The planning of a getaway
happened a month ago thanks to the promise of a long weekend coming up. Right
from the start though, it was like it was never meant to be. Ever planned a
holiday for ages only to see it never take off and crumble bit by bit even
before it started! Yeah so that’s pretty much how we started the journey of a
motley group of six. Four guys and two girls we were, and there was hardly
anyone left in our known contacts we didn’t tag to go along with us! Several
rejections, cancellations and disappointments later we were reduced to half a
dozen youthful enthusiasts ready to take on adventure, no matter the trials and
tribulations. It’s probably this zest that helped us get through the trip as we
were to see soon enough and thank God for it!
Our preparation was bang on.
Scouting for places, fixing up an itinerary, estimating a budget, finding cheap
accommodation, discussing the essentials to carry on the trip- we were right on
track, only the decisions never seemed to fall into place. Frantic whatsapp
messages, incessant chats and idle banter followed day in, day out without
understanding where it was all leading to. Finally, the leader of the pack took
a deep breath, shook his head in dismay and opened his laptop. Within 10
minutes, we had booked the destination, hotel and mode of transport. Victory
seemed close. A quick group meeting happened in the confines of a car to
understand who was in charge of booze, last minute check list, what the pick up
point would be etc. We were raring to go.
The day dawned when we were to
leave in the night after office to Dhanaulti, 24 kms uphill beyond Mussoorie.
Work just didn’t seem to get over on a hectic weekday thanks to the long
upcoming weekend. We rushed through it all, delayed by an hour or so. Everyone
had to pack, buy booze, assemble at a common point and then head over to pick
up two of us from Faridabad and then finally hit the highway. The plan started
collapsing from the word go! First, thanks to the delay from office, we were
already running late, buying the alcohol took time, then the packing, and then
assembling at one place. Even as that happened, we found the hookah missing and
so one of us had to rush back to go get it. 30 mins past 9 pm and the car
arrived after a lot of confusion and to our consternation, it is a Xylo and not
an Innova! How were we all supposed to fit! It was sent back and frenetic
calling and networking to get an innova somehow began. The leader was losing
his cool by the minute. Finally, an Innova was arranged for by the cool dude of
the clan and we finally packed inside to the next stop Faridabad. In all this
chaos, we ended up leaving for our destination only by 11 past. Stop over on
the highway for a late dinner and we were back on the road. Drinking, laughing,
joking and sleepy, we were drowsing within a couple of hours. Except for our crazy
doll who simply wouldn’t shut eye. Result: A lot of incessant throwing up at
regular intervals that delayed our circuitous hilly drive by more than 45
minutes!
9 am in the morning, we touched
Dhanaulti Heights, a GMVN hotel. Checked in, refreshed our appetites with
paranthas and omelettes only to crash in our rooms for the next two hours. That
was a short lived endeavor. A quick bath and change later, Mr.Entrepreneur had
work for the boys. Modelling for his new batch of tees took the morning away. Post
that we were ready to head out for lunch and cover the scenic points to catch a
breath taking view of the hilly expanse. An idle walk ahead led us to a
greenish patch with lots of trees and a valley that dropped down several
thousands of feet below.
Several photo ops later, we were ready to head back to
a soiree of music, drinks n snacks in the room followed by a bonfire outside
the hotel. The warmth of the flames were able to pleasantly defy the chilly
winds outside thanks to Cool Dude and Bindass Baba’s continuous wood supply. By
the time we were back in our room, it was time to say sweet dreams. The next
day saw us head out quickly to catch some flying fox and rope walking at the
Eco Park. After breakfast, we were off to Rishikesh for some river rafting and
relaxation depending on what you wished to do.
We ran through the photos of our journey so
far and called it a day by 11 pm. The next morning was Round 2 of the boy’s modeling
session while the girls caught up on their beauty sleep. It was tough leaving
the gurgling river but it was time to head back home. Our Innova made good time
to cross Muzzafarnagar by lunch time. Ravenous, we ate lunch at a small
eaterie, played cards on route to Delhi and finally reached the capital by 6 pm
in the evening.
Parting was difficult. Baba
Bindass’ non stop jokes and witty one liners, Crazy Doll’s Pukie Pie moments
and constant bickering with the boys, Cool Dude’s misplaced hunt to find hot
chicks, Mr.Entrepreneur’s eat-sleep-have fun all in a day’s work and the Leader’s
directives and supervision throughout the trip would be moments we were going
to retain as take away. Even as we said our good byes, we knew an indescribable
bond had formed amongst us. A fellowship was born. The journey of the Road Surfers
had just begun.
