Pedal to Pebble to Platform: One story, One day, One Place, One Cycle and One Sole By Nobal

Mohan It was a busy day for everyone in my team, obviously its Friday evening and my team leader was running around every cabin to fix some high priority issue before end of day. Given an awesome day my teammates pledged themselves never to see sunrise and sunset again in their life, even at 10pm I will be the first one to leave office and next day I will be the last one to turn up. To through my mind and myself to a different world that weekend I planned for a cycle ride to Mahabalipuram (mahabs), which I never did before. I called out for riding partner, though some great souls responded and eventually everyone dropout, I planned to do it alone this time. Friday evening I sneaked out of office and went to attend a workshop in my friends place about maps and navigation. By the time I reach room it was already 11.40 and I was too tired and having a thought about my cycle trip. Meanwhile, I called up a cycle craze friend of mine in Bangalore to discuss about buying a new cycle, end of the call I said my plan to go to mahabs in my hero hawk cycle. He advised me not ride with Indian made cycle for long distance. My planned was to cover 100km and now I am confused about my cycle trip, I snooze off at 1 pm. Intend to wake up early I got up at 6.30 and packed my backpack with a litter of water, two apples, a banana and an mp3 player. Too sleepy to pedal, I slowly started my journey to mahabs. Since my cycle was a low end model and without any sign of suspension in it even a small pebble would hit my ass hard like a school headmaster spank. With sun as my companion I gradually took up speed and had a good progress for next 38km without a break except to pee my share in the ECR. I stopped at crocodile bank to pay a visit, it been some time. By the time I started from crock bank it was too sunny and mahabs is another 15km ahead. When I was about to reach mahabs I felt like throwing myself into the sea, instead in turned to caf coffee day and planned to treat myself for reaching mahabs without a sip of water for the first time in cycle. Standing at the counter, I ordered a Devils Owen and asked for sandwich, I: What sandwich do you have? Counter Guy:sir, please check out the counter I turned my head towards the counter and found the cleaning grandma grinning at me with her tobacco stained teeth. I should have figured out the meaning for the smile but realized when I had a closer look at the counter, theres nothing left except a couple of samosas and a spinach sandwich. With nothing to munch for, I sipped my cold coffee silently. I was too happy to reach mahabs and thought of going back, but it was too hot to cycle back and I planned to stay there until 3pm. Since, I got enough time in my hand I was circling around mahabs couple of time, gaining every shop owners stare. Oops, it was time to check my bicycle air and went to a cycle shop. There were lot of cycles outside the shop and you have to narrow down to reach there, but there was a tempo blocking the way. Somehow I managed to get my front tire to the shop and checked

it. I was not able to turn up my back wheel to check and the shop owner realized its because of the tempo and started screaming towards the road. Shop owner:dai, whose tempo is this? Tempo owner from the other side of the road: its mine Shop owner:o****, come here and remove it else I will puncture all your wheels. Are you paying rent for this place? followed by some good words. It was always fun to watch local fight. I rode from there and roamed around all monuments. I felt hungry and went to good restaurant and had south Indian meals, it was yummy. Still got enough time to pass I went to a roof top restaurant with sea view table. The restaurant was empty with one more table occupied with a couple. I came there just to sit and relax because I couldnt find any such place outside; for the sake of ordering something I ordered fruit salad and choco milkshake. It was quite, windy and the empty sea infront of my eyes was just awesome. Plugged in my mp3 player I was sitting silent and observing the beach buzzing with activities. After long time, they delivered the so called fruit salad, Starting at the salad I planned to play a game called find the fruit and win a salad. They should have named it Banana salad and how about milkshake? Oh, please no comments. Eventually I felt bored and left the place, I was walking down the lane with my bicycle. A sculpture shop owner called me out and asked for a ride in my bicycle. So, I gave him my cycle and sitting in his shop I saw how they are carving the stone. Fascinated I asked them to teach me, started with a small chunk of stone; they thought me to carve a beautiful turtle pendent, I took 3 hours to do it. I was so thrilled by the art and asked them for carving goodies I intend to buy. They took me to a shop and I brought all necessary goodies for a startup stone carver. Thanked them and I started to pedal back to Chennai. The ride back was smooth and I planned to finish it in one shot. It was going good, I was about 10km from my home and my cycle showed some problem and when I try to fix it, I was not able to. So I took it nearby motor shop and they said I have to trim the chain length. When I asked whether they can fix it, they asked me to wait one hour, since they have fix two flat lorry tire :( . So I planned to walk the next 8km. since, the entire highway ahead is off with human settlement, the journey was dark and tiresome. By the time I crossed it and found a bicycle repair shop I was so happy and all he did was just tightened a nut and billed me 5 bucks. I felt like screaming at the sky for walking all the way. Anyway packed my dinner way back and had a satisfied day. I am happy that I made it and learned something in life.