To Lonavala With my RITZ - My 1st LONGGG Drive

7th Jul 2012, Saturday:

Today is another remarking day of my life as one more item in my wish list or actually my imagination list has got TICKED :) -

"Me and My RITZ alone on the Mumbai-Pune express way!"

Nothing was planned. I just reached Belapur for some work and after it was done, I called up my friend Kedar, as he stays there, and asked if we can meet up. As he had not yet seen my car, I thought we could meet up today. When I called him up, he said that he has already reached his Factory in Khalapur, and asked me to come there. I was like "WHAT!" 
He said it so naturally, and laid that expectation from me so smoothly. I was shocked. I replied.. "How can u expect that from me? Me! ALONE!???"
He replied - "Yes.. come over. Just join the expressway from Kalamboli, drive in left lane, and stop before the 1st TOLL Plaza of Khalapur, and give me a call. Thats it."
I was just shocked by his expectations from me. I was not prepared for it mentally :) A whole round of thoughts started in my mind. I felt like doing it, but was getting goose bumps :) Should I do this courage???
I replied - "Are u CRAZY! Me? ALONE? On Expressway???"
He was so natural - "Yes. Its simple. Come over"
OMG!!! I was getting that urge of taking it up, but was afraid. I hung up on the call that time, and told him that let me think a bit, and I will call u back.
I waited there in car for some time. Thought for a while. Should I do it?? I called him back. I asked - "Tell me once again. Road jyada challenging nahi hai na? Kuch challenges aayenge kya? Its just straight road na?" I asked some stupid questions like this to him. And he replied again very easily and naturally -" Its simple. But you first decide on ur own, whether u wanna do it or not. Dont come in my influence. You first gather the confidence, and then call me up." Saying this he hung up.
O man... I waited for a while. Called up my mom, and told her that I am in Belapur and going to for a long drive with Kedar. She confirmed that Kedar is there with me, and she was fine. She asked me to Drive safe. HUsh... Then I felt better. I said to myself,, chalo now..  
Lets Go!
I called up Kedar and told him " I'M COMING! :)" hehehehe and this time, he was shocked. :)
He had not expected this answer from me :) But I surprised him. I asked him what will we do in Khalapur? He said we can go to Lonavala, as he has to buy some pipes and connectors from there. HUH! Wow.. This was another item in my wish list. So it was a good deal actually, ticking 2 items in my wish list viz.
1) I drive on Mumbai-Pune expressway
2) Long drive to Lonavala in my RITZ
hmm ok.. chalo. And I confirmed him, that I am coming. I started at 1.15pm from Belapur
And there I start for one of my dream journeys!
Me with my humsafar RITZ on Mumbai Pune Express way.
When I saw the Expressway bridge approaching, I was really excited. I drove over the Bridge and I was on the expressway. O man... really. Its a dream come true to me. Never thought this will be true some time. I know its really small for MOST OF THE GUYS. But for me it really a dream come true.
When I started, my car indicated some where around 895kms I guess. And I knew.. I was going to complete the Milestone of 1000kms in next few hours. So I skipped over the strategy of driving till max60 till 1000km.
As soon as I started over the expressway, I crossed 60km/hr and drove at 80. With that came the 5th gear. YES. Gear which I had never yet put ever. Not even when I used to drive our old indicab. I always feared that I will not be able to put 5th gear, if  put, I will not be able to get it back to lower gears. I had these myths which I know are silly. And here was the time, when it was mandatory that I put the 5th gear. And I did it. O man... another new thing done. Wow. I felt amazing. The road was superb, the weather was superb, the car was really responsive. And I realize that I was crossing 100 !!!!!! :)
OMG~! I was like, am I driving on 100??? really?? And I dont even realize the speed. Soon the arrow on speedometer touched 110. O man.. I was like, expressway par toh Speed ka pata hi nahi chalta. even 110 seemed so slow. :)
But  I didn't go beyond it. Because I realized that  at 100 and 110 I was not able to keep the Steering Still. So I released the accelerator and came down to 90-100.
In some time, I saw the tunnel was approaching... O man.. Tunnel~ :) My 1st expressway tunnel experience. 
As I moved in, I caught the left most lane, I started the head lights and as well as the parking lights. I was at 80 that time. Besides me passed a BUS, in which there were ppl who probably were going for picnic, and were screaming in the tunnel. I knew this. This is what I have been doing always when I m in any car/bus, and it goes thru expressway tunnel :) But today I could not do that. I had switched the shoes. I was driving the vehicle. I was feeling different, my mind was just lingering in these thoughts, and the tunnel got over. Hmm.. I told to my self - "Congrats! you crossed the 1st expressway tunnel :) that you only crossed in thoughts till now :)"
Then there was 2nd tunnel in some time.
I kept driving, testing my self at speed of 110, and then coming back to 90.
I was wondering to myself - "How much more is this KHALAPUR plaza? Have I missed it? Can I miss it rather? O no, its a Toll plaza one cannot miss it. So I am on right way." Anyways, I enjoyed my driving, and was getting such silly questions in my mind on the way.
I realized that I was discovering my unknown self. I could do it. Its not that big deal. May be I underestimated myself w.r.t to driving skills.
There in some time, I saw sign boards of "Toll Plaza 1000 mtr away" and soon I reached.
I stopped few mtrs before Khalapur Toll Plaza in the left, and took a deep breadth :) .. actually I wanted to Pat my back :) [heheheh come on, I was alone. so I had to do that myself :)] I had reached KHalapur Toll Plaze at 2pm. So I had taken 45mins from Belapur to Khalapur Toll Plaza.
When I check my phn, there was no netwrk. O god! I felt agar network nahi aaya toh main kya karungi?
But after manually searching it, I got the n/w and I gave a call to Kedar. And he sounded relieved on the phone that I reached :) I am sure since the time I started from Belapur and till I reached and called him up, Kedar must be in Tension. And he admitted that when he met me. As he had just thrown a unexpected offer to me, and I had accepted it :)
He came from somewhere, and met me at the toll plaza. As he entered the car, he seemed overwhelmed. He literary patted my back and was more excited than me :) He was really shocked, surprised, happy that I actually drove all the way alone and came. On the top of that he said, I took the optimum time. Belapur to Khalapur toll plaza in 45mins by me, was a good time as per him.
 From there we started for Lonavala. I drove on the ghat, hilly ways, lovely weather. It was really nice. I thanked Kedar, for asking me to come to Khalapur. Otherwise I dont know when else would this have happened that I get such a chance. 
Inside Lonavala there was lot of traffic. We had lunch in one hotel, and went to the hardware shop where Kedar wanted to pick his factory stuff. There we got to know that his goods i.e some long pipes and connectors were going to take some time. So we went on a drive inside Lonavala. The way towards MUSHI DAM. We didnt really go till the Mushi dam, but half the way. It was one dam, long vast Lake types, so much windy. I was not able to open the car door. I had to push it against the wind and come out :) It was superb. But it was crowded, as it was a weekend. There was no parking, so were waited outside the car for fews mins, and started back again.
On the way back, Kedar directed the ways, and brought me thru some lanes which for me were challenging :) I was scolding him, that kaha kaha se leke ja raha hai. He was expecting things from me, as if I was an expert driver. But ALL WAS WELL. No issues.
We came back to the hardware shop, and His goods were ready. I was sitting inside the car, and he was putting his pipes etc in my car.
In the process, one bad/sad thing happened. My car's back seat's door hurt Kedar on this forehead so badly, that there was a slit. It started bleeding. O man.. I couldn't believe that the door can hurt someone so bad. He said that he was use to his car's back seat door, and carelessly he opened and headed ahead. Ritz back seat door tapers towards its topside, unlike other cars. And this is what hurt him that bad. I was a little sad for it. But he was pretty cool, he was not that worried bout it. He acted like nothing happened. I told him its a slit, lets show to a doctor here in lonavala, and get the bandaid. But Lonavala was full of traffic, and hence, he said that we will directly goto the factory. I didnt argue on it, as he knows better.
From there we started at 5pm, and by 5.25pm we were back at Khalapur, this time in his factory. Kedar said that I drove better, as I reached Khalapur in 25mins :) I said this was shorter path, he replied, it was the same path, how can it be shorter :) hmm fine.. so may be I got the comfort & confidence of the speed and road now.
At the factory we dropped the good, and from there I was to go alone back. I was a little worried about it. There was no reason to worry, but fir bhi.
At the factory I met Raju. He also was seeing my Ritz for the 1st time. We first aided Kedar's forehead slit, I spent some more time in the factory. They showed me over their machines and what they do there. And then at 5.44pm I started my return journey from there. Now! it was 1019kms
I had crossed the milestone of 1000kms, and I had not even realized.
On my return journey to Mumbai, I missed the Express way turn, and I came from the NH4. I drove confidently now at 80-90 speed at the 5th gear. It was really nice. I reached Belapur at around 7pm. So from Khalapur to Belapur I took 1.15hr, as many a times I had to slow down, there were mostly loaded trucks, and goods carriers on the way. Mostly they use that road. Had I not missed the right turn of expressway, it would have been earlier. Anyways, I got to drive on another road. That is also an experience.
And then eventually I roamed a bit in sanpada, and then came back home with a HIGH of
1)having driven on the Expressway alone
2) Having put the 5th gear for the 1st time
3) Having allowed the speedometer arrow to touch 110 for some time at least :)
4) And having done the trip to lonavala in my RITZ finally!
So there I was back home, with reasonable tick marks on my wish list items :) Narrating this entire thing to my Mom and then on the computer, documenting it on my blog :)
Yes, blogging it! because I know it will be worth reading it few years down the line!

And Thanks Kedar for throwing that offer to me to come to KHalapur, else the above tick marks would not have happened so soon :)