The Mahabaleshwar Trip

Last week a lot of things happened in our class. Most of it good.
A class trip to Mahabaleshwar was planned, and the best part was that it was executed. Some absentees were there, but the ones who came more than made up for them.
It started off on Friday 29th April. We started off at 5 am from the boys hostel. What followed was an hour or so of singing and dedicating songs till we reached a Venkateshwar temple at Narayangaon. The temple was quite awesome, huge space and exceptionally well maintained. Must mention here a place called 'Kalyan Katta' in the temple premises, where we sent a couple of our friends to drink water whereas it actually was a place to tonsure your head. ;)

Up next was the journey to Panchgani, where even more singing ensued and we finally reached the 'Table Land'. After clicking snaps and all, people started off a game of football. It was a lot of fun. I must mention here that the amount of walking i did that day was way more than what i have walked in the last 5 years. A couple of over excited people rode on horseback, to each his own.

Then once we got onto the bus, we used the UPS and speakers combo-pack that some sensible hostel guys had decided to bring along. Mine being the only iPod in the bus, it was used, only problem was that i had just 12 Hindi songs in it and no Marathi songs. Still, we managed fine w/o getting the girls very angry [they generally hated all the English songs we played, only Justin Timberlake escaped their fury ;) ] Also i must mention, lest we forget, a very interesting incident. Some of the guys started playing 'BC Sutta' on the speakers and the girls started loudly singing [almost shouting] 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram'.

We then landed up at Echo Point, where the 'echoes' were conspicuous in their absence. The usual photo session was wrapped up and then we headed off for Mahabaleshwar. It was close to lunch time so we all sat down in some joint owned by some lady who many called 'maavshi'. We had 'theplaas' for which i must thank once again the girls of our class, who spent a lot of time making them for us. And i will confess that until then i wasn't much of a 'theplaa' fan, but the girls had done a fabulous job. Really.

After the lunch we all walked a little to one Strawberry ice cream joint nearby and there we spent a lot of time, sitting in a circle. We first played 'Spin the Khwaja', but the game didn't last very long. Although we got a great performance from Ms. A C [i don't divulge anyone's name on the blog, but those who were there that day will know of whom i speak]. A C was enacting a skit in Marathi, about how different people show off their new dress, earrings and other such things. A C if you are reading this, everyone enjoyed that performance a lot.
Then we had a couple of guys like Mr. S W, Mr. K S and Mr. S D [aka 'Rangu'] who mimicked some of our profs and a couple of our classmates. That was real fun, then we started off with 'Dumb C', boys versus girls. Must mention Paddy here who had to enact a movie called 'Kabul Se Aaya Kabuliwala', well he really made a funny hash of it.

After an hour or so over there we headed off to 'Arthut's Seat', I didn't go down all the way but most of the gang did go on and then a point was named 'Nutan Point' for some reason i don't know yet. After that we left for the sunset point, where a game of 'box cricket' was played. Then we had 'bhel' and we were there till it really grew dark and finally left at about 7:30 pm.

Then there was a minor argument with the bus driver and it was finally decided where we were to go next. The destination was the market. Where my good friend Mr. R K bought the Mapro stuff for me and Mr. J G. Meanwhile Mr. A J, Mr. J G and I were busy chit chatting and then about 30 mins later some of the guys came back and decided that guys and girls on the way back will sit on adjacent seats [side by side]. It worked out fine, since none of us guys had any past criminal records, i don't think the girls had any issues sitting. Then i came up with the idea of having a horror story session. It was accepted and then for the next 30 mins, Mr. Rangu, Mr. A J and I were narrating ghostly stories and unsolved horrors of the world. Must mention here that Ms. P M also had a couple of horror stories to add to our tales from the crypt.

Then finally most of the people were tired so a small bunch of guys and girls including me huddled up at the front of the bus and started playing a game where weird questions were asked and we had to vote for each other. For e.g. 'Who will get married first?' etc etc.
That game was a lot of fun and we learned a little more about each other as well.
Finally the trip came to an end at 00:00 hrs on 1st March when we were back at the boys hostel.
It was a great experience, all those who came enjoyed themselves and it has catalyzed our class into a closer unit. Something that only augurs well for the next couple of semesters.

I for one enjoyed the trip a lot, i thank all those who helped out a lot, our class is filled with some amazing people, most of whom are my friends and the trip only proved that once we decide to have fun, we will have it.