AneStory

The idea, that boys had a break did not go down with girls, complained a lot. All boys were surprised that girls would have been ready to accompany, on a night out, but then they also realised it girls were only talking of going out early morning and returning in evening.

Recollecting the journey, Hera thought it was good they did not come, especially return part. Hera's BOXER was running low on petrol and they had entered a stretch where there was no petrol pump 50 KM's on either side! To conserve fuel, whenever there was a slope Hera would switch of the engine and keep his hand and leg away from brakes.

Hera was amazed to feel the smoothness of that ride, on a longer stretch, bike would go at 60-70KM/hr downhill without using any petrol. Awesome! On one such stretch, it seemed to be a long stretch down about a KM straight down, Hera thought it's bike will set a record here. Teep was also having an adventure.

About halfway mark, Teep saw that road is not visible ahead, and said

"Hera, can you see the turn ahead?"

Hera: "Oh! No, something is wrong with the road."

Hera, applied those brakes, slammed the bike into 1st gear at about 80 km/hr, which did not obliged smoothly. Panic, bike is in 1st gear, on and running and not slowing down still at 60 Km/hr, more brakes skid! And they hit the only stone that was there on turn. The mile stone!

Both got up instantly, Teep before checking anything kissed the good old mile stone, then the earth and thanked his stars and sat holding the grass on road side. Hera on other hand got the bike up 1st, saw the Road again and the depth they would have fallen and said:

"WoW! What a launch pad! It’s just like those ski jump ones, a slope downhill and then small curve up!"

Hera: Pointing down for Teep to show "We would have landed just around or rather into one of those poor people hut!"

Teep just looked at him, and was horrid, of what company he chose for the first time. How can this guy smile and talked of crashing into a hut! Most probably, we would have been dead.

That's when Monc and other caught up and all had a rest from driving, few pictures, there was a river flowing down a little away, hence it was a scenic place. All got on the vehicle and continued the journey.

Teep told everyone about the journey, Hera did not. So that evening when Wari accompanied Hera to a restaurant for evening snack, she asked him before sitting on bike,

"Is there enough petrol, or we can walk to Laxmi."

Hera: " Yes, there is enough, I got it full tanked yesterday."

To appease the girls, everyone planned a next outing to Mahabaleshwar or Bhimashankar, whichever is possible with girls on board. And everyone got into studies whole heartedly. Hera had started this semester with a bang, but was now lagging behind by major distance. Hence, it was slogging time for him.