Exploration of Ajmer – PART I

Who would have thought that one would have back to back classes starting from 9 in the morning till 5:30 in the evening? In my five years of higher education, attending classes wasn’t as tiring as I had felt in the first week of my B.Ed. So weekends became the much-needed break; a time to let out the wanderer in me free. Guess what was the best part? I got fellow wanderers who not only made the weekend getaways memorable but also enjoy a permanent place in my heart.

 

PC: @senwarjiofficial

We chose cycles as the mode of exploration. After the first ten minutes, I could acutely feel the burn in my muscles as I was cycling after ages, but then when you are running high on excitement, every pain seems small. Isn’t it? Honestly, we did not have a solid plan. We checked the nearest destination to our college and here we are  – Sindhupati Maharaja Daharsen Smarak. 

However, my bike decided to do a Bollywood style stunt and I was up in the air for a few seconds and here I am with minor bruises and a punctured tyre. Trust me, the fun had only begun.

Our next stop was Foy Sagar Lake. I switched mine with a pal and left my bike at the Smarak. One of our friends had his own bike and he took a pillion rider. I cannot even imagine the pain he went through for my sake because let me tell you, the ride to Foy Sagar lake was arduous, painful and I was pissed at one point as well. We slushed through the muddy overflowing potholes, carried our bikes, got sprayed on by the rushing cars and not to mention the aching joints. I got the cardio for the next two weeks.

But, when we reached Foy Sagar, it was all worth the effort. Breathtaking is less of a word to describe the serenity I experienced. There were happy children running around with their guardians, young men and women in love in the corners, the loud laughter and teasing of friends, families on a break, the quiet spots, the natural scents, the cool breeze, everything came together to make it idyllic and a scene straight from the films. There is something charismatic in the water bodies that has a soothing effect on my soul, one instantly feels at peace and the silence that ensues is so desirable. It is exactly the kind of place that inspires the poet in you.

Hours passed by and we decided to head back quite relunctantly to our temporary homes – The Hostels. Halfway into our return ride, when another bike broke down and we were perplexed as the bikes were rented ones. Thankfully, we saw an empty mini tempo coming our way and the kind driver agreed to transport us to our destination and we were a funny sight to behold – 4 human beings with their cycles in a mini tempo, the other two came back on their bikes. Finally, all of us made it back with aching joints but full and happy hearts.

After what felt like a long time, I truly felt good like recharged batteries. I was ready to face another hectic, busy week. Only now I fully understood the importance of weekends!

 

Caption: The mini tempo ride back home!