A Drive to Remember

I have always been enthusiastic about long rides on bike, and I have done a few of them. Most of the drives I went were for places I wanted to click. I did enjoy the rides (esp. the Krishnagiri and Nandhi Hills ones) but there was always this thought of looking out for some clicking opportunities rather than sink myself in the ride.
I had gone to Bangalore to get the NOC done for my bike, so that I can take it to my hometown. I finished the forms and bribes by saturday afternoon and I thought, why come again for taking the bike or even why send it through truck or parcel van only to see some dent in the tank. I decided to drive to Pondicherry by bike the next day and after I decided I had no doubts about it and believed it is very much possible.
Next day I woke up late as usual, packed my backpack and had a sumptuous breakfast in A2B - BTM with roomies. I borrowed Praneeth's eye gear (Honestly I don't think I would be writing this page if I hadn't) and started off at 10 AM. While I crossed the Silkboard signal I got a flash of memories, mostly of some unique moments where I have crossed the Silkboard signal. To name a few I got reminded of my days in Wipro, my bike trips with BWS (Bangalore Weekend Shoots), crossing with friends to go to Malgudi restaurant (Duh! the Lamb stew :P)...  It was that time where I got reminded of some of my finest moments during my 2-3 years stay in Bangalore.

I continued to drive down the Hosur road, filled enough fuel for my bike at the Shell station. Another set of events flashed here, The times I used to wait for the KPN bus to my home town - the only time I listen to Bangalore FM radios. I also remembered that once I had called up Radio One FM94.3 and requested a song. (I was live !) But I was so damn bored waiting alone there to do this crazy thing.
After crossing Electronic city it was that all familiar NH till Krishnagiri. I knew I shouldn't be dreaming after this point as the road is so blank that It generally takes you to different thoughts - but if you don't concentrate you are GONE :)
The road from Hosur to Krishnagiri is one of my fav ones as I had already biked it some months back. I was happy that I didn't have a camera in hand and honestly I didn't miss it. The road was breathtaking and the view of small hills and rocks are a treat. (make sure you have an eye on the road too). Driving in a four lane can be easy but just hitting down 85-90kmph on a blank straight road is not that much fun, the trip had more in store after I took that diversion where I leave the NH to take a State highway from Krishnagiri to Thindivanam.
It was a cloudy day and it was breezy all the while which made the drive comfortable but the best part was the trees in from Krishnagiri to Thindivanam. The road was virtually a green tunnel in most of the stretches. The chillness was so welcoming and kept the enthu on. I took my first brake on the outskirts of Krishnagiri in a small village. There is always a charm and taste about boiler-Tea, the typical ones made in countryside. I had a great tea and a 4Rs. tiger biscuit and heard what the elderly villagers had to say about Vijaykanth's political power and stuff like that. every now and then one of them would tell something to you expecting you to give your thought, I pretended to be from a different planet and just left the place after tea.
This road was not wide, had lots of curves and worse I had to manage the crazy TNSTC buses who's drivers didn't know a thing about overtaking rules or pass-lights. They use pass-light to tell from a very long distant that I can overtake at any time so better stay to the left most corner of the road. The sign boards read : Thiruvannamalai 80kms. I thought - Let me have lunch there :)
The next 30-40kms I started getting a little bit tired. I stopped in some remote village, parked my bike in a water pump house and just took a walk in the fields. The best thing about the landscape in Thiruvannamalai region is that you have those vast stretching cultivated lands and then at a distance you will have the sight of hazy mountain ranges (eastern ghats). If you have seen such a thing in Tamil cinema then it would have been shot most probably in Thiruvannamalai or Pollachi.
I walked through the field to get to another bigger pump house and got excited by the sight of gushing water. Some details can be sketchy here and cannot be revealed but I had a nice time there cooling my heels (Literally) until two farmers asking all sorts of questions like where you are coming from .. blah blah.. So I decided to continue my drive, This break was very refreshing.
After reaching Thiruvannamalai, It was only 1.15PM so I thought its better I continue rather than taking lunch there. I drank a full 500ml Maaza and started towards Thindivanam. On the way to Thindivanam, somewhere in the 15th kilometer it started to drizzle (but only very slightly). The clouds were getting dark and I sensed there was a strong prospect of heavy showers, so I went on to drive like a mad dog and then after sometime I suddenly realized that i just crossed a highway tea stall which was very very familiar. Ohhh that one ! it was the regular shop where the buses from Bangalore to Pondicherry would stop for refreshments, almost always.
Another boiler-tea with tiger biscuit and I knew I had just enough food to get to Home. By now it started raining and I didn't want to risk driving in rain. I waited under a flyover (in outskirts of Thindivanam). The rain never looked like it was going to stop. I looked ahead and saw the road, just above the road's end line of sight there was clear blue sky, as I tilted my view upwards there was that abrupt transition from a clear blue sky to a dense grey clouds.
Now I had this weird thought.... (I am not trying to tell I had judged this thing perfectly or something like that, but It was just one of those days your instincts will turn true.) I started to believe that the rain clouds were only over a small area and thought I could hit clear sky if I cross a small distance (I was looking in terms of 1-2 kilometers.. Because line of sight of sky for human eye also has some limit). So I just started my bike and sat on it. As I did that the crowd of 10-15 ppl who were standing under the flyover gave a stare..(loosa pa nee.. kinda look). I drove steadily for sometime, when I had done near to 2kms the rain stopped. I was like !!!!!! I did it kinds. I stopped my bike and just walked back to that point.... Its one of the best things i have seen.. just a few steps ahead I could see it was raining on the road and the area where I was sanding was DRY as in dry tequila.
Another 30 kilometers, and the joy of drying your wet clothes by putting them on and driving on bike, I reached home safely at about 5.30 PM. It was one of the best days I had and some interesting and unforgettable moments. No the story ends right here... no finishing touch.. no punch dialogues, thanks for bearing with me all along to read it this far.