After following the troop for about half an hour, my patience broke and I asked Siddhu to just chuck them and move ahead. They seemed to be more of a "tourist" than BIKERS. They were damn slow and were taking a halt in every 10 minutes.
Even Siddhu was pissed off, and agreed to move ahead, leaving the tourist behind. The thought was, even if we face any issue or if there's any mishap, these people will be catching us up in a couple of hours. Dhyani kept asking to give him control, but it was a strict NO from my end.
The path was getting from bad to worst. The roads were all broken and crooked. BRO (Border Roads Organization) construction was on progress and on every few kilometers, a group of small workers were cleaning the broken road, so that some tar coal pebbles can be placed before covering up the road with tar. While crossing them, we noticed, most of them were shouting "ZULEY" and smiling, so we did the same. To our bad luck, the construction stretch was approx 15kms. If this would have been at the very start of our trip, we wouldn’t even mind, but at that moment, even a single kilometer was like ten miles. We can't accelerate, coz that would damage our bikes as well as it was really uncomfortable. A huge amount of pressure was building up on the rider's hand as well as on thighs and back. We had no other option but to keep it slow. This was more of a torture, because it was bloody time consuming and seemed as if the meter dial was dead. The bumpy road was still killing our back and thigh. This was the most treacherous moment of the day. Our next destination was TANGLANG-LA pass(5360m above sea level) and when we just started to move up on the mountain, five huge army trucks were moving on the same track ahead of us, with a constant speed, with a specific distance with each other. Now Dhyani was controlling the handles, and Siddhu was just ahead of us. This situation was a bit more complicated, as the width of the road was not much, plus, it was all broken. The moment we tried to overtake a truck, some huge bump, rock or a puddle of mud was there to stop us. Even if we accelerate, within seconds, the bumpy road would play its role and shake our body to the core. If somehow, we manage to endure it, the truck wouldn’t even slow down, to let us through. But Dhyani was determined, no matter what, we need to overtake them, and we did. After huge bumps, and tremendous body pain, we overtook the damn trucks, and then there was no turning back. Dhyani was riding as if he was a damn GHOSTRIDER. No expression on his face, no pain, no tiredness. He was not even speaking anything. He was just accelerating. As we were moving up to the mountain, it was getting cold. We can even see some dark cloud on top and most probably, it was raining. DAMNIT. This was getting much worst that what we had planned in the morning. But there was no turning back. I asked Dhyani to keep moving forward. It took us about half an hour, to reach TANGLANG-LA, and my head ache was back, with more pressure and was much intense this time. With this CON, the PRO was a spectacular view on top of the world's second most highest motarable pass. We could see the Horizon, the green meadows, snow capped mountains, the road which we travelled in last two hours, in one single instance. The view was simply marvellous. At the top of the pass a tiny temple and a few prayer flags flutter in the strong winds that are peculiar of all the passes. This was the highest pass we crossed till then. Dhyani was lying on of the rocks, near the temple, and I was busy struggling my head ache. We were waiting for Siddhu and Ujjwal to arrive. It was getting darker due to the clouds, but we waited. After ten minutes, I requested Dhyani to get up and move forward, as the pain was unbearable. It was as if someone is trying to crush my skull. We looked back, but there was no sign of Siddhu and Ujjwal. Dhyani asked me about the photograph session, but I requested to click it when we would return. My plan was to move slowly down the pass, and by that time, they would catch us. I was sure, once we come down, my head ache would be back to normal. Dhyani told me he had some personal business, and he'll be back. By that time , I was supposed to wait for the rest of our group. I was lost in my own world. After sometime, Dhyani returned, but there was no sign of Siddhu and Ujjwal. Dhyani suggested to move forward, slowly, as they will be catching us soon.
Half an hour passed and still no sign of any one of them. We were getting a bit worried now. I asked Dhyani to take a U-Turn and see what happened. On our way back, we enquired some riders, but it was all in vain. No one had any clue of our friends. The negative thought raised exponentially and even came to a point, where I was 10% sure, they would have fallen down the mountain. Going back to the top of the mountain was giving me creeps, but we had no other choice. We had to find our friends. By the time we came back to the water stream point, I was cent percent sure, that we are going back up. Dhyani even asked me to stay back, and he would go alone, but I insisted. With every few minutes, my headache was increasing, but there was no other option. We were about to reach the top, when we saw a White helmet and a blue sarpal. Wow, never in my life, I was so much relieved, thinking about any one of them. Frankly speaking, "Yeh rahe benchod" was my first reaction at that moment. A mixed feeling of frustration, anger, pain, happiness was flowing all over me. But it was decided, they need to know our frustration. How can they be so careless. The moment we met, I was so angry at them, the moment we stopped, I was preparing my "anger speech" in my mind, and suddenly I heard,
"Dimag kharab hai Benchod tumara. Kahan marr gaye the. Pagal bana dia sala" and I was like , WHAT!!!! "Humne pagal banaya ya tumne. Tum log kahan marr gaye the."
The argument was all about "tum kahan the" and then they shouted, "hum harr pass me photo kheechate hai, tumne wait kyu nahi kia"
Apparently, after a heated argument, it was concluded, that there was a miscommunication among us. Siddhu and Ujjwal thought that me and Dhyani are lagging behind, and when they reached the pass, they waited for us. But as we were leading them, and due to my head ache, we did not took a halt at the pass. This gave them a thought that we are lagging behind, and after waiting for sometime, they again went down the broken road, just to see us, if we are alright. So, over all, we all made a double trip, for around an hour, but Siddhu and Ujjwal was supposed to be more angry, because they went back to the treacherous road, where as me and Dhyani were enjoying the Nature's essence. But there was no point to argue further, as all of us knew our situation and conditions. So we moved further, without talking to each other, but it was all sorted out on our next meal stop, and the painful smiles were back on our faces.
Even Siddhu was pissed off, and agreed to move ahead, leaving the tourist behind. The thought was, even if we face any issue or if there's any mishap, these people will be catching us up in a couple of hours. Dhyani kept asking to give him control, but it was a strict NO from my end.
The path was getting from bad to worst. The roads were all broken and crooked. BRO (Border Roads Organization) construction was on progress and on every few kilometers, a group of small workers were cleaning the broken road, so that some tar coal pebbles can be placed before covering up the road with tar. While crossing them, we noticed, most of them were shouting "ZULEY" and smiling, so we did the same. To our bad luck, the construction stretch was approx 15kms. If this would have been at the very start of our trip, we wouldn’t even mind, but at that moment, even a single kilometer was like ten miles. We can't accelerate, coz that would damage our bikes as well as it was really uncomfortable. A huge amount of pressure was building up on the rider's hand as well as on thighs and back. We had no other option but to keep it slow. This was more of a torture, because it was bloody time consuming and seemed as if the meter dial was dead. The bumpy road was still killing our back and thigh. This was the most treacherous moment of the day. Our next destination was TANGLANG-LA pass(5360m above sea level) and when we just started to move up on the mountain, five huge army trucks were moving on the same track ahead of us, with a constant speed, with a specific distance with each other. Now Dhyani was controlling the handles, and Siddhu was just ahead of us. This situation was a bit more complicated, as the width of the road was not much, plus, it was all broken. The moment we tried to overtake a truck, some huge bump, rock or a puddle of mud was there to stop us. Even if we accelerate, within seconds, the bumpy road would play its role and shake our body to the core. If somehow, we manage to endure it, the truck wouldn’t even slow down, to let us through. But Dhyani was determined, no matter what, we need to overtake them, and we did. After huge bumps, and tremendous body pain, we overtook the damn trucks, and then there was no turning back. Dhyani was riding as if he was a damn GHOSTRIDER. No expression on his face, no pain, no tiredness. He was not even speaking anything. He was just accelerating. As we were moving up to the mountain, it was getting cold. We can even see some dark cloud on top and most probably, it was raining. DAMNIT. This was getting much worst that what we had planned in the morning. But there was no turning back. I asked Dhyani to keep moving forward. It took us about half an hour, to reach TANGLANG-LA, and my head ache was back, with more pressure and was much intense this time. With this CON, the PRO was a spectacular view on top of the world's second most highest motarable pass. We could see the Horizon, the green meadows, snow capped mountains, the road which we travelled in last two hours, in one single instance. The view was simply marvellous. At the top of the pass a tiny temple and a few prayer flags flutter in the strong winds that are peculiar of all the passes. This was the highest pass we crossed till then. Dhyani was lying on of the rocks, near the temple, and I was busy struggling my head ache. We were waiting for Siddhu and Ujjwal to arrive. It was getting darker due to the clouds, but we waited. After ten minutes, I requested Dhyani to get up and move forward, as the pain was unbearable. It was as if someone is trying to crush my skull. We looked back, but there was no sign of Siddhu and Ujjwal. Dhyani asked me about the photograph session, but I requested to click it when we would return. My plan was to move slowly down the pass, and by that time, they would catch us. I was sure, once we come down, my head ache would be back to normal. Dhyani told me he had some personal business, and he'll be back. By that time , I was supposed to wait for the rest of our group. I was lost in my own world. After sometime, Dhyani returned, but there was no sign of Siddhu and Ujjwal. Dhyani suggested to move forward, slowly, as they will be catching us soon.
Half an hour passed and still no sign of any one of them. We were getting a bit worried now. I asked Dhyani to take a U-Turn and see what happened. On our way back, we enquired some riders, but it was all in vain. No one had any clue of our friends. The negative thought raised exponentially and even came to a point, where I was 10% sure, they would have fallen down the mountain. Going back to the top of the mountain was giving me creeps, but we had no other choice. We had to find our friends. By the time we came back to the water stream point, I was cent percent sure, that we are going back up. Dhyani even asked me to stay back, and he would go alone, but I insisted. With every few minutes, my headache was increasing, but there was no other option. We were about to reach the top, when we saw a White helmet and a blue sarpal. Wow, never in my life, I was so much relieved, thinking about any one of them. Frankly speaking, "Yeh rahe benchod" was my first reaction at that moment. A mixed feeling of frustration, anger, pain, happiness was flowing all over me. But it was decided, they need to know our frustration. How can they be so careless. The moment we met, I was so angry at them, the moment we stopped, I was preparing my "anger speech" in my mind, and suddenly I heard,
"Dimag kharab hai Benchod tumara. Kahan marr gaye the. Pagal bana dia sala" and I was like , WHAT!!!! "Humne pagal banaya ya tumne. Tum log kahan marr gaye the."
The argument was all about "tum kahan the" and then they shouted, "hum harr pass me photo kheechate hai, tumne wait kyu nahi kia"
Apparently, after a heated argument, it was concluded, that there was a miscommunication among us. Siddhu and Ujjwal thought that me and Dhyani are lagging behind, and when they reached the pass, they waited for us. But as we were leading them, and due to my head ache, we did not took a halt at the pass. This gave them a thought that we are lagging behind, and after waiting for sometime, they again went down the broken road, just to see us, if we are alright. So, over all, we all made a double trip, for around an hour, but Siddhu and Ujjwal was supposed to be more angry, because they went back to the treacherous road, where as me and Dhyani were enjoying the Nature's essence. But there was no point to argue further, as all of us knew our situation and conditions. So we moved further, without talking to each other, but it was all sorted out on our next meal stop, and the painful smiles were back on our faces.
