S and me have had several adventures in our time together. I guess it was inevitable when two individuals as impulsive as us were to come together. Neither of us has ever planned out anything in life and both of us have lived each day as it comes (or at least back then we did!) Times change and so do people I suppose. Well anyways, the two of us could never plan anything in advance perhaps more so because no matter how well we’d plan, the best laid plans always had a way of coming unstuck for us. The best way forward for us hence, was always enacting everything on an impulse.
It could start off with a simple meet for what wasn’t supposed to be more than ten minutes. Somehow in all those years, we never ran out of anything to talk about. In all those years, the conversations never ran dry and we spoke about everything and sometimes nothing but we never ran out of a conversation. As would be expected, the ten minutes were never adhered to and often ended up being longer, more often than not culminating into long drives with no direction or destination. I think the both of us loved my bike to bits and perhaps that is why we were always all over town (and beyond!) We always wanted to make one trip between Bombay and Pune on the bike but that is the one big adventure that never happened, perhaps because we’d been planning it for long! I think it would’ve been better if we would have thrown caution to the wind and just headed off some day.
She being from Bombay, would occasionally make trips to her hometown and if she weren’t being seen off by one of her relatives, I would be the one to see her off. Unfortunately, her relatives are more planned and organized than both of us put together and so she never missed her trains that way. With me, the story would be slightly different. Although I was punctual, she was not. Neither was I one to encourage her to even try to be punctual. “All in good time” was my motto! Needless to say, we only caught the trains in a mad rush and only just by the skin of our teeth. Obviously in due course there was going to be an occasion when we wouldn’t be as lucky and would miss the train. And that did happen.
I thought about making it the day we make our great adventure but I wasn’t up for it that day, college work bogging me down. The only other option left to her was the bus. S isn’t particularly fond of travelling between Bombay and Pune in the bus and I wouldn’t blame her for that, I prefer travelling by train too. We had only just missed the train and I wasn’t gonna let her suffer a bus journey. I suggested we race the train to the next station about half an hour from where we were. She refused flatly. The two of us have always had trouble listening to the voice of reason and she was the voice of reason that day.
So, we straddled up and I revved the bike. For all those who know I can drive a two-wheeler like a maniac, they will also tell you I drive rather slow and safe when I have someone riding pillion. Not that day though. I think that was the best display of driving at top speed on a 100cc motorbike that anyone must’ve ever seen. Not once did I drive recklessly (for once in my life!) and it was a perfect drive! Had anyone been scouting for a replacement rider for Yamaha’s MotoGP team, I bet I would’ve made the cut on that day’s display… (ok, ok… so I am being optimistic but it’s my book, let me have that much freedom to exaggerate!) I think what helped was the fact that both of us are feather weights, that she wasn’t carrying much of luggage on her (which I must tell you was shocking! I always expected women to be elaborate in their packing and carry their whole world with them wherever they went. She was different. Her bags would always be light as if there was nothing inside! The same was the case with her purses which were always tiny.) and of course the fact that helped most was that she had tremendous trust in me. Not once in that whole drive did she ever squirm or complain. I think she was actually enjoying the drive! It was (and also still is) the only half an hour that we spent together without speaking a word to each other!
I think twenty seven minutes later, we had traversed 43 kms on a 100cc bike with a top speed of 90kmph. If that isn’t proof of brilliant driving I don’t know what else would be! (Alright I’ll stop messaging my ego now!) and yes, we reached five whole minutes before the train arrived. I think if I tried that again, I would perhaps not be successful firstly because the bike is a lot older now and secondly because I don’t seem to have that spark in me anymore. I never asked her how it felt on the drive and what she was thinking and I don’t know if she still remembers that day. But for me, that one day will perhaps stay forever. The day I raced a train…and won!
