! Then we planned to get down and reach home. So bought some chocolates and we said good-bye to the wonderful Ooty.

We took the same route as we travelled to Ooty. From Ooty to Kothagiri and Kothagiri to Mettupalayam. We laughed and cracked jokes at some pitstops. I was laughing like hell, for the jokes of Surya and Karthick. The light was going dark and we decided to reach Mettupalayam as soon as possible. I remembered the whole journey till that moment and boasted myself for riding such a distance.

 At that stroke came the fear, master of all emotions. The vehicles which passed along us drove recklessly and made me get frightened around the edge of the curvy roads. There was two moments, where I would have been toppled down to deep hills. But had a narrow escape! Even though I gave them space to overtake me, some lunatics drove like hell.

Finally we trio reached Mettupalayam. We three stopped our bikes, turned back and thanked the hills for giving us wonderful time and experience.

I thanked for teaching me some lessons. I thanked Almighty, for getting me down in one piece. I also embraced my parents and beloved who prayed for me to travel safe and reach home.

Then we rode from Mettupalayam to Annur and finally reached Coimbatore. The whole ride covered 337kms! In one single day! Wow! That’s really great!

I reached home and gave a warm hug to Karthick, thanking him, for being a watchful guide, friend and obviously beloved brother all along the ride. Then hugged Surya, for making the ride much easier, with his comedies and pranks!

Finally I saw a broad smile on my parent’s face seeing me. They were in fear and worries, about me riding through hills, which was new to me. I entered home and thanked God… for the lifetime experience!

A Ride to remember!

28-07-2018