Manas convinced me to stay for a week since they had planned a trip to Meghalaya with Mrigien and his brother over the weekend. All of them belonged to army families. Both Mrigien’s and Manas’s fathers were retired. Mrigien’s brother was now an officer in the army after 9 years of training. Even Manas wanted to join the army.
His parents treated me as one among them, while he was away at work. I was desperate for some rest so I hardly did anything other than eating, writing and sleeping. Manas owned a bullet and it was in a pathetic condition, desperately asking for a service. He said he didn't have the time for it, so one day I stood by the mechanic and got it fixed. Next day I visited Maa Kamakhya temple and a few other temples around. This temple is not like any other temples, it has a history of centuries. For tantric worshippers and spiritual travellers, this temple can be a gateway to a world beyond human understanding. Even here though, rich people buying tickets at 300 to 500 were allowed to enter faster while the poor stood there waiting. I didn't want to bypass time in my life, I waited for my turn. I guess being rich is about adding extra pressure on the poor, even at a spiritual place like the Kamakhya temple. I prayed for Justice.
Power comes from knowledge, knowledge comes from experience, and experience starts when you keep moving.
I went to Pabitora national park to try my luck at sighting a Rhino again, but unfortunately, the place was underwater. I came back to fix the Platina, adjusted the clutch, brakes and chain. I also changed the engine oil for uncle's Platina, yes even they owned one.
After living so comfortably there, I decided to leave before I plan to settle down. I planned to do a tour around the 7 sisters and come back to Guwahati. I had to courier the bike documents to get them transferred in my name. I dispatched the courier and with Shillong as my next destination, I rode through the city, when a yellow Royal Enfield Continental GT, honked from behind. I turned to see a well-built man loaded with luggage, geared up in jackets and guards, he asked me, "which part of the earth are you coming from?" I guess he went bonkers seeing me on a Platina with a Karnataka number, fully loaded on the Assam highway.
I said Bangalore. He said, "yea I can see the plates."
He asked where I was headed to. I said I was going to Shillong and when I asked him, he said he was going to Kibitu. Something struck me and I asked him if I could tag along. Maybe I was bored riding alone. Maybe I got too comfortable at Manas's house, Maybe the name Kibitu sounded interesting.
He on a 500 cc and me on a 100 was a mismatching combination. He still had the courage to say okay. My next question was “Do you smoke?”. With a smile, he nodded. We stopped ahead for a cigarette and started riding towards Kibitu, The last known town at the border of eastern India.
Shohab Bhai from Kolhapur ran his family business Hindustan Bakery back home. He was massive. I asked him about it and he turned out to be a wrestler and a boxer. Goodness! what a combination!
We rode ahead and pulled over for a joint, both of us looked comfortable tagging along or at least I did. I’m sure he would hesitate to say the same but we decided to ride ahead. He was always ahead and I would reach after 30 to 45 minutes meeting him on his 2nd or 3rd break. The plan was to reach Shivsagar, but at the end of the day I was so exhausted when I checked the distance, it said another 80 kilometres. I pulled over and tried calling him, no response. I left him a message saying I won't be able to reach Shivsagar. For a moment I realised we won't be able to ride together and decided to ask him to continue ahead without me. Luckily for me, he had some minor issue with the bike forcing him to stop at Jorhat. We caught up, had a drink and rested. By the end of the day we had done 315 kilometres starting at around 11 in the morning, It was my longest in a day so far and I was feeling dead.
The next day we rode to Majauli the biggest river island in Asia. After having the local rice beer, we had to move because a man was trying to stick onto us. Then we moved to Tinsukia. He had a friend there, who took us out to Padmini resort for a couple of drinks and conversation. We shared the bill. We booked a room in town and the next morning she invited us to have breakfast at her home. The previous day his headlight had failed so we went to the showroom to get it fixed. Since he had installed a bigger tyre, it rubbed the wires under the rear mudguard and fused the headlight and indicators. After getting it fixed we reached the biggest bungalow in the area for breakfast.
The house was so huge, We went around it a couple of times before realising that was the destination. As we sat for breakfast she and her mom sat beside us talking while the servants served breakfast. I was surviving on two meals a day and it was almost 11:30 when we got there. Near the garage, we had eaten only a few bananas. Both of us were very hungry and good eaters too.
We sat at the table to be served Uthappam with cheese. Once we finished one Uthappam we got the next one after 2 or 3 minutes and after the second, Uthappams stopped and Rotis appeared. Again after each roti, it took another 2 to 3 minutes for the next one. After a point, I gave up. I simply lost interest in eating and the way they asked if I needed one more was best answered with a big no.
I told myself “With such royalty one cannot even feed a guest to satisfy his hunger”, and we rode on. We stopped for a smoke and I spoke out to him. Told him “Brother, don't mind me saying this but these people, did they actually not want to feed us or they didn't know how to feed people? ” He didn't have a real answer but shared the same feeling.
I was already on a tight budget and since I was riding with him, he wouldn't stay in a tent and I was feeling the pinch. I always reached hours after he reached. I managed to share my expenses and he never asked me about money. Had a memorable ride though, priceless. Someone with the same passion, habits, also having trouble fitting in with society. I felt happy riding with him, more like a friend or a brother I never had. In the mountains, a simple meal costs a minimum of 120 rupees and I had to keep a check on my expenses.
The next day we reached Tezu and the day after it was 200 kilometres of corners and bad roads. I rode like a maniac. Having someone who could back me up, I didn't care. I was ripping the shit out of the motorcycle. On reaching Walong I realized there was only a BSNL network for a call and he was nowhere to be seen. I merely had 300 rupees on me. He paid in most places and I used to transfer my part. Luckily there was only one place providing accommodation and they needed a signature from the local in charge. I asked people if they had seen any yellow Enfield pass by but they had only noticed 3 other bikers from Maharashtra on bullets.
I got a letter signed by the person in charge and stood clueless wondering what to do next when I heard him honking. I was like what?? I realized how much I had pushed myself that day. Not like a race but it’s always good to ride alongside a fellow biker. In all the other places so far, though I was loaded and set, I used to wait until he was ready because he needed more time to set his luggage and we used to start together. I love to ride alongside a friend on mountain roads bending through the corners kicking each other's asses.
The inspection bungalow in Walong, nothing can beat it. The location and the view were simply mesmerizing. On reaching there we enquired about the price for accommodation, he said 1200 just for the room. I kinda stepped back, came back to the busy street and asked around if we could camp someplace because it was too expensive for me. That is when I met Mr Gaurav Meyor, a school teacher. He suggested we camp just outside the IB inspection bungalow and later he himself came and spoke to the caretaker to allow us to camp. Finally, he ended up getting us a deal at 600 for the stay and food cost extra. The place, Sexy is the word. I cannot forget the picture from my mind.
The next day we lazed around the place, went to the hot water springs with some beers. It was another of nature's miracle. There is hot water flowing through small pools, hot enough to warm up our body while just about 20 metres away, the river Lohit flows ice cold. Nature and God. Kudos.
The next day we rode to Helmet top. On the way, we passed a paradise of marijuana plants, which doesn't give a good high if grown in the wild but is good to make charas. I rubbed my hands through the well-grown buds and in about 30 minutes there was enough for at least 7 to 8 joints. We rolled one right way. It gave me a headache though. Then we rode to our final point, Kaho in Kibitu the last Indian village on the eastern border of India.
The next day we decided to ride to Parshuram Kund but ended up at Wakro instead since we couldn't find a place to stay. The Wakro eco-resort offered a dorm at 1000rs. Lovely place again amidst nature. We celebrated that night with some rum and weed as a great ride was coming to an end. I don't know much about him but I was sure about missing him.
Finally, We rode to the longest bridge of India, Bupen Hazarika Sethu and bid our goodbyes. I told him to start, I couldn't move. The feeling of loneliness came back. I sat there on the bridge for some time, then hopped onto the bike, Rode on..
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