CAUVERY MAIYA KI JAI !!!!!

This was the second time we had reached late,yet none of us were playing the blame game with each other.....a second time we had missed the coveted rafter......however the organizer took pity on us and swore that he had bent rules to adjust us !!!!

the wait was painful....the kids played cards and fought like wildcats,over Jacks , spades and points and created a din,which actually was welcome,considering the fact that Himesh Reshmiaaahhh crooned in the backdrop,and to top it all........the omlette bread turned out to be the most shameful thing that could be made out of an egg....


when i said the cauvery was slow yet seductive.....it wasn't just an overt usage...for everyone who sat at the banks(incl me),watched her absolutely mesmerised,this was not some fair Ganges ,which intimated you with her fury,but a dark,slow and muddy river,which still managed to give her fair cousin stiff competition......


an agonizing hour later....the huge grey whale arrived.....and we were ordered to 'leashen' (listen) to instructions carefully......a dummy drill of rowing.....all back...all front...T grip not to leave madam !!!!.....a few reassuring words about the cauvery being a peaceful river.....drowning instructions...err not to drown and panic instructions.......red life jackets(we were warned were 500 rs each). blue helmets......fancy oars....a tough looking row master,who chose to align us on the rafter , by tapping us on ours bums with his oars !!!

we looked more like aliens then adventurists !!!!


the instructions fresh in our head ,I was a trifle disappointed with the calm waters at first(felt only a pump in adrenaline was paise vasool)......but soon realised,the peace and the calm ,was worth every penny.......just as we were getting comfortable with our skills....and listening with' raft' attention to the riveristic jargon.....came two words from the R M

'Get off'...Now this wasn’t exactly the middle of M.G/brigade road/connaught place..,(actually between Cauvery and MG road….i would choose alighting at the former….for reasons best known to bangalorians)and since we had just been informed about the 40 feet depth fact,all of us retorted back at the poor guy with a …WHAT??


Gingerly and reluctantly, coz none of us had any faith in the 500 rs.life jackets we wore, we did take the plunge,and soon realized that the principle of buoyancy ,did really exist.Soon,the chill of the water disappeared, the life jackets proved themselves sound,surprisingly,none of us spoke,we just floated like inanimate objects ,on the muddy waters.


O.K!!!!sharp whistle from the RM,BTB(back to boat),now it was nearly impossible for us to climb back into the rafter,without support, so the RM,jumped in,to prove that the money we had coughed up was actually worth it.The drama,which followed was worth every penny,for those unknown to the sport,he caught the straps of our life jackets at the shoulders and then with a mighty grunt yanked us back into the boat.I chose to be uplifted last…..for I realized the guy should be warmed up…before he made an attempt on me…..believe me when he did……I found myself laughing uncontrollably,at the pretty picture,and was glad they were no cameras around…and i assured him that would recommend him for the Ripley’s believe it or not(India version) for sure….

The rest of the journey was uneventful, one more round of ‘get off’, however this time was met up a YIPEE !!!we had become seasoned now…….and the poor guy had a difficult time convincing us to get back to the boat.After about 15 min of synchronized and disciplined rowing,it was time for some rapid action,like a mini roller coaster,C tossed and twirled us,like one twirls the last remnants of those crushed badams,at the end of badam milk…..


Surprisingly, we all seem to be aware that this ride was over,for no one spoke as we passed trees,dotted with plastic bags...a sign that humans were here...... little islands and marshy banks…..oars locked to the side,the current gently pushed us out to a thick yellow rope,which signalled the end of the adventure.

9 kms and one and a half hour......now i know what they mean when they say.....time flew by!!


According to S, a dip in the Cauvery was pious and known to cleanse ,all our sins,
and we certainly had more than a dip…we had had a trip of a lifetime…..and now that my slate of sins was cleansed, I was ready to commit some more …….