The Great Misadventure

1800 hrs
22nd May 2008.
It was an indeed an awesome sight. The first rain of the season had hit earth. The mountains surrounding my office campus suddenly looked refreshing (although not green). All the nearby trees were glowing in green. It was a sight to behold. It was a complete change from the view that we were used to see the whole summer and i.e. heavy sun pounding heat with all its might. The mesmerizing smell of scorched soil damped up in the rain water filled up my nostrils.
This smell made me reminisce the good old school days when I used to cycle back home hurriedly so that I can save the new books in the bag on my back. Then after reaching home, aai’s scolding for not taking the raincoat to school in spite of several warnings. Neglecting that scold and asking for hot food and then relishing it with full heartiness. . Ah!! Those were awesome days.
I was sitting with my friend Ravi on the pavement of our office food court watching the rainbow above the building in front of us and recalling all the olden days. It felt so nice that even he had the same kind of story or share with me. We were so much engrossed in chatting that I forgot what the time was. By the time, we saw the watch, it was already 1930. It was time to go to home after yet another office day but a splendid evening. I hopped on my bike and started on my way back home. I was just happy and just thinking that nothing would go wrong today.
I made my way through the daily traffic and found that my daily route back home was overflowing with vehicles. Not wanting to ruin my evening, took a detour and a long way back to home but with less traffic. And when my house was just 4 km away, some foolish thought entered my mind and I took one more detour which took me home in less than 1.5 km. Big mistake for that day(Cos every day I commit at least one!!!!). But this one was gonna cost me a lot.

The road was fine for almost half a km. I was so overawed by the evening’s proceedings that I forgot to notice when I hit the kutcha road and suddenly I felt “Man! My bike is slipping”. I saw around it was pitch dark and not even a single source of light except my headlamp as this was a small path between Baner and Aundh’s villages. And by the time I could get the control of my bike I sensed that something was terribly wrong. I saw the road in front of me and noticed that the whole road was actually a dirt track (Dirt track racer’s heaven..) But my bad luck, my bike wasn’t a dirt bike. And then came the nail in my coffin. The bike refused to go ahead. How hard I tried, but the bike refused to budge. Then it stuck to me (me the tube light), that the mud has made way between my front tire and the mud guard and the tire is jammed. Thankfully rear wheel wasn’t jammed. Now the million dollar question, how do I get the mud off. It was complete dark and the time was almost 2000. So people were also less. Those who came on bike, saw me stuck and asked me whether the road is bad. On receiving my affirmation, they turned back and went off. I expected at least some one to help. But no one did. I cursed myself and said that as it was me who got myself in this mess, so obviously it had to be me who will get me out. But how??????
Somehow I decided that I will get the bike backwards near a puddle of water and get the mud out as the mud was really semi solid and it refused to come out easily. I tried so many yoga-asana with my bike to get her reverse but failed. Then I somehow managed to lift her rear and turned her 180 degrees. That’s when my bike made love with the mud after a perfect fall. Somehow I managed to lift her up. Whoa! That was some exercise. I was really clueless when an angel dawned upon the scene. Some local boy came up and started helping me. After 5 mins, 3 more laborers on their way back home came to the scene. I asked for help and they agreed. Then all 5 of us lifted the bike altogether and took it to the water puddle. After this task was done, I was panting like a tired horse.

With the sole source of light being a mobile, I took out a pair of spanners from the tool box. Meanwhile my helmet wanted to join the party with bike and happily made a fall into mud while I was extracting the tool box. Now only I was remaining to join the party. But I was in no mood to soak my expensive jacket in the mud. The spanners did help and after intricate effort of 20 mins, we finally managed to free the front wheel. I was so damn tired and engrossed in the work that I fell to notice that a passing by Good Samaritan had stopped just for me and focused his car’s headlight on my bike so that I could get a good illumination. I was really astonished and glad someone at last did offer help without asking for.
Anyway, but now the work was done and I just signaled him that the work is done and he may leave. While leaving he once again asked whether I needed any help, I replied in negative and thanked him with all my heart. I also thanked wholesomely to all the 4 people who helped me. That was all that I could do. I felt a little embarrassed too. Had I been alone, the bike would never have budged another meter. Just then got to know the kid who helped me out and came to know that his name is Santosh and he plies a goods carrier in and around Pune. So this was the other side of all these people whom we curse upon all the time on the road. I have a different perspective of them after that day. When all the bikers like me failed to help me, some local driver helped me out.
Indeed this world is not that bad as we think. It depends on how we perceive the things!!!!!!!!!
So finally my bike was moving. Helmet was all smeared with mud, so I locked it on the helmet lock and then bading goodbye to Santosh, I made my move towards home. Once I reached home, I saw that I was a complete mess. My shoes were almost 1 inch higher because of mud and trousers were full with deep stains of mud. The bike was a combination of black and brown. And to cap it off, when my helmet made a fall, the visor had cracked. So finally this misadventure did affect my pocket. After reaching home, got questioned glances from my mom. First thing I said before she even asked me anything “No!! It wasn’t an accident. My bike got stuck in mud” And then proceeded to explain the complete thing just to make her sure. At last I examined myself and found that I had sprained my back and my neck while pulling the bike in reverse.
Man! So that was one hell of an evening.