The power of ONE

It was Saturday. But had to go to a doc; somehow managed to get up on a beautiful rainy day and drove through to the doc's clinic. Reached there in an hour, though clinic was at 5 mins bike ride from home. Had to wait on the way as it started raining heavily. And by the time I reached, I could see around 20 people lined up waiting for the doctor. And to top it all, I hadn't booked an appointment. The receptionist asked me to visit on Monday. Had to apply a jack, I have become used to. This time it was another doc’s reference. And as always it worked. The receptionist asked me to wait, as she would try to adjust me with one of the patients.

The entire environment in the lobby was gloomy. Everybody looked damn dumb and serious there. There were people from different backgrounds. A lady with a bob cut was looking down upon the others as if she had seen some dirty aliens while the traditional people sitting there seemed to be cursing her for tarnishing their culture.

Amidst this gloomy lobby, out a sudden a lady came there with her child. The child was a beautiful baby boy with a smile as rare and as true as you can get. His eyes conveyed his happiness to be in this world. The curiosity in his eyes seemed to be wondering at the expressions of the patients sitting there, what they had lost that he isn’t aware of. He was so lively and sweet that, everyone was attracted towards him. Suddenly everybody was interested in the child's movements and expressions. The other children sitting there too came to play with him. One child had suddenly livened up a dull place. Seemed like a situation out of a book, but this was happening in front of my eyes. Reminded me of a coke ad "Dikhte hain hum alag alag par andar se hain hum same same....".

As the child left, the situation was back to normal or should I say back to abnormal. But one strange child had touched everybody's life and given them a moment of joy.

Maujaan..(during the Trip Spree)

These days some of the burden of work seems to have been taken off and we can be seen roaming/racing around Mangalore. Since 2 of our roomies are leaving we planned to visit whatever places are left unexplored in and around Mangalore. Planned to rest this weekend, so taking time to write about our experiences in the past 2 months.
For the past 2 months, we have been visiting a lot of places. Can call it a trip spree. Have been to Hassan, Bekal Fort, Piligula and Manipal.
Hassan
Had a plan for a bike ride to Goa, but it started raining when we got up in the morning. As 3-4 hrs were wasted decided to go to Hassan for a coffee (though had tea and some snacks too). It’s around 180 kms from here ☺. But journey nowadays seems to be more important than the destinations. The journey was awesome, tiresome; but in the end the feeling was like “tripti” for the soul.

Started towards Hassan through a bad highway road and came back through a worser one. But encountered a dream track, which stretched to around 30-40 kms from Hassan to back home. It looked like a racing track with greenery all around. Looked like scenes out of a fairy tale. But the journey after that stretch was one laden with blind curves, amidst huge mountains with thick vegetation and dark clouds. The nature looked beautiful and dangerous at the same time. The NH-13 highway road stretch looked like a god-forsaken road though the scenes around conveyed the opposite. The most tiresome journey every encountered but the most fulfilling too.

Bekal Fort
The next trip was to the Bekal fort, a place we had been planning to visit for the past 2 years but missed it somehow everytime. This one was another picturesque journey; though this time around, the destination was even more beautiful. Bekal fort seemed to be a place ideal for shooting desktop wallpaper material. The vast blue Arabian sea, a railway track running parallel to it, a fortress guarding the land and out of the world beaches with a backdrop of natural vegetation was a rare sight to watch. Mother Nature seemed to have settled here. We couldn’t stop enjoying. The wallpapers are still gracing my desktop.

Pilikula
The next one was to Pilikula zoo. One of it’s kind; this zoo has it all. Ranging from dangerous snakes to beautiful deer; to the ever so ROYAL tiger. It has a variety of snakes, from pythons to cobra to green colored poisonous snakes. Looking at the cobra, one gets to know why is it called the KING. It was huge (around 10 meters long), jet black with graceful yet quick movements; another example of dangerous beauty. On the other hand, the tiger showed what Royal means. Its royal walk was the one, which made our trip. The tiger is easily one of the natures’ most beautiful creations I have every witnessed. Couldn’t stop looking at it. Unfortunately, couldn't capture these in the camera as it was raining heavily that day.

Manipal
The following week we marched to Manipal, my second trip there. There’s something about Manipal; it’s a masterstroke by T.M.A Pai. A beautiful city crowded with youngsters (one can find the youngsters from all over India as well as abroad here). Wonderful infrastructures (out of India, if not out of the world infrastructure), hilly mountains, cool climate and youthful energy; this place has it all. We moved towards the end-point. I always used to think of end-point as the seashore, though it turned out to be Manipal’s end point. Another picturesque venue, apart from beautiful gals jogging there, there was ample beauty to get lost into. It has lush green stadiums, felt like sleeping in the middle of the cricket pitch. The river flowing downward was a sight to behold.

The bike
There’s been one thing common in all these recent bike trips, the bike. It’s Thunderbird but it’s not mine ☺. This bike carries that Royal heritage Enfield bikes are famous for. Easily the best cruiser bike the country, it spoils you as you can drive with one gear up or down without any effect on the engine. The power, the balance, the elegance, the beauty and the speed it has all. It’s one of the reasons, journeys seem to better than the destination.

Waiting for the Harley to come to India. Would love to own and compare a Harley against the ever so ROYAL Enfield.

The day it was

5th Jan, 2006
The day it was (New Year Eve)

What a year this has been! After celebrating Diwali for 2 days, having a fun filled Christmas, now was the turn of the last day of the year. And what a day it turned out to be.

The day was much like the year had been for me, disappointments to start with and rocking in the end. Shreyas’ friend had come here from Bangalore for the new year blast and also he wanted to check whether his car’s 5th gear works or not J. Finally we really had a blast .Plans were made, scrapped and again made throughout the day.

In the morning we went to Malpe beach and had plans to go to St.Mary’s Island. But when we reached there, it turned out to be an anticlimax. There was some festival going on and beach was so crowded and made so dirty that it will take some days to clean it off.

It was around one in afternoon and we were feeling hungry and disappointment added to the hunger. So we went to Manipal (we all wanted to see that place), had food there, roamed around a bit and then decided to go to Hosebettu Beach.

Now the fun part began. Went deep (around 30-40m) into the sea, ran races and also played cricket with local people there. Spent the best part of the day there and it was fun for around 3-4 hrs. Moved back to our house after sunset.

After getting refreshed, went for shopping. Did some quick shopping. Then we went to Café Coffee day, spent some good time there. And then came the plan change (we had earlier decided to spend the new year night at Liquid Lounge). Instead we got pizzas packed from Mc Donalds and headed for “ Sultan battery Beach “ then on the way decided to turn towards “Taner Baavi Beach” as only 15 mins were left for the new year to start. When we reached there it was pitch dark, although suddenly that day the road to that beach looked very crowded and really a happening place. Moved back, parked the car along the river side. It was a picturesque scene, as we could see fireworks from a within a natural frame formed by branches of 2 tress coming together. Had pizzas there and enjoyed the start of the new year seeing the fireworks from that natural frame on a river side.

Still excitement wasn’t sinking in. Now went to Sultan battery river side. Sat there for an hour, enjoyed the cool breeze there. Then at around 2 am in the morning we reached home.
It was different, really different. By far my best new year celebration till now.
I’m loving it !

Arvinder Singh Khosla