A journey of self exploration

My dad's a road freak,anywhere within a radius of 1000 km. is a road trip...
I've been on the road so many times that I can't even recollect all the road trips we've been through.These traversals though are nonetheless one of the most cherished memories of my childhood...

Our most recent journey however was one that I shall remember for as long as I'm alive.Our destination was a tiny place in Bihar known as Giridih...but we ended up going to Puri...yeah,Puri some 1600 km. from Lucknow...It is this excursion that I'd like to share with you.

I am normally a skeptic when it comes to travelling by road...the sights and smells are sometimes too much for the senses to tolerate.Unfortunately,I am also not brave enough to argue with my dad,so it's usually his will that prevails!

Bags packed,we left for our first stopover Varanasi on the evening of the 8th of May...Following is a day by day account of what turned out to be the most eventful journey of my life:

Day 1:
Starting City-Lucknow
Destination-Varanasi
Notes-That day itself,we had an ominous warning...upon reaching Benares,we were crossing a bridge when our driver tried to overtake a bus...the bus however closed the door on us midway,squeezing us with nowhere left to maneuver...the result was a side on collission...with our Bolero suffering minor damages...Slightly shaken but not deterred,we went to bed looking forward to the next day

Day 2:
Starting City-Varanasi
Destination-Giridih
Notes-The second day marked our entry into the much feared hinterlands of Bihar...particularly dangerous were the last 40 km. of the day...the 2 lane road between Parasnath and Giridih would usually be closed after 5 pm.,obviously because of the naxal menace...We,however when we reached Parasnath at 7,we found the road open and oblivious to the threat,decided to push on.Fortunately nothing untoward happened...but it was a needless risk that characterised the recklesness with which we were taking the trip...

Day 3:
Rest Day
Notes-hmmm...this day marked my first encounter with diarrhea...so whilst everyone enjoyed the festivities of the marriage we had come to attend,I was stuck in bed for the whole day.The healthcare services in the city were nothing to boast of,which was partly responsible for the four times i vomited in one hour...the rest of the day was peaceful however.

Day 4:
Starting City:Giridih(detour to Baijnath)
Destination:Balasore(Orissa)
Notes-Another day of hard travelling...with my tummy giving me no further troubles...the list of incidents however kept growing...with our vehicle skidding sideways upon sudden braking...It was then that my dad remembered that there was a fault with the car's brakes.Apparently the brakes on the left were gripping the road harder giving rise to a toppling motion.The car however didnot topple(It was a close call,though).

Day 5:
Starting City-Chandipur-on-sea
Destination-Puri
Notes-Trust me,Chandipur is the one of the nicest places in India...It's highlight is the secluded beach that is the epitome of calm and solitude...

Day 6:
Puri and the Jagannath shrine
Notes-Day 6 was devoted to Puri...If you are a temple lover(and I am not),you'd love Puri...The beach here was a sharp contrast to the one in Chandipur...The smaller waves were 4 feet high!!!This day also marked a trip to Konark and the sun temple...another great place.

Day 7:
Starting City-Puri
Destination-Kolkata
Notes-Nope...sorry to disappoint you,but the only thing noteworthy happening on this day was a tiny offroad excursion in our bid to find the shortest route on a newly constructed road...no big deal

Day 8:
Kolkata darshan
Notes-yeah I know...a day is not enough for Kolkata,but its all the time we had...
The funniest incident however was yet to occur...We were fed a non-veg soup(we're veggies) in an amusement park...apparently the guy taking the order had mixed up ours...you should have seen my little bro..he was in a state of shock...hamara dharm bhrasht ho gaya...his expression made my day!!!!!

Day 9:
Starting City-Kolkata
Destination-Varanasi
Notes-The most harrowing experience of my life...
16th May shall always be a date to remember...have you ever been involved in a road accident?No...
I'll tell you...it's the most terrifying thing that can happen to you...they say when you are about to die,your whole life flashes by you...I disagree...nothing happens...you dont even have time to react...your mind goes numb...
Imagine...a car's right infront of you and it suddenly swerves left to reveal the last thing you ever want to see on a highway...
Cows are very graceful animals...their slow gait is quite amusing...isnt it?
Trust me...it's not...not when you are speeding at a hundred and twenty...
Cows can't see sideways either...how I wish that poor animal could...
I can still remember the instant of impact...the sickening groan that escaped the animal's mouth...the terrifying screech of brakes...I still remember the car getting onto two wheels...I remember the world going upside down as the car turned over...I remember my mother screaming...my brother screaming...these are wounds which time shall never heal...
Imagine being in a roller coaster without seatbelts...that's how it felt like...
The car toppled...skidded and came to a halt...The windshield had shattered,we came out from where the glass had been...
The carnage had to be seen to be believed.The cow had been tossed up and away...It breathed it last right infront of our very eyes...
Our troubles were far from over,as the very villagers who had helped us out of the wreckage now turned on us...they had helped lift the Bolero onto four wheels,but once the anxious onlookers had left,their demeanour changed.It was pure luck and some quick thinking by my dad that saved us that day...he understood what the villagers were up to...stacked us all into the same Bolero...and ran for it(the SUV still shockingly in driveable condition) all the way to Varanasi
I guess a dislocated shoulder,broken ribs,and a hairline was fair price to pay for our lives...

Day 10:
The conclusion of our journey...with my mama coming to pick us up in Benares...


I shudder to think what could've happened that day...had the car been slighly faster,or the point of impact slightly different...I might be dead...
This is something that surely changes you.It has changed me...For me,every breath is a bonus now...I've learnt to live...and appreciate life...
I've also started believing in the presence of a supreme being,and there is gratitude within me...