What a trip

A prank, a game, a lab report, we are trained to plan and execute to perfection within a minute , but planning and executing a TIRUPATI trip in a minute? ya, it happened with me and my wonderful friend ghoda on 16th feb night 2007.

Me, ghoda and dheela were coming back from mess, bellies full, discussing some important issues about life (which is what we do mostly in life, discussing life) and making plans to go to highluk later that night. Met MOMO with a bag going opposite way(a mandak seniour who is never expected to carry a bag). Out of curiosity ghoda inquired with wonder in his eyes 'LAB?'. He replied 'TIRUPATI'. We wished him happy journey and moved on.

Moved hardly fifty meters and ghoda stopped (we thought he is bulbing on some fundamental issue of life, maybe like 'am I on the right road to hostel') but instead of asking directions he blurted “ ABE APAN BHI CHALTE HAI ???“ I could see he was serious so I agreed too, dheela made some lame excuse regarding BTP work, and coulnd't be snared (three baldies are better than two). Called MOMO immediately on cellphone and requested them (he was with khinchi, his fellow mate) to wait for us at GC.

Ran to our hostel, packed bags in two minutes, bid goodbye to friends hurriedly and after recharging the cellphone joined them two within half an hour. Elated by the God's calling (which it was in many senses as you will see).Did an auto and were at CNBT bus stand by 10 pm, got bus to tirupati which was leaving in 5 minutes. I felt an urge to relieve myself, so went ahead to the lavatory. When I got back bus wasnt there. Thought I must have come out of the wrong door, was about to turn back to the toilet when heard ghoda calling my name. He appeared in a few seconds from nowhere, pointed to me the bus and we ran to it which had started running too.

Me and ghoda took the seat by the entry (I say entry, because there was no door), conductors seat that is, except that this one was double seated. Well, we started talking of our past 3 and a half years and that was a good flashback of my stay at IITM, but it was getting cold, the crosswind and draught of cooool air coming through the doorway made us more and more comfortable physically, so had to work hard mentally to stay awake, hence unconsciouly and gradually, our issues shifted to a more philosophical and very strange suhject of GILRS PSYCHOLOGY. Being short of our personal experiences with girls (Single, in case of ghoda) , we mostly did case studies on the true tragedies we were aware of. Well, we reached tirupati around 2.30 in morning, we concluded our subject by agreeing on 'nothing can be concluded'. Its the well known inference, but still its fun arriving at the same result by observing, analysing, dicussing same experiments, different experimenters, who suffer at differnet degrees experimenting differently with the unexperimetable, right?

Well it was shivratri. So disciples were busy with Lord Shiva and Balaji were quite free that day(very less rush that is). So we got tokens for morning 10 AM. Kept our belongings in a locker, went on to donate our hair by around six thirty. Had to take a token for the hair cutting, went inside an opening with hair cutting illustration on its door, and soon after many twists and turns, we found ourselves into a hall with a hundred barbers. It was like a big big barber plaza. We located our barber(they are numbered). The barbers were proffessional, finshed off what I grew over years within two minutes. We laughed at each other, took bath there itself, dressed and got out, shining, to face the world.

Had our breakfast with MOMO and Khinchi at 7.30am. after having heavy breakfast we joined the queue, one of the lengthiest in India, I am sure, at times. In queue we walked normally , we ran when got a chance to overtake, we slept on benches of waiting room when stagnant, we jumped over them when gates opened, ran again, walked again, pushed, pulled, got sandwiched, but kept moving with a good pace. Failed to decipher inscriptions on the wall and when nothing else just enjoyed patting each others heads, all this time we kept enchanting 'VENKATESHA VENKATESHA GOVINDA' in every few seconds. As we came nearer to the GOD, our enthusiasm peaked. And then finally we were in front of LORD VENTESHWARA “ THE ONE AND ONLY TIRUPATI BALAJI “, cant write down our feelings except that we felt at peace we had never experienced before.

Well by twelve we were free, had some food, bought caps :), boarded the bus, slept all the way back, too exhausted to talk. Did auto, institute bus and were back in our rooms by 5:30 in evening. Being out of the room for just twenty hours, not many had observed our absence, and thus a few fellows were amazed at looking our shaved heads.

Well, for us though not a grand adventure, it is a beautiful reminder of “whenever there is a will and faith in GOD, there is a way “ , will always remember this TIRUPATI trip as it might be years from now that I will again go that beautiful place, blessed by mother nature, on the top of a hill, surrounded by seven other hills from all sides, to the GOD.