Episode 185 : The biking exorcise

'We will be taking the same route that I took when I last went to Madikeri' I told David. 'And I know what happened the last time will be in my thoughts.'

'Don't worry da macha. You ride with us and we'll make sure you forget everything' he said.

I laughed. It was possible, but I had volunteered to help organise the party and expected to be at the venue a day before. David and the rest were to ride in from Madras and I thought I should be at the venue to welcome them.

A few days before the party, one of the organisers had a request.

'Will you escort the last batch from Madras on the day of the party? I think you are the best guy for the job' And that flattering statement ensured I ended up riding with David and gang on Saturday.

David and the others started at 5 in the morning and reached Bangalore by 10.30. I took over at Bangalore and began leading. We were doing good speeds, regularly cruising in the nineties. The afternoon sun was beating down on us as we neared Mandya. I don't know if the others realised we were about to cross the stretch where I last fell.

The needle was at 95 when I went passed the Coffee Day where I sat woebegone while others hauled my bike into a tempo. I smiled as an earlier memory crossed my mind. That of cutting down my speed to the mid-seventies as I approached the spot where I ran over a dead dog. The fear is conquered, I thought. But only momentarily. There is still the ride back home.

Frequent stops pushed our estimated time of arrival to well beyond sunset. Riding in the dark can be exciting, but at that moment all I could think of was ways to minimise risks.

The state highway off Mysore road to Madikeri has patches of broken road, but I didn't heed. I avoided potholes and bounced over excuses for speed breakers but kept going as fast as I could dare.

And was complimented by a rookie that it was a pleasure for him to tail me at that speed. The road to Madikeri this time was through lesser inhabited areas. Children flocked to the roadside to wave at us. A line of 12 bikes roaring down narrow village roads is a rarity, I guess. But around 100 bikes had already done that earlier in the day...

The light began to fade rapidly as we approached Siddhapura. Trees were already blocking what little light was left and soon 12 headlights began to cut through darkness.

I don't know what came over me. I guess the thought of reaching the destination as soon as possible overwhelmed me. I didn't let up on the speed. Somehow fear was absent.

Soon the road began to ascend. We couldn't see what was around us, just the trees ahead of us. Every time I took a curve, I leaned away from the bike in an effort to look where the beam was pointing. I was hoping people behind me wouldn't mistake it as a stunt or blindly ape it.

It was past eight as I spotted the entrance to the resort. With the horn blaring I rode in. I could hardly contain myself. The excitement of being at the party was mixed with the relief of having made it safely.

But like I said, there was still the return journey the next day.

I departed with two other bikes. The boys from Madras wanted to stay back for an extra day. While returning I took it easy, surprised at how I eschewed risk in the daytime and did the opposite at night. But the thought of returning through Mandya was still on my mind.

The thought grew stronger when I realised I had pumped air in the tyres before starting. I fervently hoped I wasn't repeating my mistake. The climate got warmer as we left Madikeri behind. And with that my nerves threatened to get the better of me.

We stopped for lunch at a small restaurant by the highway, around ten kilometres from Mandya. If there was anytime for the air in the tyres to cool down, it was then.

An amusing incident happened at lunchtime. We were joined by three other bikers and the conversation somehow veered towards the characters of Jekyll and Hyde.

'It is Hyde who comes out at night, isn't it?' one of them asked. I glanced at the only person who could recognise the importance of that name. Either she didn't realise it or hid it very well.

I was the last person to start after lunch. I knew I would soon go past the spot where I fell. And to top it, lunch had begun to work. Concentration was flagging and I knew I had to stop somewhere and quickly too. The Coffee Day at Channapatna was my best bet. My speed had come down to the seventies by then.

I soon reached a straight stretch that had tall trees by the side. It looked like the same spot where I had fallen. I crossed the stretch quickly and reached Channapatna where a few bikers had similar thoughts like mine.

A short break and a cold coffee later, we set out again. The short break had built up my confidence and I was back in the nineties. Soon I overtook two bikes that were ahead of me and tore down the highway with another bike just ahead of me. The traffic on Mysore road was thinner than usual; most likely folks extended their holiday till the 2nd.

The sun was slowly setting when I ended my journey at 6.45pm.

When I counted up my demons
Saw there was one for every day
With the good ones on my shoulders
I drove the other ones away

I think I can will plan for a solo ride now. And the road atlas of India that I got as a token of appreciation for volunteering is the icing on my cake.