SINHGAD

An idle mind, they say, is a devil's workshop. And ours is no exception with the slight difference that we tried the devilry on our own selves. As we saw the weekly schedule for the week we noticed a void on the friday which was Gandhi jayanti, the dry day which meant that half our avenues for the day were going to be under lock and key and of course strict supervision of the law enforcers, commonly referred to as "cops" or in more puneri language "mamoo". This did pose a stiff challenge to do something worthwhile. So we raked our brains and came up with the idea of running to the historic Sinhgad fort. Not a very abnormal thing for punekars except that we decided that we were going to run to the base of the fort from our room a distance measuring upto a little over 30 kms. Well, it was just a joke. But as the day progressed from morning to afternoon we found ourselves taking this absurd joke more and more seriously. And by evening the atmosphere around us was similar to the one just before our cross country championship in our academy days though it was much less intense (thankfully). Chocolates were bought to carry the following day and MLs were given. An unsuccessful attempt at buying at buying a i pod was also made by me. However the fancy of punekars for bright colours and the bling left me with just pink (totally out of question) and a bright blue to choose from because of which the whole i pod plan found it's way out of the window. Anyway we returned to our beds relatively early. The next morning saw three of us leave the room at 0630 hrs just one hour later than we had planned. Some of the other guys who stay in the neighbouring rooms got up to see us off. The start was more promising than most runs i can think of. The weather, the rhythm of running et all was just perfect. Nothing more beautiful than being outdoor early in the morning. We reached Pune university comfortably from where we started our climb to Pashan. By the time we reached Pashan we felt lighter by a few kilograms and we knew that running to the base wouldn't be possible. We however continued our run till the NDA gate by which time we had run a little more than 20 kms. It was then that reality dawned on us that it had been almost two and a half years since we left the academy and that we weren't as fit anymore. Sad but true. We entered the academy and it was like entering the "gates of yesterday". I felt as if i had found a door into my past. I was filled with nostalgia. I decided that we would walk through the academy and once again breathe the same pristine air that I had for three lovely years at this place. Throughout the route things kindled memories, some fond and some not so fond, of our academy days. As soon as we left the academy gates we tried to run and almost at once we realised that walking had been a mistake. We couldn't run for as much as ten steps. So we continued walking. Enroute we crossed the Khadakwasla dam and some other places all of which we had seen as cadets. As we reached the base, our friends who were to join us at the base pulled up next to us much to our relief. We then drove to the top in the car. But at the end of the day inspite of the painful legs and the burning sun we enjoyed thoroughly at the same time vowing never to repeat our mistakes this being one of them...Long live Sinhgad, the lion's fort