Kikar Lodge and The last time I did something for the first time

This is not a write up about an amorous one night stand as I would like it to be. But in terms making a mark in my grey cells and associated adrenaline rush, I would rank it much higher than many similar events in my lifetime. Doing something for the first time feels like being born again; being able to cut loose and take a flight like the butterfly out of its cocoon. This is such an event.  

It all starts when we connect with old friends from college. These are people you feel of your own kind, whom you've been with in the prime of your youth. The bonding is maybe because of many crazy things you did together. Some things you like to remember and some you advise your kith and kin to be as far away as possible.

There are many forces at work which creates a need to meet these people. Makes you get that high once again. A feeling that you experienced at that time and your craving need at this time now to relive that once again. So when the call of a reunion beckon, the engineers who graduated from Panjab University in 1994 scurry online to arrive at a common agreed date.  

Kikar Lodge was my idea out of a few locations that were circulated and it was proposed considering it was a good getaway 25 kms from Ropar in rural Punjab. Once the dates were finalized, there were plans made for 12 odd guys. The unavoidable turn of events made me lose two eventful days of the reunion and eventually I was left with one day with a drive from  Chandigarh to the lodge all alone. This is where the action starts.

The idea of having reunion at this kind of location was with the presumption to get as far away from the regular life that one experiences. Although getting away from the telecom network connection was getting a bit too carried away on this but that was the way it was meant to be. With only BSNL network at the location (which doesn’t allow roaming by other network providers), it was hard to get in touch with the people who were already in the lodge.

As we are aware that driving alone, time expands and the journey becomes longer. And as luck would have it, there was no clear instructions on what road one had to take after Ropar. So although I followed the trustworthy Google Maps, it showed me two roads leading to the destination. I initially took the highway route as I usually take that good road on the way to Manali. I soon realized that it was not the correct route as it would take much more time than anticipated. Moreover, it was supposed to be a village route after a while. So I turned around and took the other route. The regular crowded streets of Ropar were left far behind when I took a turn from the highway towards a village called Nurpur Bedi. Glancing at the watch, I realized it took a long time to come to the correct route and now it was already 9 PM. Although not a full moon, it was a moonlit night. The road was a single lane well constructed village road and there were only a few vehicles that came my way. The thick foliage with tall grass on both sides of the road which  lit up whenever I turned my vehicle on curves added to the dramatic surroundings. The road appeared to be never ending. It had so many twists and turns and also at times went through small hillocks. After an hour or so of driving alone without a mobile network, I was told that one needs to just ask somebody about Kikar lodge and it was supposedly an important landmark.

So the petrol pump attendant gave directions….After 5 kms take left. What he did not tell me was there were at least three left turns and no soul at sight. I just trusted my gut feeling and took a turn. The street started becoming narrow by the meter and I found myself in the middle of a village looking inside houses. Still no soul at sight. It looked like a scene from a thriller when I saw a man walking his huge dog at a location like this. I took my chances and asked for directions. As luck would have it, I had taken a wrong turn and it was the turn BEFORE the next village. I was back on the main road and on my way.

What made this moonlit road journey through the woods more memorable was the anticipation of meeting old friends for a day. So usually when after long journey one feels tired, I found myself bubbling with energy when I finally reached. I was in high spirits and the beer had not even started.

The party went on for some time and some guys kept taking mini naps around in the same rooms we were chatting and others continued to share old memories/new aspirations late in the night. Almost like a dream, a day passed and it was time to bid adieu to everyone.

So although travel through a narrow road and driving through a rural village in a moonlit night in interiors of Distt Ropar was the last time I did something for the first time, I pen this down primarily because of the time spent in the lodge around guys with whom I could just be me. There being no hint of any acquired personalities and everyone being themselves and sharing nearly all the things about your life, past and present. And with no one judging anyone. That was maybe a thing which I had not done for a very long time. This is surely something that needs to be done again and again.

But definitely not the drive again to Kikar because I once again would have the need to do something for the first time.

Child is the father of man

There is a time when you realize that some things taught to you earlier in school were not merely based on some assumptions and non-sensical events but rather on factual data collected over a period of many generations.I narrate to you one such experience which may be classified as a coincidence of sorts but it does sound rather strange.

Some of my close friends that I've spent time with in the past may  be aware that I am a movie buff....not the kind which gives reviews but the kind who just want to get away from it all into a different imaginary world in which one gets fits in...One which we have ourselves experienced or have seen others in that position. Some of the imaginary world are inviting and relaxing while others are rather disturbing. Now-a-days I prefer to go to ‘Happy’ movies with happy endings  which keeps me in good mood long afterwards.

Well...This Sunday morning I, alongwith my son, made way to the theater where we had prior advance booking.

This particular Sunday was different though. I was preferring to see the Tom Cruise thriller -- Édge of Tommorow'   and my son was keen on 'How to train your Dragon-2'.  I put all my negotiating skills at work the previous night when the booking was being made and my son reluctantly agreed to see this action packed movie starring my favorite star from  'Top Gun'. After all, this could be the last week it be in Theater. However, the turn of events resulted in a different ending to the story.

We entered the theater which I remember was Screen No.1 (there are three screens) in the cinema hall. As we were nearly on time, we quickly settled on our seats in anticipation. After the usual ads and national anthem, it came as  a surprise to me that the movie started in animation…By the time I was figuring what was wrong…… a person came up to me and said, ‘Excuse me, these are my seats.’’  ‘’How could that be ?’’  I thought. However, keeping my cool, I opened my wallet to show and prove that the actual right of sitting on that seat was mine.

Lo and behold. Both the tickets showed the same numbers and same screen. It was major goof up by the system. I recalled the olden  times when tickets were torn from a booklet and given to you. Those could not be duplicated at all.  I felt that this was as serious a matter as allowing another passenger to board the flight with the same seat indicated on the boarding pass. This was serious stuff on a Sunday Morning and this surely did not, by far,  have the makings of a happy ending. Where was the DGCA official when I wanted one.

On the other hand, my son was cool as a cucumber. After all, it was a movie which he always wanted to watch in the first place.  So I had to move out of the hall and inquire about this system issue. I showed it to the usher and he was also amazed to learn about the problem. Then the supervisor came and I started to indicate that the movie I wanted to watch was not on and demanded the seats in the other hall where it was on. The supervisor, matter of factly, indicated the time of my show- It was 10.30 PM and we were 12 hours early in the hall. I had during the booking somehow by mistake, booked the late night movie instead of the morning one. I was definitely on a different flight and this needed to be in the prime time news ! So option was to go back home and return to the movie late in the night.

My son, on the other hand, had other ideas. He wanted to watch ‘this’movie only since he was already here. There was discussion on the time, energy and money spent on reaching the place. So in the end, here I was,  sitting in the third row watching ‘How to train your dragon-2 ’which made my mind wander back many years when I had seen ‘Top Gun’’ from the front row.

I realized that my sons' desire  for watching that movie was much more than mine and somehow, the sequence of events resulted in us watching that movie which he wanted.

Concluding that the child is the father of man, I replied in affirmative when, after the movie my son asked rather innocently and probingly about my liking for the movie. After all, next sunday was not far away. 

I am yet to watch the movie I wanted.  My regrets to Tom Cruise.