Bike serviced, tank full, tyres pressurised, bags packed and strapped on, gear checked and laid out, boots cleaned, dried, and tightened, helmet shining, equipment (comms, camera, phone, remote, aux power) charged, and after a light dinner (instant Maggi is one of those Indian traditions attached to rains as much as chai-pakoda is) and shower, having kissed Maa and Baby bear good night (they are both watching some random web series about a reality tv family together, cuddled up on the sofa), time to enjoy a Patiala peg of Ballantine’s 7yo Bourbon finish (as Leonard Cohen plays in the background) before I turn in to snuggle the little one who would have fallen asleep on her Aji’s lap after a tough day at the movies and would need to be carried and tucked into bed.
I have a 0400h reveille and a 0645h RV at an hour’s ride from home. Tomorrow, we lunch at Murud-Janjira, a coastal fort just over 100km away by regular road (though we’ll be taking a more scenic route to it, covering 150km instead), and returning by evening. Rains have been promised. Next week promises to be hectic with work. So, truly looking forward to riding hard and having fun. Ah, life!
As I insist, I am the luckiest man alive.
