This was the most picturesque day. Khandala and Lonavala are beautiful in some points. The Western Ghats are beautiful. I remember we stopped at one of the highest points. One of the shopkeepers makes espresso coffee - he has one of those machines we would see in the old movie theaters. B of course didn't have all that sugary stuff :) I had.
Staring at the other end of the mountain, he told me about Nik Wallenda, the rope walker. That his father, mother, grandfather - everyone died rope walking. Everyone else in the family left the tradition but he didn't. He sat imagining - he walked over the Grand Canyon. Pointing to the mountain ahead, he said can't even imagine this - how could he walk on a rope over Grand Canyon. People do the most interesting things.
While descending from Khandala, he remembered the Benjamin Button movie. In that the protagonist meets an old lady whose only regret in life was to not have completed swimming of the English Channel - the last 5 % or something like that. A few years later, he reads in the papers that she becomes the oldest lady to swim the English Channel. And then he said, jab ek keeda hota hai in the head, it never goes.
I remember being conflicted about getting a picture taken where the sun was shining correctly - of me driving the motorcycle. On one hand, it was the right point, position etc photographically. On the other - which was the main thing that was bothering me - what is it for that I want that picture? Haven't I shared and shared. What is it that I'm trying to impress for and whom. And why? Unless I get out of this nonsensical external world, I'll be stuck in a loop of doing things without meaning.
I detested Mumbai. B could tell. It looks like you don't want to go. Almost like a kid who doesn't want to be taken out of the toy store. It was something like that. Actually, I could smell the city. People change in their demeanors too. Something happens to people. We had a small interaction in Khapoli - it's at the foothills of Khandala. I could tell in how the auto driver pointed us towards the Mumbai road.
Mumbai drive - it was for about 1.5hours. It drove me crazy. Heat. Dust. Pollution. Watery eyes. Traffic. Choking throat. Sneezes. And so many many people drive day and in out. I wondered what am I complaining about. It wasn't that I was complaining - just that I have gotten out of touch with the discomfort. Rather, have consciously avoided it.
We reached home around 1.15pm. Lunch was thalipeeth! :)
Staring at the other end of the mountain, he told me about Nik Wallenda, the rope walker. That his father, mother, grandfather - everyone died rope walking. Everyone else in the family left the tradition but he didn't. He sat imagining - he walked over the Grand Canyon. Pointing to the mountain ahead, he said can't even imagine this - how could he walk on a rope over Grand Canyon. People do the most interesting things.
While descending from Khandala, he remembered the Benjamin Button movie. In that the protagonist meets an old lady whose only regret in life was to not have completed swimming of the English Channel - the last 5 % or something like that. A few years later, he reads in the papers that she becomes the oldest lady to swim the English Channel. And then he said, jab ek keeda hota hai in the head, it never goes.
I remember being conflicted about getting a picture taken where the sun was shining correctly - of me driving the motorcycle. On one hand, it was the right point, position etc photographically. On the other - which was the main thing that was bothering me - what is it for that I want that picture? Haven't I shared and shared. What is it that I'm trying to impress for and whom. And why? Unless I get out of this nonsensical external world, I'll be stuck in a loop of doing things without meaning.
I detested Mumbai. B could tell. It looks like you don't want to go. Almost like a kid who doesn't want to be taken out of the toy store. It was something like that. Actually, I could smell the city. People change in their demeanors too. Something happens to people. We had a small interaction in Khapoli - it's at the foothills of Khandala. I could tell in how the auto driver pointed us towards the Mumbai road.
Mumbai drive - it was for about 1.5hours. It drove me crazy. Heat. Dust. Pollution. Watery eyes. Traffic. Choking throat. Sneezes. And so many many people drive day and in out. I wondered what am I complaining about. It wasn't that I was complaining - just that I have gotten out of touch with the discomfort. Rather, have consciously avoided it.
We reached home around 1.15pm. Lunch was thalipeeth! :)
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