The traveller set sail. My mood kept switching, after spending some time at our hangout with Victor and Saji I felt better. I stayed in Mysore for a day and rode on to Bangalore catching up with the gang. We gathered at Pissay's place while he asked his wife to stay back at her father's place for the night. Karthik, Naveen, Akshay and Bhagath, It was a blast. After 2 days in Bangalore, my real journey began. I bought a rain pant from Decathlon and fixed a USB charger on the bike. Filled up the tank and started riding towards Hyderabad.
Being brought up in Coorg, a paradise with enough nature, good climate and rich surroundings, the highway heat from the plains started baking me. I Planned to cover 200 kilometres or extend by another 50 per day. Camp on roadsides, rest and continue.
Suddenly, a beautiful view tickled me, I was brought back to life and my mind felt clear. I stopped at Lepakshi, a place well known for its floating pillars. They looked like they were hanging off the ceiling. a statue of Brighu dancing on 3 legs, Idols of gods and goddesses carved to perfection in this ancient temple, built by our Vijayanagara rulers. After offering my prayers to Shiva and Shakti, I continued.
I found Ghooty fort on the maps. Reaching the top was a trek in the hot sun. The beautiful ancient fort in ruins was mentioned as being maintained by the government but all I saw was goats using the fort as a place to graze. The place seemed to have a good history, it was grand, had taken a lot of manpower and planning in its construction. I was the only person there and I started hiking after parking my bike at the gate, with the luggage strapped on. I thought I was the only tourist, but I had the company of a hundred goats and sheep joining me out of nowhere. I started around 10:30 and came back at 13:30 exhausted and drenched in sweat. Took off and camped early on a flat place away from the highway.
By the time I reached Hyderabad, I lost about 2 kilos of weight. The heat, the vibration from the bike and the sudden change in food, burnt all my fat. On the way, there was a Dharamshala sheltering old people, providing free food at any time of the day. I stopped to eat, dropped a few bucks in the donation box and got into conversation with an old man there.
Why did he decide to leave home at the age of 60? He'd been living here for the past 4 years. He worked as a driver and labourer across the country, making a house and a family. Then why leave?
He said he was not comfortable with his own people. For him, all of them were his life but when he realised his place in theirs, he knew it was time to leave. One fine day he took a bag and left home and this place offered him a permanent residence. About 15 old people lived together doing what they could to feed the hungry on the road. Some NGO ran the place. It is located on the left side of the road about 300 kilometres from Bangalore towards Hyderabad.
When you walk on the right path you will be guided. There is no need to remember your lies and need not be worried about anything. You are free. For me, people and values are more important than money and possessions. I live by my ethics and life has earned me a lot of good people. Like the dialog from a Rajinikanth movie 'Padayappa' , he says "Aandavan nallavangala sodhipaan aana kai vida maatan! Kettavangalukku alli alli kodupaan aana kadaisila kai vittuduvaan!"
Meaning, God tests good people but doesn’t abandon them. He generously gives to the bad people but abandons them.
And then Rajinikanth himself hosted me in Hyderabad. Rajini was a couch surfer who stayed with us in Coorg. I remember tagging him along with my other guests to do some sightseeing. Varala Rajinikanth Reddy gave me a place to stay in his penthouse on the top floor, where he lived with 3 other boys. It was a bachelor’s paradise.
I cooked chicken for them in the night, they bought all the necessary things. I made some Poha in the morning for breakfast, which didn't come out well enough. Still, we ate.
Having about 1500 rupees left, I went to an ATM to draw 500 and surprisingly the balance showed around 7000. The adrenaline of happiness and a cloud of questions arose in my mind. How? I checked my bank account online to realize it was Mohammed Arrsath who had credited me 5000. My dearest friend, someone I would risk my life for. I'm not saying this for the money he sent into my account, I'm sure bugger knows better. My cousin, a techie working in Germany sent 2000.
Arrsath is a cousin of my classmate Sheriff Mohammed. Sheriff is another friend for life, I still remember the first time he popped a wheelie on his Suzuki Shaolin with me sitting pillion. I won't be wrong in blaming him for my falling in love with motorcycles. Those days in Ooty when gangs of bikers, tailing each other, leaving sparks from the stand, scratching our shoes to the road, to reach Hill Tea, just for a cup of tea. Every single day.
Arsha and me on the Shine, he dips a corner, before we realise, he sees a bus climbing from the opposite direction. He counter steers, somehow manages to bring the bike to halt just inches away from the bus. The driver jams the brake and draws a holy cross. Within seconds, we ride on leaving nothing but a smile.
Waseem, Arrsath and Sheriff. A picture from Ooty
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