The door opened. I held my bike close to me as if it were my moral support. As I lifted it and walked in, noticed the puzzled look on my mother's face. My heart was pounding, like I were to give a performance now. It seemed as if I were in some animated world. My mom's face resembled a dancing question mark. I couldn't hold it any longer. My face was beaming with joy and it was impossible to hide, especially from my mother. I managed to tell her that Alan's friend was going onsite for 6 months and has given the bike to me until he returned. She said the bike looked brand new. For a second I forgot that I had removed the plastic covering and spontaneously I replied that it is well maintained and just out from service. Phew! I couldn't make eye contact throughout the conversation. I was looking at my bike while we spoke.Now it was time to repeat the scene before dad. I had given a decent performance. Practice sure does make you perfect!
Alan had planned a ride to Mysore the next day with a few of his friends. He invited me to join them for a few miles. I was heading to Mandalpatti, a serene hill located about 25-30km from Madikeri town, with my friends the same day. However, we'd planned to start by noon so I decided to join Alan and his friends for the ride.
I could hardly sleep that night. I woke up many times to ensure that I was not late and that I reach the start point on time. About 7 of them had turned up at 5:30 am. This was my first ride on a highway. Alan was constantly guiding me on how to ride safe on a highway. Keep left, if someone's honking restlessly from behind, don't panic instead give way, let them pass and you continue your ride.
The best part about mornings is those few mesmerizing moments when the dawn just breaks and it feels like you are riding into the light . I was thoroughly enjoying the ride. We stopped at Bidadi for coffee and a picture. One of the riders decided to take a u-turn. Alan suggested that I joined that guy, so that I would have company on my return ride but I still had time and I wanted to ride more. About a few kilometres before Ramanagara, it was high time I made that u-turn. It was a tough one, that u-turn.
The return ride would be my first solo and I constantly kept in mind what Alan had taught me earlier that morning. I stopped a few times to hydrate. Oh yes, I was too scared to drink while in the move. So every time I wanted to drink(water), I would stop. Exhaustion was just setting in and I got a call from my friend. Once the call ended, I remembered that I had been tracking my ride and checked the distance. I was quite surprised to see 84 km! I was sure that something was wrong with my tracker but I was wrong. It was 87km when I had reached home. I left a message to Alan that I had reached safe. I was jumping with joy when I verified that my tracker was right and I was not that far from a century.
At the end of my first ride I'd realised my strength, willingness and curiosity to go further and that there's an endless road to rediscover.
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