A day to remember

Today was unplanned fun.
Here is how the events unfolded.
Got up at 9 , looked the same day. I was not yet awake propoerly when my new cellphone rang.
Sumit called me for bungee jumping.
I said yes shamelessly-- knowing pretty well that I had to go to office for doing my

project. Actually I was the one who started the talk abt bungee jumping -- but never thought

it would materialize.
After a lot of exchange of calls,we decided we all will meet up at 10.30 at Sumits place--

me,Sumit,Shreyas,Veeresh, Arjunand Bhargav.
Sumit also gave a cryptic address enroute to his house-- like Grandpere's message in

DaVinciCode."Take double road-- Take mission road-- Take U turn -- Take left-- Ask for

Police Station-- Ask for my house-- finally me"
Here I was Dr.Robert Langdon finding my way -- took a wrong U turn and ended in a place

where I was sure that I had lost. I tried reaching to Sumit -- all in vain. Was wandering

about-- just to see his house right in front of me-- with a flyover in the middle.
There I was with a sense of accomplishment as if I found the Holy Grail

We all turned up at Sumit's place all set to take the plunge. On our way somehow-- out of

the blue -- someone came up with the idea of Go-Karting. All of a sudden the routes were

changed we headed to Karting without even thinking.

I still remmember my first time with karting -- the person there had said that I should

never attempt karting in my life. I was pathetic then driving fast motors at 5-10 kmph. This

time though I did pretty well -- managed decent speeds. My friends were really good at it.

We had a race with me in the pole position. We had a terrible accidents --some deliberate--

some unavoidable, but we managed ourselves unscratched. I ended 3rd -- pretty good for a

debut as terrible as mine.

We were now heading to the place where only mad people entered. Mad people because -- people

who spend 500 bucks, drive a long distance in the mid-day sun and end up risking their lives

can be described no better. When we went there we were surprised to see that mad people can

be amazingly hot.Yeah there were hot chiks jumping . Our male superiority boasted -- "Hey if

the chicks can do it must really be simple". Believe me its not.

After seeing them scream, dance, fall etc .., it was our turn to jump. No one was prepared

to volunteer for the jump. After much "pehle aap pehle app",I was made the bakra on the

grounds that it was my idea.
Lots of things were tied all around my hips, legs-- which made me wonder "what if --what if

these snatch". There was a platform which evlevated to the top. It was a crane that actually

took the platform up. The curator-- the person who made us fall was also present in there.
I hopped my way in and the platform esculated high. I enjoyed the view all along my way up.

There it was I could see Mekri cirlce,Vidhana Soudha, Golf Ground--almost the whole of

Bangalore. As the platform took its position at the top most position-- the enjoyment ended.
The curator was the taking off the buckle, setting me free and in a way telling me "ja sale

kud ke mar". He had some points to make before the jump -- I was hardly in my senses to hear

. All I heard was "Do u have any questions". I was quick to ask "What are my chances of

survival" , back came "100 %".
I spread my hands as if my dream girl was running towards me. At the ground level were my

friends chantting "come on Shantanu" , "U can do it" etc etc , but it sounded to me "bakra,

bakra --see the fool top there" .
any way I had no other option than jump. As I was about to fall , I saw a bed right below

me, that was enough to take me back. I was thinking , if this fall was safe why the hell

they had a bed down there. Why was there just a bed, why not a heavily stuffed cusion(as in

pole vault sport) which could take the impact of my fall and offer enough resistance to

nullify the effect of gravity. I wondered wht was the exact gravity here (9.8 or 10 as the

books I read often suggested different values). All the physics I studied suddenly flashed

before me. I moved back to consider the effects of the fall. I had enough time to formulate

a hypotesis in physics. Which said , "if a man weighing 72 kg jumps from 140 mts , he is

sure to die independent of the presence of the bed below".
As I was formulating my hypothesis , an experienced friend of mine shouted from below "Look

I am here in all blood and flesh ;still alive and shouting". That was reassuring.
I said to myself -- "This was the time to test my hypothesis-- and if possible prove it

wrong".
Then redid the whole exercise all over again, Went to the edge of the platform , spread my

arms to hold my imaginary angel approaching , took deep breath , pushed my feet to the far

edge", the only thing I did not redo was to look at the bed down under. All of a sudden my

dream girl was in front of me asking me to hug her, I lept to hold her -- that was it .

I had jumped.

Cannot explain in words the feeling of a free fall-- one has got to do it . Ur feet feel

weight less, ur heart stops beating, world turns upside down-- many things happen in a

fraction of a second.
The string sort of thing attached to my leg -- finally came to action. It pulled me back,

again throwing me setting me up for a free fall.
This 2 seconds is what this whole crazy act is all about.
By now I sensed that there was a possiblity of me being alive. Regained my senses and

started shouting , screaming -- mainly to scare the people around. I was still popping

around when the platform started its descent.
As I approached the ground , the staff members there caught hold of me, placing me smoothly

on to the bed. Everything was making sense now the bed, the height, the free fall, the

screaming and the 500 bucks. Totally worth it.


After me were Sumit, Arjun and Bhargav took the jump. All had a gr8 fall. Impressed by our

effort they offered us a free jump. We forced Shreyas to take the plunge-- but he has a girl

friend these days-- all our efforts were in vain. All of a sudden he suggesteed my name --

reasoning that since I had taken the first it was me who had to take the last as a moral

obligation. Fair enough. There I was searching for the board which said "Shantanu is a

bakra, a bakra".
This time though it was not a Bungee jump but a "rocketer". Here I was to stand on the

ground. There was a high tension rope suspended from the crane, which was attached to my

back.
I was propelled into the sky as if I was a missile. Before I was aware I was flying, before

I could feel that I was fired I was falling. Everything was happening really fast. This was

not as thrilling as the bungee jump, partly because I had the bungee jump moments ago. The

main reason I sensed was that I had no control over this act.
Bungee jump is the ultimate test. Its challenging not because of the height, the free fall

or the risk involved but because of the decision one has to take when standing on the edge

at the top.

I feel its a must for everyone. Now that I have been there -done that, I feel I have

acquired the right to say whether Bungee Jumping is a sane or an insane activity.

Now with normal life restored, I am here writing(or wasting time writing) about my

experience.
I will post the snaps soon -- as a proof of my act.
Take care.
Bye