FEVER THE SAVIOR

It was in spring of 94 that we got an opportunity face the music of the real bad world. During the summer vacations in 94 myself, Atul, Narendra, Sameer, Tejas and Vikas went cycling on yeour mountains in an attempt to go past the hill directly to Sanjay Gandhi national park and moving on to borivili. After lot of unsuccessful trials and returning midway back to thane we achieved the impossible and decided that we would go on the same trial in winter vacations. As usual we decided to assemble in my house early morning at 7.00am and then proceed towards yeour since I stay close to yeour as compared to anyone in our group. We were 7 of us and we had 6 cycles. It was but obvious that one would be accompanying other on single bicycle.


The day before we left was my birthday. My dad gifted me with a timex –marlin watch- a watch that I always dreamt of wearing at that point of time. Later in the night I was down with fever. I took all possible medications and went to sleep- hoping for the best for tomorrow mornings bicycle trail to Sanjay Gandhi park via yeour. My friends came early in the morning at 7.30am. I could not recover from fever and I had no stamina left in my body to go the distance. I asked atul to take my cycle so no one goes double seat and the journey would be faster. I wished my friends happy journey and cursed my fate for not allowing me to be a part of one of the exciting cycle treks. I spent the entire day on bed thinking at different point of time where the guys would have reached by now. Last time we all came back to my place at 7.00pm and this time as well I was expecting them at same time. My mom has prepared carrot pudding for all my friends. At 7.30 pm they all arrived. The enthusiasm was not the same as last time and it all showed on their face. No one was able to speak as to what had happened. Myself and mom look at each other as to know what happened and then slowly atul revealed.

The journey till the check post of yeour was exiting and fun. As they started cycling down towards Sanjay Gandhi national park 3 villagers entered the scene. They seemed to be lost for directions and started asking them about the way to go to borivili. Atul started to show them the way and direction for heading borivili. When atul finished his instructions he turned back. As he turned he saw one of the villager holding a knife near chinars throat and the other one was holding chopper near sameers neck. This was one of the first hand experience of viewing one of the most horrifying scenes. Atul was the only black belt within them. But self defence was a different issue and to save lives of friends that too in a cut throat situation and alone in jungle. The dacoits asked for wrist watches, cycle pump, cricket bat, water cooler, wallet, cash etc. they lost everything. everyone who was a bhai in school became a tai in front of those dacoits. sameer - the show stopper was some moments back holding knife in his hands and shoughting - koi mere se panga lega toh kaat ke rakh doonga. when he came face to face with the dacoits he handed over the knife to them. Till date we tease sameer with this incident and question him about his guts at that point of time.

After narrating that incident I thought again about my fate which I was cursing in morning. As night progressed I wore the watch and kept staring at it the whole night. Had i been there it would have been the last time I would have had the watch with me. My fever saved my life and my watch. That fever in the spring of 94 was the savior of my life and my watch.