Part I This was to be the first in a series of journeys we planned along with our wedding. Accordingly, we bought a roadmap to journey across the coast of Maharashtra and set out on the morning of December 9, 2004, three days after we walked down the aisle. Of course things went as planned. We set out in the trusty Indica after a good brunch and found our way to Kolhapur in about three and a half hours, all thanks to the road work in process. Then on, set out to drive through the beautiful Radhanagari ghat. For those of you who have seen it, will remember the thick forest bordering the winding road. My instant dream was to have a tiger cross our path. But we heard not a meew. The bird calls and the far away chatter of monkeys was enough to keep our ears yearning for more. Soon, the sun set. And we drove on, looking for Donje village where we were to park for the night in the forest department’s guest house. It was pitch dark by the time we reached the bungalow. Isolated, all I could see around was darkness. A big creeky gate, typical of a Ramsey flick, guarded the entrance. We were thrilled at the prospect of what lay beyond.The door was opened and I we walked the three odd steps up into the bungalow. Instantly, the dirty linen and the toilet repulsed me. The roof was typical of old bungalows, with the beams and little grooves that make home for creepy crawlies and bird. All I could think about was snakes. Not that I’m scared of them, just that I’m an ignoramus when it comes to identifying the poisonous ones. We had booked the place but the man in charge was not informed so we drove a couple of kms up the ghaat (for cells had no network there then) to call his saheb who assured him we were welcome guests. Huh. Glitches. Not my kind. I hated the bungalow, hated the fact that we had reservations but had to prove we had them and disliked the idea of spending a night wondering which creepy crawly would land on me. Having decided to move on the day after was some reassurance but I was irritated. Exhausted, we snuggled into the blanket we had carried along, and called it a night immediately. Part I The morning, I was singing a different tune. It had something to do with the tune the little feathered fellow who woke me up was crooning. But what really excited me was that the backwaters of Radha Nagri dam stretched for miles opposite the bungalow and we realised we had been driving by the side of the water for ages and not known it, it was so dark and quiet. I went for a walk by the waterside looking for pugmarks – tiger or leopard. Kunal was still snoring. Breakfast over, we decided to go exploring into the Gaur reserve. Forest guard in tow, we saw the shekru, monkeys and lots of trees. Up and down to towers we went to see the view which thankfully was only trees and more trees. Down, we walked to a little plateau with a little watering hole and saw flattened grass. That was where the Gaur rested for the night. Wow I mumbled looking at their hoof marks and at the yellow grass. We went for a drive in the forest in the evening, because we were allowed to. The road wasn’t fantastic in terms of driving, but great for jungle music blasting around. As the sun set, we decided to return. And we had the proverbial FLAT! Husband loves his car, so naturally, there was a stepney and the jack. Some hard work later, we were back at the bungalow relishing dinner that came from a villagers house. We packed our bags and went to bed. This time, I wasn’t worried about the creepy crawlies. I was looking forward to being woken up by my feathered friend. Part III The plan thus far had been followed, perfectly. “We will go down the ghats and take a right. Go to Chiplun, spend the night there and then decide where next. You will love the fresh fish curry made there,” said Kunal. Dreaming about food waiting a couple of hours away always gets me charged. Soaking in the December sunshine, singing and watching the road, we reached the Mumbai Goa Expressway. Chiplun x kms. Goa y kms. “We could go to Goa. It’s the same distance, almost,” said Kunal, reading my thoughts. No way, I countered. We won’t do what every other couple does for their honeymoon. And we took that right. A couple of kms on, I was thinking of Colva - we don’t go to the North. “We can still go to Goa,” said Kunal. Nah, I said and kept very quiet. “Why don’t you just say you want to go there? I can take a U turn, u know,” poked Kunal. I smiled and said, go Goa! So we reached Goa later that night, tired, hungry and very happy with the Indica. More on Goa, later. Stolen weekend Lets move further back, to 2002. It was 1 am. Yes people, 1 am when we set out. We decided in the evening that we would go on holiday. We weren’t married then. Younger, arrogant, super confidant, we knew we would do it. Kunal had to go for an office party that evening and I was taken along, uninvited. Post party, we took off from Pune-Chandani Chowk, for those of you who are aware of that part of Pune then, you will recall an out of city quiet road. From there, via Pirangut, Mulshi and the (later told) dangerous Tamhini ghat, we reached ?. Spent the night there and went to Dive Agar the next morning. Oooh the road that wouldn’t end. Ups and downs, twists and turns. And then the gorgeous white sand and the inviting ocean. Super! The Indica worked purrfectly. We loved it so much, we went back twice after that. ...And the first babe But before the Indica was the Fiat. The trusty black beauty or BB that we called her. It took us to Mahabaleshwar, swerving through the meandering mountain roads in pouring rain, this was the first unofficial long weekend we took before we got married. And she worked soooo well.