Reached Nashik

Starting my latest session of travelling for official purpose, I reached Nashik this time. Being a patient reader of my blog, you definitely deserve to know this fun fact that why this name “Nashik” is coined to this beautiful place.

The credit for coining this name goes to Surpnakha ma’am and our angry young man Laxman sir in the Treta yug. It sounds weird, isn’t it?

Ok, I am gonna put it fairly simple

Basically, I am referring to an incident in Ramayana. This was the place where Lord Laxman cut the nose (Nasika) of Supranakha as she was demanding something which was unacceptable for Laxman (Asking a married person to marry her that too in front of his elder brother. I mean she could have waited a little to put this proposal when Laxman was alone). Anyways, willingly or unwillingly Laxman had to put his sword across Supranakha’s nose. Since then this place is called Nashik as the legend says.

Like other trips, this time also I was accompanied with two of my colleagues. We took a bus from Ahmedabad in the evening and it was expected to reach Nashik in the early morning. Thanks to our alert team (of course including me) that in the morning when we woke up and enquired conductor of the bus about our location he told us that we were 30 km ahead of Nashik.

The driver and conductor gave us a what-a-bunch-of-idiots look. But then showing our extra-ordinary wisdom, we told them “Actually, you guys are idiots. You see, we paid for only Ahmedabad to Nashik and in the same fare, we travelled 30 km more. So this is your loss, fools.”

Anyhow, cursing the driver and conductor, we got down the bus and went on the opposite side of the road waiting for any vehicle coming from opposite direction which could take us back to Nashik. So, we stood there and started making that “please stop and take us to Nashik” gesture with left thumb up and slightly tilted to every vehicle which was passing by.

We were lucky that within 15 minutes we got a bus which was going towards Nashik. We hopped in and reached Nashik in next 40 minutes. So, little tired we reached a hotel. As soon as we entered, the faces of my two colleagues beamed. I assumed it was just because of the thought that they will get some rest now after that long journey. But later, as we entered into our assigned room, room-214, I realised that it was because of that beautiful receptionist whom they were planning to woo in their own ways which came quite obvious to me when I heard them talking about her.

This was how we started our first day...

Poor Manjeet

I have a friend, Manjeet. He is the most creative person I have ever met. He holds a professional degree in accessory design from the very reputed NIFT (National Institue of Fashion Technology). He has a good sense of humour too and is really a nice fellow.

There is one thing which he doesn’t like about him. He is pretty thin. How thin.......? Let me tell you a story.

Once, Manjeet had to go to Vadodara for some design project. So he took a bus from Ahmedabad to Vadodara and reached there at 9:00 am. He had to work there from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm on that project for that very day. Co-incidentally one of his seniors was also into that project. And fortunately, she was a girl. That girl was very pretty. Manjeet was delighted to see this. Soon they started enjoying working together. He was having a great time with her.

They never realized that how did the working time pass and for Manjeet, now it was the time to go back to Ahmedabad. It was evening and his watch was showing 6:30 .

“Hey Manjeet. So we are done for today” the girl, Shikha said smiling.

“Yeah” Manjeet said thinking that he had to go leaving her behind.

“So, what’s your plan?” asked Shikha.

“Nothing, I have to go back to Ahmedabad now.” Manjeet replied.

“Really” she said with a wide smile on her face.

“Why are you smiling? What is so great about it? Did I trouble you so much all day that you are happy on my departure” Manjeet said with an artificial smile.

“Nah, stupid. I am happy because I am also going to Ahmedabad. Actually, I am staying at my uncle’s place who is in Ahmedabad” said Shikha. “And now I’ll get a company for this journey Vadodara to Ahmedabad” she added and giggled.

“Vadodara to Ahmedabad, yeah” said Manjeet with joy as he had calculated that for the next two hours also he was going to be with Shikha.

Soon they boarded a bus. Shikha sat by the side of Manjeet. They were happy talking about their college NIFT and various other funny things. But Manjeet was totally occupied with the charming face and beautiful smile of Shikha. He was just enjoying the moment. Soon, Shikha started feeling sleepy. And in no time, she fell asleep and Manjeet got this million dollar opportunity to behold the beauty without any interruption

Suddenly Shikha unconsciously started inclining towards Manjeet’s shoulder.

“Ouch” she said as soon as her head touched Manjeet’s shoulder.

“Oh boy, you are so thin; it seems your bones are coming out of your body. Seriously, no girl can sleep keeping her head on your shoulder if she wants to ” she said and tried to manage her head against the back-cushion of the seat.

Manjeet was taken aback. This was totally a brutal murder of the love which was just budding. Manjeet never hated his thin body so much before.

Visit to Lonavala and Khandala

So once again my work asked me to visit this place. Many a times I have heard about this place, of course in movies ,but got a chance to see it now only. The movie “Ghulam” has made this place more popular. By now, you are able to figure out that this place is Khandala and Lonavala (of course Ghulam movie doesn’t talk about Lonavala, poor Lonavala)

So, from Panvel, it was a one and half hour journey. As soon as you start approaching Khandala, you will feel a drop in the ambient temperature. And also speed of vehicle reduces because of difficult hilly route. Scenic beauty along the route will keep your mind and soul occupied.

While moving along these roads in mountain, I was wondering how these people conceptualize developing such a great infrastructure at such unreachable locations. Not only that, they have built flyovers over these roads in mountains. “Damn, how do they even dare to think of constructing such things” I kept wondering.

We planned to stay in Lonavala adjacent to Khandala. This place was like a small hill station. Beautiful weather with natural beauty, such a great combo. When we reached Lonavala, I asked all of my colleagues to take an off for that very day. I also planned to spend my afternoon just by enjoying the beauty and serenity of that place.

Thus having some breakunch (the breakfast at lunch time), we decided to go around and see what this place has got. While heading towards main road from our hotel , we (myself with my two colleaguse) realized that we were not clean shave and that totally was not going in syncro with the awesome atmosphere there. So we approached a barber shop first.

Done with the shaving, we moved again and planned to see the place with the help of an auto-rickshaw driver. This person was nice and yeah.. I have his number also, in case anyone of you need that.

So, he started with Bhushi Dam . It was huge dam. It felt so nice sitting by the water. But we heard some bad news also that some guy drowned to death in that water on that very day. So guys, be careful. No masti near water!

Then we moved to eco point and lion’s point.

‘Why this name... lion’s point?’ I said. That auto driver told us that lions are found there. “Really” we said. But later on, I found out that this place is called lions point because shape of the hill look like face of a lion. Needless to mention, this place was very nice. Why... because here you can sit on chair and while enjoying the natural beauty you can have all kinds of snacks, tea coffee, everything to make your tongue and tummy feel better. Snacks include pakodas, maggie, sweet corn, vadapav, noodles etc. etc. Well, I assume this much is sufficient to make your mouth watered. We had cheese pakoda, onion pakoda and tea. It was feeling like the best snacks ever. I mean under the sky, sitting on a hill by the side of a deep valley eating some spicy stuff with hot tea. “God, this is the kind of life I am looking for, I love it “I said to myself. Wow.. awesomely awesome.

After that we went to Ambey Valley. And then moved to Khandala to see the sunset point. We reached exactly at the time of sunset. It was really a beautiful scene. Red beams spreading over horizon.

Visit to Alibag

So again my work made me to visit this place... Alibagh or Alibag or Alibaug. I don't know what is the correct form of its name but you would find this place is quite awesome and also our Shakespeare has already mentioned "What is there in the name"..right. Anyways, this is a place in Maharashtra .. a place of beaches.
You start from anywhere, if you are not careful enough you would end up having yourself at some beach. Varsoli, Alibagh, Nagaon are some of those beaches which I could see during my stay.

Yeah ..like most of the time, my journey started from Ahmedabad. I reached Panvel by bus and from there again I had to take another bus to reach Alibagh. From Panvel to Alibagh, it was a one and half hour journey through a route full of natural beauty.

So, then after this journey I was in Alibagh with my two colleagues. My colleagues were excited because they were informed or may be misinformed (depending upon their source of information) that Yana Gupta has one of her bunglows here. Well, the very first day, I came out of my room in the evening only and weather was pretty fine. But the next day, when I moved out of my place for my work, I found it was boiling hot temperature out there which made me understand that day time in Alibagh was not so friendly with me.

But then I discovered something which could beat this heat.. a cottage. Yes, totally a cottage on the side of beach surrounded with tall trees and an ideal place for picnic. Let me describe it in more detail to make you guys more jealous. It was a place on the side of a beach where you can take a cottage on rent. A shady place covered with tall trees and sea breeze from one side can make your soul go crazy . You can order meals from the eatery attached or if you want you can prepare your own meal and they will provide you all the things required. You can dance, you can sing, you can have party, you can totally have a wonderful time keeping your regular worries and tensions far behind.
This made me think "I should own a house here". Well, this is typical me so you can just avoid this very line.

But yeah there are plenty of such cottages on sea shore available on rent. So, you can go there with your family and friends.

And now the most interesting part. On the very last day of my visit, I got a chance to see ‘Mela’. I don’t know how do we translate ‘Mela’ in English. But for the time being let’s call it ‘Mela’. So, we were informed that there is this Mela near Varsoli beach. We went there. And it was really a great thing to see. This Mela had a lot of desi flavor in it. You won’t believe what I had. I had sugar cane juice which was being produced by crushing sugar cane using a machine run by cattle (like buffalo, ox etc.). It was truly Indian. I just loved it. And that cane juice tasted so pure and real. Next, I enjoyed that game of shooting balloons with the help of a gun. And you know what, I won the game beating my colleagues which means I am still on, guys! Then I had those fast and crazy rides (those typical electric “Jhoola”). There was a ride called as “Break Dance”. It was such a joyful ride that I rode it twice back to back.

Lil bit occupied with my work so couldn't write more.
Anyways, two days back I again visited country side. And then I met a person and his hair touching his feet... so long. Reason why he does not use to get a hair cut was very strange. He told me whenever he got a hair cut something teribble happened. Like once when he had his hair cut, he lost his wife. He just has his only son with him and best part is that he does everything to ensure that his son should get proper education.
Next I moved my ride to a place called 'Sahnewal' This is film star Dharmendra's village. I saw his village and his school too. It was so very beautiful. In the same village I got an opportunity to behold a beautiful scene. It was like this...A field filled with green crops and on the other end a train moving slowly. It was just like some bollywood location in countryside. I totally enjoyed it and got some snaps too.

My visit to Punjab

4 days before I reached Ludhiana, Punjab. Very interestingly I am here working on an assignment pre-requisite of which is proper understanding of Ludhiana.

This is the place which I always wanted to visit. Basic reason is that I loved the image of Punjab which is being portrayed by bollywood. I mean those green fields, rich food, glass filled with lassi etc. etc. And of course, Punjabi beauties also add to the list.

The day I reached, I started loving this place. Their charming accent with frequently used phrases like 'Hanji', 'Henga' etc. Totally exhausted, I reached my hotel located very close to the bus stand.
As soon as I checked in, I ordered for Lunch rather late lunch at 4:00 pm. And soon after having my bath, I started having my lunch or late lunch. It was 'Veg Biryani' and it was incredibly awesome...sach mein swaad aa gaya. Same night, we went for dinner and picked a dhaba to taste the real punjab instead of any sophisticated restaurant lacking totally in 'Desipan'. We ordered some paranthas and curries. I observed that every thing was full of butter and the food itself looked so rich and I was so overjoyed that I told my two team members who were accompanying me for the dinner that I wish to own a house in Punjab so that I can enjoy such awesome food all the time.

Next day another thing which caught my attention was a 'Limo'. Yes, a Limousine. I was amazed at that moment. But within next two days , I understood that it was matter of surprise for me only and not for Punjabis as in these two days I discovered few more Limos running here and there. That day; to be precise, that evening, I discovered a very delicious stuff. It was so called ' Burger Noodles' and as the name suggests, a bun stuffed with spicy noodles, aloo tikki and sauce.


Next day, during my working session, I visited Hero Cycles Industries, Monte Carlo unit, the brands which we listen since the time we were born. Even though it was an official visit but I loved being to these places. Office of Monte Carlo was so eye-catching that interiors could easily be compared to that of a mall.

Finally, today I got an opportunity to visit country side of ludhiana. So serene, so green. Saw mud houses surrounded by green fields. Surprisingly I saw a mud-house with a dish-tv connection. Also there were some bunglows or kothis which reflected the wealth of the people in the region.
By the evening I found that there was a myth ..... Oh!!!! Sorry!! It is already 2:13 am. Going to sleep. Will continue tomorrow straight from this point. Gudnite

Hi friends,
Greetings!!!