Life is your version of the illusion called situation. You have to don different masks to see the realms of life unfold and collate them all to get close to what we call GOD and what I call the 'truth'.
'Commit all your crimes when HE is batting because even God is busy watching the magic' read a placard in the stadium.
The fiery fast pacer came charging and hurled his heart after the cherry.
HE just took a firm step forward and caressed it with finesse between the helpless spectators on the field while the crowd rose in awe - another TON by the master blaster!
How many times have we seen this - a hundred times? a tad more or less than that - but - does it matter?
For me he is GOD : SIR SACHIN RAMESH TENDULKAR...
What do I say about the stature of this man - the eternal simplicity of thought, behavior, and everything -
everything we dream should be happening with us every time.
The lesser mortals - the rest of us have ruined our life with complexities en route the road to make our life better...
For me, simplicity is the mother of complexity and the solution to it! The most complex situations have the simplest answers and this is not just a co-incidence.
Such is nature, the nature of life, ours and the one around us!
All revolutions were brought around for the want of a simple change.. a change in thought, a change in society, a change in the way of life, a change in power, a change in faith.
So why do we end up making things complex for the want of simplicity???
That makes me think of our own selves to be the biggest enemy. I guess it is this that separates people like us and the likes of SRT or BUFFET or EINSTEIN.
We do everything - apply all logics,speculate and calculate,but, forget the basics.
The basics of what we really want. If what we really want is required, the course of action justified? See? I am again adding to the complexities.
We probably have lost our way of clear thinking under the banner of evolution.
Is this really evolution??? or should I say - Devolution???
I guess all we want is to be happy someway or the other. But, is there a way to be happy - a way that is defined and applicable to the common man???
I guess retrospection, self realisation and implementation are some tried and tested tools to happiness - long lasting and easy to find.
Here is the million dollar question - Is it really easy???
I would say Yes - you should just have the patience and persistence.
Which brings me to the PATIENCE - a quality that most of us, the fast and the furious generation, lack.
I am not trying to criticize, but, some facts cannot be overlooked.
Ahhh, is it becoming too spiritual? But then its worth giving a thought - isn't it?
CRASH : Need to drop a bike to a place around 150 kms from here…. Need to be back by afternoon. You coming ???? We will go on two and be back on one.
TurboSID : Alrighty Bro…. I will get a bike.
CRASH : Okies. C ya tommo 6.30 am sharp…….
A night of sound sleep. All energy gathered together. Bikes seeming to be ready. We gonna have fun tomorrow. 300Ks a day is gonna be real fun. (Actually we had to back for a reason that no automobile enthusiast can ever miss. We had 7 hours for the whole and work of around an hour. Seemed like Cake-walk)
DAY 1
6.15 AM SHARP….
CRASH : Hey Turbo, You up? M ready.
TurboSID : aaaaaaaa???? Jst woke up man??? Be ready in 10.
7.30 AM SHARP…. ( After a BABA RAMDEV pravachan on TV and a couple of TELEBRAND Ads)
TurboSID : Come down bro, M der.
8 AM ….
Bikes fueled up as per the additions multiplications divisions and subtractions… in short… Calculations…. And off We go. Turbo Leading on a Bike and Crash following on a Cruiser.
All Set…. Me in a Cramster and My GPR lid, TurboSID safe in a Cramster again and his DAIJYA lid.
Nice morning sun peeping out of the dark clouds. Pleasant for a change, after the BAD summer. I am KNOCKIN ON HEAVENS DOOR, requesting the Rain God to spare the leash but hold the clouds. Mentally preparing not to crash or bang someone (Coz its been the reason for my name). All set. Nerves settling down. Both bikes dislike rear brakes and so are we compelled to.
Anyways…. We roll on. Doing steady decent speeds and banking our way around corners. Most of them not even needing weight shifts, but then, we wanted to enjoy. Both bikes screaming out of their exhausts. Need no music when the engine is singing for you.
Rain God heard my prayers. A little shower, not heavy though, just to remind us of his presence and to keep us cool. What else you want????
9.00 Am sharp…. Around 8+20+27+4 Kms done.
Bike tyre goes flat. No garage for the next 10 KMs. Awsum. Rode it that way. Got one Garage. Mended the tyre.
Sippin some nice hot tea,
TurboSID : Imagine this atmo with a 600 under your arse… Whatsay????
CRASH : Anything left to say????
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz……………... (Day dreaming of hitting apexes at 150s and doing power wheelies on exits with the aftermarkets raising pandemonium around)
9.30 Am Sharp….
We have our asses back on the saddle and ready to roll…. Shit happens you know. Don’t worry the further rides gonna be great.
15 Kms Ahead….
The Bike starts missing. Jackshit. Somehow we manage to pull it off. With two Automotive engineers around, we had to pull it off. We roll on.
15 Kms Ahead….
The Bike decides to go dry. Out of fuel…??? W T F …??? Averaging less than one third of what it regularly does…. Shit happens…. Pulled it off too…. We roll on.
10 Kms Ahead….
Now The Bike Clutch and gearbox go kaput. No response. Doesn’t go to Neutral. Alright. Clutch pulled, Wheel still locked. No exclamations left. Mechanic stands clueless. Excellent. We find a way out. Open the chain and free the rear wheel. Tow the bike to the destination.
Good decision worked out awesome. 40 kms of tow in less than an Hour that too on a NH which passes through a huge city with traffic and unprecedented diversions. That was a task and man we made it.
We had a meeting at 11 Am.
We reached at 11.15 Am. Good enough. IST. Wrapped up the Meeting by 12. Dropped the Bike there. Coming back on the cruiser, Turbo riding and me Pillion.
Had to collect documents from a place around 20 kms almost in the direction of our way back.
Been there Done that.
12.45 PM SHARP….
All set. Helmet, Jackets. VROOM… Off went the starter…..
Here I am , On the road Again.
Here I am , Up on the stage.
01.00 PM SHARP….
We are goin steady…. And suddenly the engine starts loosing revs. W T F….?????The bike stalled. I call up my mechanic around a 135 kms away…. The starter aint workin. Kick not goin down.
Mechanic Says…. Nothing much to worry. The magnet bush may have run down. 10 minute job…. We call up one of our friend. He reaches there in 5 minz flat. We tow the bike to a nearby Garage. The owner of that garage is a good friend of TurboSID.
A technician opens the magnet. Bush is perfectly in place. A Sigh of relief came from within. And then the technician uttered those Three Magic Words………………..
“ The Engine Seized “
Me n TurboSID look at each other’s faces. The eyes said it all…..
“We are Fucked”
And then I remembered what Turbo had to say when we started in the Morning.
“ Tough Day Ahead “
4 PM Sharp…..
Engine down and opened…. The gudgeon pin also seized…. Need to replace the whole thing….
We were very sad…. Shouldn’t have happened….. Could have avoided it….. We knew it…. But now its past…..
Back to reality….. CASH…..
The biggest question…. A whole day ahead to spend….. the garage bill to be paid…. Awsum….
No money in the wallets….. Even Better….
A smaller question….. Where to stay…???? can’t afford a hotel….
Then I remember my Man Friday…..
CRASH : Hey Bro, M dropping down to your place 2nite…. May I ????
PANDYA: Any time bro….
A huge sigh of relief…..
Then comes a statement….
“Crash….. Thank god we weren’t riding a 600…..”
The whole evening to be spent at the garage….. The rain god unleashing his arsenal and the efficient sewage system snaps…. Water logged on streets… traffic stranded… chaos…..
People trying to reach home as early as possible leading to even worse traffic snarls and jams….. what an atmo….. We should have been at the place we so desperately wanted to reach by now…..
Effects of stress showing out….. Helplessness killing us….. Hard times…..
Luckily the Mechanic told that the Bike will be ready to roll by next Afternoon so that we can crawl back at 40 kmph before the sunset….. Some respite…..
Time was speeding past at snail’s pace…. We managed to reach our Man Friday’s place just before dinner…..
Had some nice and tasty food. Surprisingly TurboSID dint like it….. He had a Glass of hot milk in the nearby BAR….. A lot of first times today…..
Settled on the bed (dry clothes Courtesy Pandya) and slept a nice sound sleep…..
DAY 2
10 AM Sharp…..
Good morning!!!!!!!
11 AM
Left home…..
12 PM
The Friend of ours who towed us from the highway to the garage had stayed with us. He wanted to buy a helmet, so, off we went to a famous biker store…. Got a DAIJYA for half the cost we paid for one we bought a couple of years back.
A nice start to the Day…..We came out of the shop to find our Friend’s bike punctured…..
Pushed it to the nearby garage…..
Good News Again….. Tube Gone… Tyre needs a Patch…. Rather Two…..
Spent an Hour in a nearby Mall… had some juice…..
Now off to the Garage where we left our bike to be repaired…..
2 PM sharp…..
“ Bhai, Piston oout of stock….. Cant find one…. The whole market scanned….. a guy says it will be there in an Hour or so….. “
“ Fuckin Shit….. No Matter whatever it is….. We reach home tonight….. Fuck everything….. I don’t care if a typhoon hits the Highway….. M done with this fuckin trip….. “
4 Hours later….
“Bhai , piston Mila…. “
Neways…. We met a guy… an Idol of TurboSID for a long time after a long time.
A real nice guy and the brilliance of his aptitude glows from his face…. Had a long discussion with him…. Learnt some nice things… Shared some opinions….. Looking forward to work with him….. Its always an honour to work with a genius…..
7.45 PM….
“ Bhai, Engine Built….”
Started at the second Kick after the engine assembly…... Great…..
Kept it running Idle for half an hour…..
Got the LOVE LETTER from him…..
Thanx to BEAST….. We did all Payments…..
BADSHAH BHAI….. a gem of a person…. And all his technicians too… were working really hard to get our bike done as soon as possible….. But no compromise with the quality of work….. Had a real nice two days at the garage talking about bikes, cars and Bikes and Cars….
8.30 PM….
All kit up again…
TurboSID : Dude, Better we stay here tonight as its raining like hell… and with a newly built engine… a night ride of 150 kms is senseless…
CRASH : Point taken bro… Let me call our Man Friday again…
9.30 PM….
Met him, went for dinner…. He took us to a local joint which served good Kolhapuri style chicken…..
After a long day in the Rains….. all we wanted is some piping hot Chicken and soft Bhaakri (Typical maharashtrian bread) ….
After a nice meal….. we went to home….
11 PM…...
The bike had to be run in…. atleast an hour…. We were damn tired…. The eyelids ready to shut anytime….
But the bike had to be run in…. we both started the bike and kept it running idle for an hour… we had to …. We loved it so much…. Straining ourselves to the Z…. again… the time was fighting against us…. A minute seemed like an hour…. And an hour like a zillion years….
We fought… nothing could bow us down…. And then…. The clock ticked 12….Yippee… we did it…..
Now was time for some well deserved sleep…. Good night…
DAY 3
8 AM ….
My Good morning….
9 AM….
TurboSID’s Good Morning…..
10 AM…..
On the Highway….. A bright morning….. Breakfast into our bellies….. Pleasant atmo….
I was riding….. steady…..
TurboSID : If you continue riding at 20 – 30 Kmph…. We will need another day…..
So upped the ante… around 40s….
10 Kms ahead…..
Started raining cats and dogs…. It took less than two minutes for the rain to get through everything and send a chill down our spines…. ( only riders can know it!!!!! )
11.15 AM…..
Another 30 Kms down….
TurboSid found a place BIG WHEELS MOTORING CAFÉ on the highway and we stopped…..
I was actually in no mood to stop. I was all set and in rhythm…. Wanted to cruise another 40 kms before we stopped… First halt at half Distance makes a lot of sense…..
But still… we stopped….
The place turned out to be great….. A complete automobile themed Resto-Bar…. A lot of attention paid to the finer details…. Pistons for Ashtrays….. A lot of quotes which were genuinely good….. A huge collections of pictures of racers, races and cars and bikes and bikers and revolutionaries and everything and anything that was related to automobiles….
Had some black coffee to keep up the spirits and off we went…. Into the rain which was on no mood to stop….. and so were we…..
12 PM…..
Reached halfway point….
A small ghat to be taken care off….. But we had to take a leak before that… tanks were filled to the brim…..
So…..
We took a break…. Had some Tea coz it was too damn cold out there and with the strong wind blowing…. We had no option…..
Back on the road… Off we go…..
1.30 PM…...
45 more Kms to Go…..
The Ghats were maddening…. After the First halt…. TurboSID was riding….. It was chilling cold….. It was raining….. and the fog helped us with a visibility of 15 metres maximum….
The helmet visors frosted…. So TurboSID opened that…. His glasses fogged….. Removed them….
I am pillion with my ballz slowly climbing their way to you know where…..
And a car came to our rescue…. Parking lights on…. Driving steadily at 30 Kmph….. Escorted us to safety to the other side of the Ghat…..
So when our tanks were filled to the brim again…we took a Halt….. Another couple of Teas down the throat and then I took the saddle….
Surprisingly… Both were quiet throughout the journey….
2.30 PM….
Destination reached….
Rain still pouring…..
Been one of the most challenging trips till date….. we were mentally fucked…..
Riding steady at 40 Kmph for 150 kms is something that we thought we could never do….
But the love of our machines helped us through…. Now we know there is a different fun all together when you ride at a steady RPM… a steady exhaust note… minimal braking….
The best Part is you get into trance….. and kilometers just fly by…. You aint tired….. you can go hours together…. A thousand kilometers a day at 80 kmph steady wont be much difficult….
Anyways… Back to the pavilion… safe and sound…. Learnt a lot….
MORAL OF THE STORY :
Always check the oil level when going out…. ( Our mechanic there couldn’t find a single droplet in out crankcase…..)
some days before i came across an incident that happened with one of my kin. the old woman aged about 78-79 years of age and still livin in a remote konkan village, all on her own, had a mishap and in the process got 8 stitches in her head, broke her collar-bone and fractured 4 ribs. she is a hyper diabetic... needing insulin shots twice a day to lead a "normal life'' and also suffers with hypertension.
initially, due to the blood loss fom her head injury, sprung up some complications where her heart could not work properly, her body started swelling like a balloon. the doctors concluded that she has very slim chances and told the people over there to call up all relatives.
but the old lady started showing improvement the same night and today she is out of danger and recovering at the speed of light.
BUT, would she be able to get up and sit for the comin 2-3 months? would she be able to walk like before in less than 6 months? would she be able to regain her strength?
I, personally, want her to but i doubt.
If grandma wouldnt have recovered like the way she did, i would have felt better if she would have died. it is not that i hate that old woman or have some grudge or something. its just that i cannot bear to see her helpless, the person who has stood tall on her toes against every challenge in her life, the person who prefers to stay alone in the western ghats at the age where most of them seek relaxation at their children's abode, the person who still watches her trees grow more and more and bear better fruits every season, who is still energetic enough to complete all the festivals, customs and rituals.
i salute her ability to stand, to fight, to walk even after celebrating her Platinum jubilee. its the fire inside that commands awe.
she is still fighting from the hospital bed.
if she is recovering like this, i would rather be happy.
So, here I am with the ever-green debate - GOD or NO GOD!
Being an atheist, I believe GOD is nothing but a creation of the human brain.
Man was a nomad, a wanderer, since when it all began. Small groups of people moved together where there always was one person, an alpha male, who controlled the group.
As the groups began to expand due to progeny, or when more than one groups that joined hands, it became more difficult to move along, leading to settlements. Controlling a larger population was becoming more and more difficult with the basic human tendency to override the rules as per convenience. The group leaders needed something to scare people to follow the code. They decided to put forth something that would frighten the people to follow the rules to avoid the wrath. This was GOD.
According to me this is the origin of GOD. If you try and relate, the Jews, Persians, Hindus, they have Rain, Fire, Wind gods - all forces of nature and beyond Human control.
Recent religions like Christianity or Islam propagate a One-God theory - single point control of all parameters - based more on the contemporary ideas of Emperors.
A very good friend of mine once said that even scientists and scholars haven't been able to find a single mistake or a wrong concept in the Holy Book of Quran, even in today's context - the age of scientific and intellectual advancement. Taking into account the fact that the prophecies were documented over a millennium and a half ago, it has to be the word of GOD passed on to a human.
Let us consider case of Einstein. It is said that he could use only 11% of his brain. His Theory of Relativity has been the Holy Grail - something that has been very apparent but still not decoded completely. If the Prophet Mohammed could use, say, 15% of his brain; it is quite possible that his ability to decipher the nature and imagine things is way beyond our grasp and hence inexplicable.
Similarly, we have Jesus. But there is an interesting twist to this tale. Jesus was supposedly no Holy Being when he lived. The Church has been instrumental in creating his Godliness. Also, it is said that the Church has altered the Bible for many years after the existence of Jesus and that is probably why it seems to be a bit more evolved as compared to Islam. But again, the Evangelism is one thing that has been the root of many evils that have been eclipsed by the fallacies of others and some good public relations management. This evangelism is the beginning of fanaticism where the need to impress other's with the good of your religion makes you believe it to be the ultimate truth while anything else is always flawed. The Islamists have taken this a bit more violently (true to its desert origins where you were always at war!)
Surprisingly, Buddhism, one of the most recent religions, is one of the most harmless religions ever.
If we go on tearing down every religion, we could bicker for ever. Your belief in God is your choice, belief in what God - also your choice, so why not be happy with it and be content. When you go on to preach how good your God is and why some one should choose the same, you are crossing into the other person's boundaries which leads to conflicts.
Which makes me think GOD, who was created to make life of humans easier is ending up killing them instead. And if there really was a God like God around, we wouldn't have gone wrong so badly!
The daily, Times Of India, carries a section these days "Dance of Democracy".
some times i wonder about this democratic government of India and the first emotion that comes out is of a nostalgia combined with deep irritation and a surge of hatred more towards homicide.
and for me, the real culprits are "we people".
"we people" who prefer to go out on a long holiday, an EC gift, and license the politicians to enjoy a longer holiday of 5 years.
"we people" go to the streets to protest reservetions, terrorism, but do not vote to change the root causes.
"we people" want everything to be hunky-dory without even making an effort to decide the helmsman.
"we people" want the world to be a better place, and want somebody else to do it.
ohhhhh, the 'dance of democracy' !
more than $1400 million are stashed in swiss banks.
almost twice in hawala.
the free land is either registered with any politician or his kin.
no further scope left to launder money.
so we ask for foreign investments.
charity is the best investment.
education and medication, evergreen fields; owned by the politician lobby.
the 'DANCE OF DEMOCRACY'........
and we still expect these corrupt souls to plan our ''common man"s betterment.........
are "we people" mad???????
now that the elections are over........
u will see the real ballet of democracy.....
u will see how gracefully parties change alliances to be in power...
how votes are sold... and how they are bought........
and then you will say....... i knew this would happen and so i dint vote........
and then no one can argue with you.....
and you leave yourself to bear the economic slowdown
and drain urself for every penny
and fight for survival
coz that is what "we people" deserve
for not coming forward to change things.
for letting go the power to vote.
"we people" need a HITLER or a MUSSOLINI,
who will strip everyone of their wealth and fill the GOVERNMENT coffers as if they are his own...
and then you will know where you made mistakes
and then it will be too late.
so goin thru the bloody shit that i wrote on..........u may be thinkin what an asshole i am......but i dont care..............coz sumthings if u go on givin importance to tend to screw up ur life ..........ur thinkin.........an all da hell breaks loose......... so cuttin the crap out...... i would like 2 admit that m a bit of a psychopath used to be in the wrong places at the wrong times......after spending most of my life finding cutie cars n beautiful bikes n with some petrol running thru my nerves.........the theme of my blog would certainly be automobiles........the only nonliving being capable of movement......n i think dats great coz man craeted only a few genuine wonders n this is one of them.. actually being an automobile engineer i love the heart of my babes.....the engine........ i love to hear the purrr of a 2-stroke,the thump of a long bore fourstroke,the growl of a turbo,the vroom of the multicylinder..............the thunder of a V. loving an automobile makes life so simplified.......it gives you the pride of havin one under ya arse, it gives you sumthing to love unconditionally, it sumtimes gives you kickbacks of pleasure and sumtimes sweat the heart out of you, is utterly loyal and throws no tantrums........a bit of pampering and care is what all she needs to be yours forever..........for some i may be sounding like a hardcore romantic shrug or even a hopeless love-hungry individual but all of ya would agree to the facts whole heartedly........... the engine is so much humane.....the pumping piston, the con-rod veins, the bloody oil, the foody gasoline......i just keep thinkin..........why man always fantasises the supernatural.........i guess coz everything that he creates and may create would be so close to the creation of the nature.........
i was thinkin of duin sumthing.....n my frnd.....a a******* suggested me y not to try out blogging.....with nuthing to do in hand i jst started presssing the keys on the keyboard of my computer trying to make sumthing meaningful out of it....n i am here.....wid my frnds searching on a topic to write my blog about.....n m still here not able to decide on what to write on........
