Last week i was on a road trip with my parents and i was one hell of an experience. To be true, I am more inclined towards travelling in cars rather than buses, trains or in that case even planes. Road trip gives one the real feel of the journey, one realizes that not the destination but the complete track to lead to that place is the real game. I have been travelling in cars since I was a kid, I can sit on the front seat and stare at the vehicles, the endless roads, the sky full of stars like tiny diamonds, the tress and the people around.

In India, their is just so much diversity from one state to another. On the roads I have seen it all. I have seen people with fancy cars, big and lavish houses and studded weddings, on the other hand I have seen people living in worse condition with lack of even the most basic necessities of food and shelter. So we were travelling from Gujarat to Maharashtra. Here in Gujarat, crowd is much more alive and you don’t find that much poverty out here. But then Maharashtra is just so much opposite, we were on the way to Pune and while we crossed the border of Gujarat, even kept getting worse. The roads were pathetically narrow and bumpy, and on both sides of the road their were just tress without the existence of even a single house. The most astonishing fact was that, on this long routes, which didn’t even have a single street light, their were small villages with random names lasting for 3-4 km. This comes as a shocker, now i always wonder how do this people even live in such a poverty. I mean i can’t imagine myself living in a small room ever, but this people they have inched their entire life in that condition. Compared to them I suddenly realized I was so much lucky to have got all that I had. They don’t even know what they are missing out on, well i think one way even that is good for them. They are just happy and satisfied with whatever they have, while others like me brag about big stuff, looking at them gave me a larger view to life.

Best part about Indian highways are definitely the Dhabas and restaurants which provide best food possible in the most unexpected zones. This pic here shows one of small dhabas somewhere in the state of Maharashtra, one could clearly see that their just nothing around it, completely empty and barren land and behind those lands lie the big mountains. So what do you guys think how much this people could possibly earn? And what these people must be doing the whole day, with nothing to do except sitting and looking at the roads and waiting for the car to stop by so that the could get some cash. You know even one day when i have nothing to do i feel so clumsy, I feel useless and become restless, and these people, what are the thoughts that must be crossing such people’s minds the whole damn day. Life is so much more better in cities with everything around, but still every person is running for some bigger stuff. Such trips gives one vision to stop, think and look over their life and appreciate and improve the way we lead it.

In the car, well with no options since we mostly drain out of phone batteries, me, my brother and parents talked so much about so many topics, it brought us closer. On such trips i get to see the side of theirs which I never encounter in the normal routine. They were happier and their smiles were broader. They shared so many small memories of their own childhood and experiences of their struggles and wow I actually loved hearing that. It has been in my family that once a year or two, we just go on a unplanned road trip and this is important for us. The whole journey makes us a better person and we start understanding each other leaving any grudges we have held in the past.

In Maharashtra, their is one particular road that is kind of haunted for us. Last time we were their we happened to go on a wrong path, and it was 3 am and after travelling for 15-20 km, we felt something weird, with no sign boards around, a thought strike that we were on the wrong route. And out of no where, a man arrived, he was wearing white clothes and looked completely scary, and when we asked him about the road he told us to leave the route and go back as soon as possible because that was a dangerous road with dacoit who kill the passerby and steal their belongings. It was 3 at night, and trust me this gave us chills. The road which looked just normal suddenly turned into one scary movie scene for us. This was last time. Let me talk about this time, we met with an accident, no we didn’t go on the wrong route again, but right were we took the wrong turn, on the same path this thing happened. Our car went crashing into the tree, and I was on the front scene, that moment of dead, I can never forget it. My dad was swirling the steering round and round trying to control the car but then it had completely went out of track. Thankfully no serious injuries to any person, except dad with a little scratch on his head. When the car stood still, and we came out of the car, we saw the damage done to car and it was serious. 3 tires were punctured, the discs were broken and bended, and worst was that their was nothing and no one around. Some people stopped for some time but they left. And their we were on the road with a damaged car, no lights at all, we literally used phone flashlights to change the tires. But then some people came and helped us, and carried us to the nearby village and got the car repaired there. Still the damage wasn’t completely filled in, but we somehow carried it till morning and got the wheel job done which was so critical that if it would have not been done then the tire could have busted on the road.

In spite of all the odds, I still some how prefer the road trips. Accidents happen sometimes, but as long as we drive safe it’s not such a big issue. I trust my dad and he is good at driving. Mistakes happen. It might be risky, still it’s the one that must be taken because it’s the best travel one could do. My future plan is to buy a big comfortable car and just travel travel and travel. With no worries and stress, just feeling the air on my face, sleep in car, enjoy music, talking endlessly and just sit and relax and let the world pass by me. With no tensions of the past and future, one could just sit back and enjoy the moments. My tip to you : Plan a road Trip 😉