Of late night rides and the light

It is 11 in the night and you're riding pillion on a pulsar. You don't have to worry if there is another vehicle trying to over take or if you're over speeding. You just gaze around. You're not reading any of the boards like you usually do. You're not trying to remember the road you passed through or the umpteen number of shops that are present. But you look around and notice something you can;t put your finger on. There aren't too many lights to spoil your vision. It's just the road and the age old street lights creating shades of amber on the road. The road is wet from the rain but not too wet for it to be slippery. The air is clean. You want to take it all in. You want to pack some of this and take it home because you don't know when you'll experience this again. You're on Kotturpuram road now and you notice for the first time that the entire stretch is covered with trees. You wonder why it is so hot during the day despite the trees. The rider is not too tall to hide your face and you can feel the air hitting your face. No, the air isn't gently caressing your face or ruffling your hair. It is ripping it from your head. You're going at a speed that disfigures your face a little. But there''s beauty in it. You're enjoying it. May be that's how flying feels like. You feel free for the first time. Yes, free. No fancy word there. Free.

- Shreeji