I started going out for a jog since yesterday. A lot of my friends had been advising me since long that I needed to shed the weight that I had put on really badly! After taking into concern these weighty issues, I finally relented. And guess to whom I relented. None other than my mom!
Now that I have started, I guess there is not much I can do to wriggle out of this situation. Mom is really adamant and upset at me this time round. In fact I was to start going out for this jog since Tuesday itself. Somehow I managed to save my lazy self from the torture that day; but at what cost? Mom did not talk to me that whole day! Women and their black mailing power! There is no way you can save yourself from them.
These two days, that is yesterday and today that I went out for a jog have weighed themselves very heavy on me! My body aches and cranks like a car right out of the 1950′s! I have literally been dragging my feet to every place I go. The effect has been so profound that I have suddenly lost the appetite to crank up the accelerator on my bike too! I now drive like an uncleji from 80′s would drive his faithful Bajaj. It’s a different matter of fact that I own a Bajaj bike too! Now all that is missing is a retro helmet. Looks like it is time again to pull out my Radio City retro helmet that I had won a few years back! Duh! I so very hated it!
Friends are just round the corner! Time to go for lunch. Catch you all laterz!
I will try and post a pic of me if ever I do reduce my body weight!

Kaboom! Bang! Crash!
I was lying on the road! People started to crowd around me. My eyes were getting heavy, I closed them. That’s all I remember of the incident. Next when I opened my eyes, I was in an unknown place. There were no people crowding over to see me, no commotion and no noise. There was an eerie silence all around me. I thought I was dead! Shit! How could I be dead so soon?? God! You can’t be so very harsh on me!
This place that I was at, it looked like heaven. This was a posh place. I could bet all my money, that’s if I had any in heaven that this place had to be heaven. It had everything that one could think of. The place or room, whatever you may call it, had all the modern amenities. Heaven looks far more advanced and posh to me. There was a deck of CDs lying in front of me, or rather, to my right. They were amongst the finest collections that I had seen in times. I was on a bed and it felt too comfortable to be true. There were two bed lamps on the either side of my bed. A book shelf adorned one corner of the room. I could not make out what books they were. A study table lay next to it, a table lamp still glowing. The chair was drawn back. It looked like someone had just got up from there. The other corner had a large window. It was heavily curtained. Moonlight peered in, softly illuminating the bedpost at a corner. Light breeze blew in from there chilling the place. There was no one in sight until now.
There was a searing pain in my right hand; I tried lifting it but found it heavy. It was then that I realized that there was a plaster on my hand. Wait a minute… did I say a plaster? Holy Gods! I was not dead! The dead don’t have plasters on them! Well they may have one in their grave, but in heaven? That was out of question.
I felt the sudden urge to get myself up in a seated position. I turned around and tried getting up. That was when I heard her for the first time. “Please stay lay down; at least for a while.” I looked around to see where the voice was coming from. It was a sweet voice and it fell like manna to my ears. The only source of light in the room was that of the table lamp that lit place faintly. The moon looked at its prime, but then there were curtains that let in very little light. I could see some one moving in faint shadows.
From what I could make out of the shadows, she was in a pair of pajamas. The room suddenly filling up with a sweet smell of flowers as she drew closer to me. I turned around and flicked on the bed lamp. The room was filled with more light. She stepped out of the shadows into the light, her face still shrouded with darkness. She wore a pair of red satin pajamas, small flowers scattered in print all over it.
“My back is sore from lying down for long. I need to be seated.” She was much closer to me now. I could see her slender hands extend towards me as a gesture of help. I declined the offer and got into the seated position. She drew the only chair that was in the room closer to the bed and sat down. I could see her clearly now.
She had a flawless skin and was dusky. Even in the limited light, her dusky self reflected enough light to put a mirror to shame. Her features were very well done up. It looked like as though she was the creation of an artist’s art. Her lips wore a bright red color. I am not sure if they were painted red by a lipstick or were a natural. Her eyes looked like two small gleaming candles. A straight nose and equally straight hair. In short, she was very beautiful, a feast to the eyes.
While I was admiring her beauty, somehow a puzzled look crept into my eyes. I am not sure if it was so very visible, but she immediately sensed my confusion. “I was the one who banged into your bike this evening. I was at a very high speed and the collision sent you flying over the head. You fell unconscious there. I could not leave you there for the dead and run because I am a doctor myself.”
It all started coming back to me. I had had a wonderful day at work today. I had just been promoted. I had had a great appraisal. My life that day looked perfect to me. I had been humming my favorite songs while I was riding back home. I had stopped at a junction for the signal to clear. The road behind me and ahead of me had been clear. I could have gone ahead, but… anyways.
I tried to open my mouth to ask her something, words failed me and my throat was dry. I squeaked. “Water.”

kuch baatein ankahi si,
kuch anjaan lamhe,
thodi si masti, thodi si khusti,
Bas yahi to hai dosti!

कुछ बातें अनकही सी,
कुछ अंजान लम्हे,
थोड़ी सी मस्ती, थोड़ी सी खुसती,
बस यही तो है दोस्ती! 

I had decided to leave at 7.30 am this morning on a biking trip to Chikkaballapur, but like every time, I got delayed. This time I left at 10 am instead of my trade mark after 12 pm that I am known for. It was the first time I was taking my bike out for such a long distance. I had never attempted anything like this before. I hit the road and all I faced was frustration. There was a traffic jam even before I reached the ring road and even after that the traffic was not so smooth. I had resigned to fate that there was nothing that could be done about it.
Let me tell you in brief the route that I took to get to Chikkaballapur. Most buses start from majestic and go via the Mekhri circle, Hebbal flyover and then to Chikkaballapur. I don’t stay close to Majestic and in fact stay closer to Hebbal flyover. So my route generally is to take the Ring Road and reach the Hebbal flyover. Turning left from under the flyover takes me towards Chikkaballapur. That route is also famous because the Bangalore international airport falls en route. So my route was home –> Hebbal flyover, turn left –> cross BIAL –> Devannahalli –> Chikkaballapur.
My best experience starts after I turn left after the Hebbal flyover. The road is simply awesome! 3 lane road with 3 different speed limits! I was aware that there were interceptors (speed cameras) all along the way, but I was not sure where the cops would be standing with these speed cameras! So maintaining my composure, I first took the 60 kmph speed lane. I felt the traffic was moving pretty slow and more over there were trucks all along the way! So I jumped lanes and hit the 80 kmph lane. That was when my ecstasy started!
It felt like I owned the road! There was no stopping me! I hit back at the traffic with a vengeance and rode past the best of the vehicles at a top speed of 115 kmph! The sights that I saw en route were not any ordinary either! I never realized that Bangalore had progressed so fast and hard that now most of the construction contractors were using Volvo trucks and Ingersoll Rand and CAT earth movers! No wonder then that the roads were looking so sexy!!! The best part of the road was the line of grape vendors (I sure picked up some grapes and they were sweet) and the worst the pungent smell of tobacco near the ITC Factory! I wonder how the workers there at the factory survive! I could almost smell a stick for 2-3 kms at a stretch!
Anyways, I reached Chikkaballapur and had a sight that awaited me! The last time that I had been there, I could not pick up too many pics! I was travelling by a bus! But managed to pick up a few pics this time round! What I am about to write/say would make most of us who have studied at Presidency School and Bishop Cottons; both at Bangalore squirm! Check out the slideshow with care, or just jump over to my album at Picasa. There was “New Bishop Cottons School” and a “Presidency School” there! Worst, neither matched the standards that these schools sure do maintain! I wonder what kind of teaching must be happening there!
The main reason that I was at Chikkaballapur was a very old temple! I am not sure how old it is, but by the architecture and other detailing that I noticed there, it sure looked like a good 1000 years old! I am told that the temple is very special and houses the powerful deity Vishnu and his Consorts there! Let me put in a point here as you must be wondering where the pics of the temple are; I did not like to mar the sanctity of the place and so did not click any pictures. Yes, I had a chance, I could have clicked them, and there was no Poojari or Priest there! Yet…
I was there for around 20-30 mins and after that it was time to leave. What much can a 25 year old like me can do at a temple and how long! We are bound to get bored and fidgety! Picked up my bike and started making my way back home! Dad had told me that there was a Shirdi Sai Baba Mandir some where close to Nandi Hills. I also wanted to soak in some of the beauty of the place around. So… my way back I decided I would drive slowly!
Maintaining an ambient speed of about 50 kmph I hit the dirt again and started enjoying the people and places around. Let me tell you that Chikkaballapur is a small town and according to me it is a small and a sleepy town! Most of us Bangaloreans would definitely feel that! Guess what, the main road that leads back from/to the temple is also known as M.G. Road!
Half way through the route back home, there was a large truck making way for me in front of me when I caught site of this Shirdi Sai Baba Temple! It is a huge temple I must tell you! The place has been well made and sure does give you a good set of jitters that trickle down your spine! Searched for a parking place, did not find one, parked on the road, only to find that I could have as well parked inside the temple premises! I decided to let go and walked in to the temple! The place is made up of black Kadappa stone for the floor and the post noon sun sure had made it hot! I did not want to make a fool of myself so bore it and walked in to the temple decently. But the inside I wanted to hop skip and jump! It was just so unbearably hot! Made it to the temple just in time because the afternoon Aarti had just begun! Post these formalities, I was back to my bike! I saw that the road was absolutely empty and it was time to stake claim on it again!
I snapped up a few photographs and started the bike! Rolled down and then started hitting top speed again! This time however, I restricted myself to just about 102 kmph! Ooooooh! The road gave me such a royal treatment! I just did not want to come back to the city! But back in the city limits I was still cruising when my eye caught the sight of a cop asking to slowdown. My heart skipped a beat because right there was an interceptor with a speed gun! I left a sigh of relief when I realized he was not asking me to stop but some one on the other lane!
I was back home in about 4 hours, but the damage had been done! I find it difficult to be seated any longer now! Need to take your leave, my back hurts and my bottom is still sore from the ride!
Hope to catch up on a ride with my twitter friends to Mysore soon. Will let you know how that went in case it does happen. Until then, it’s take good care time for me! Buh Bye people! 

Oh Rang Rasiya… the tune still fresh in my mind! Dholida Dhol Dhimo Vagad Na… the regular one that can never be done away with! We Gujaratis also have a weird taste when it comes to music, especially when it concerns Navratri!
What starts of with lots of fanfare also goes on with equal pomp and show! every girl I know is decked in the best of her finery! Too bad most of these girls are taken! even otherwise, I have not attempted to patao one for the fear of getting beaten! The other day a friend was asking me if there would be any great looking girls around there. What could I tell him? I had not found one myself for the last so many years that I have been frequenting there!
I wonder sometimes, why does this have to be celebrated just once a year, but then I reminiscent, had it been more than once, would we ever have enjoyed it? Even otherwise, these days I hardly see the kind of gusto that I used to see as a kid! Somehow it all seems to have been getting lost and missing with every year that passes by!
Oh lets leave all this behind! We were talking about girls and music! The finery and the dance! Till date I still consider myself to be a novice at the Dandiya steps! And Garba? Forget it! I don’t even remember when was the last time I saw myself there! Freaks me out! This year it could go on to be even more pathetic for me! I have hardly had any kind of a physical activity at all! Earlier I at least used to walk up to the bus stop to take my bus to work!
Lets see if I meet the same set of faces this year! Man! I hate it when this set of chicks spoil the whole rhythm with their delicate looking difficult steps! So very puts me out of sync! Girls, you need to understand you embarrass me for having two left legs!
Chica, this year if I seez you doing dat, I saiz I will run awai!