I have decided to break from chronological orders - screw it, the memories are fading fast and the stories just don't stop so will now try to put a date at the start of the post to help put them in perspective.
April 2010
The trip to Rishikesh was in the pipeline for the last six years - one or all of us would back out at the last minute - not that we'd book or plan anything - that's the point of a road trip really - you don't plan it. This time it was planned after long discussions with Rohan, Abhishek and Robert - the date was set - 01 April - should have guessed it then that Rohan was pulling a fast one but anyhow we were really looking forward to it. I was in Bombay till the 31st of March on a company course and was duly informed that Rohan had backed out on the night of the 31st whilst on my way to the airport - can't say that I was suprised - Rohan has this rather annnoying habit of saying Yes and then a NO - the timing of the NO varies though. Robert was all upset and said, "Fuck it" but then Abhishek was adamant or as Robert put it to me, "He has moved heaven, earth and hell to adjust dates of his students etc. etc." so it was decided that the three of us would go regardless. Robert said, "I'll pick you up at 5 in the morning" now this is the same guy who on a day when he has urgent work wakes up half an hour late so I assumed that 5 would probably be 8 at the very least and with my flight landing at mid night I would get enough time to sleep wake up pack etc. etc. BUT unknowingly I had made the cardinal error of saying, " You Can't" to Robert - this I now know is one sure shot way of getting him to do anything, haven't tried it but I am sure even, "You can't ram into the divider at 100" would work given enough alcohol in is system. So Abhishek and Robert stayed up all night - attending a party which had a surfeit of alcohol and BHANG (as I later learned) and tried calling me at 4:30 from outside my house - bad choice since a ringing phone is the last thing that'll wake me - I think they then called on the land line and were soon in my room jumping at me (literally) to get dressed - get dressed I did and that too in a hurry - not because I was really excited but because Abhishek was delirious with laughter and breaking everything in sight (one "BHOLA" too many as I was later informed). Anyway within the hour we were off on the first official road trip - Google Map in hand I was the Navigator, Robert was driving and Abhishek was passed out in the back seat. It took us 2 hours to get out of Delhi - next time trust the road your father tells you more than Google Maps!! Anyway the drive up was long, tiring, devoid of any hot girls with broken cars or lonely housewives hitching a ride and nine hours later we were in Rishikesh sitting in a cafeteria eating noodles waiting for our Raft to arrive. The rafting was fun - a lot of fun - but i enjoyed the swin in the ice cold river even more than the rafting bit. Of course a swim in ice cold water late at night is not a good idea especially if you haven't sorted your accommodation as yet - we were cold, shivering and looking for a hotel when we decided to get a massage done - ntohing hanky panky - apparently not available in Rishikesh - a straight forward massage by a well trained masseur. The massage done bones aching we checked into the nearest over priced hotel (a place with rooms rather) and started on the bottle of RC we had bought on the way up - I think I was the first to crash followed in close succession by the other two as the bottle was hardly empty when I woke up in the morning. The return trip was planned for the same day - why - don't remember but I think I had to get back to Delhi anyway ... to be continued.
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