It was a cloudy day already and it had been raining for last few days. All the way from Delhi to Chandigarh.
I couldn't make an early start. My daughter, was in Jodhpur for last few days. She was coming from Jodhpur via Mandore Express with my younger brother, who was coming in with her, to accompany as well as to see me off for the longest ride of my life.
The train was late, arrived around 10 AM and so we reached home around 11 from old Delhi railway station. Shikha and Ananya had reservation of Shatabdi at 5 PM for Chandigarh. I started my packing casually. Shail, my younger brother, was a big help. We did the tying up of luggage to the bike together. it would have been very difficult to do it for the first time all alone. So, I was ready before 2 and off I went off around 2 O clock in the after noon, towards my first halt, Chandigarh.
Getting ready for the first start ofthe ride, 14th June 2008, my daughter helping me.
The Jaipur stint had been good a couple of weeks ago and so I was hopeful of making good time. I fairly did and was there at the Chandigarh railway station at 8 PM, almost 20 min before the shatabdi arrived.
When my family came out of train and my daughter saw me, she was amazed and excited to see me there and kept on asking, "Papa, kya aap bike se aaye ho?" many a times and then after would tell this to everybody for many days.
Went to the in-laws place. MIL was suggesting me, that even if I abort now, do I have to report any place. Do I really need to do it, can't I just say I did, without doing it, etc. They are generally worried about it, although they might have had done several such adventurous in their own time, still, as elders...they always are.
Atul and Haider had also started from Jodhpur via Kalka Mail and were expected to reach Kalka next day early morning and I was to meet them there itself.
It was still hot in Chandigarh at night. It always happens, when ever I want to sleep early so as to catch the train early morning or something else, the sleep always evades me and so this time also, till late in the night, I wasn't able to sleep.
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