The Saturday escapade to Mulshi
Views — By Namraata Badheka on October 23, 2012 at 10:22 AMIt was a Saturday noon, when my roommates and I woke up real late after a Friday night of hardcore partying. Famished, we headed to “Idliscious”, at Baner, for a South Indian brunch. On our way back to Shivajinagar, we were contemplating a road trip outside the city of Pune and the weather, raining, was just lovely. The excitement started building. The five of us decided to chip in for the fuel and head to Mulshi dam.
It was a very random rainy decision we resorted to, having no plans for the Saturday. Being my first time to the outskirts of the city for a drive, I let my expectations be null, to let in whatever my five senses could engulf. Many gloated of the scenic beauty of this place. I had to see for myself what was so magnificent of this popular weekend getaway. And so I made space on my phone memory card to click loads of memorable pictures.
R.I.P English
En route, we made a stop at a gas station for filing up petrol, buying water, and other things. For me personally, the scenic view from the gas station was compelling! I was awestruck at the scenic beauty Pune and its outskirts brought forth. At the gas station, I prayed for English that saw its death thanks to “ONLY FOUR WHEELAR’S” sign.
The Green Magic
Continuing the drive, I was spellbound at the different shades of green that stood before me. The power of the colour, green, was so alluring that I decided to sit on the window pane of the car and let my hair and skin feel the wind. Following my stunt, another friend too sat on the opposite window pane and we clicked a few awesome snaps of us with our hair flying (Bollywood style). Holding on tight to the car, I saw the world speed by. My senses gave in to the beauty, the climate, Mother Nature. Slowly. Passionately. Savouring-ly. My succinct moment was interrupted by my friends yelling at me to get back in as the roads were terrible, with pot holes.
We stopped at a particular point that my friend boasted of with adjectives like “mind blowing”, “heavenly” and a “wide angled view of the mountains”. A short trek up the hill and we nodded in unison with delight. The sound of silence reverberated with wide grins on our faces. We again clicked a few pictures and continued with the drive to our destination.
THE halt to ecstasy
While the blue sky unwound before us, kissing the open road, I quietly stood witness to the unending horizon’s spell. I thought to myself, random getaways are the best, as they unite with the adrenaline rush and bring with them no expectations. Driving further, we made a halt at a strange and isolated place. I asked, “So guys, why have we stopped at a point with not a soul in sight, except for us?” My friend answered to my inquisitive question with a sly smile, “Lets hike this dirt path and you’ll see for yourself the beauty of Mother Nature.”
And again, the curiosity and the excitement of the unknown got me running up the path. I stopped. Gasped. My mouth dropped open. Common sense left my body and flew far away. I knew I had to make the dash for what stood in front of me. Yet, I couldn’t move. I let my eyes feast on the small yet “fun-looking” waterfalls. I clicked a few pictures till my friends reached to where I was standing. All of us threw off our footwear and started climbing the falls, holding on to the slippery rocks.
[sws_pullquote_right] A short trek up the hill and we nodded in unison with delight. The sound of silence reverberated with wide grins on our faces. [/sws_pullquote_right]
The first touch of the water sent shivers down my spine. How cold it was! Pleasantly cold. I climbed to a certain height where I could park myself right under the powerful gush of the falls. I just sat there, looking at my friends below, trying to get up to where I was. Once everyone found their niches, we asked someone to get my phone, which was kept next to our footwear. Yes, it was surprisingly crowded. I laughed at the sight of one person passing my phone to the other up the falls. It reminded me of the childhood game, “passing the parcel”.
Paradise at Paradise Cafe
Post numerous pictures, monkeying around in the falls, hunger struck and we headed to the “Paradise cafe” in Mulshi. This cafe boasted the grandeur of nature and the Mulshi dam. We placed our order and headed off to the last point of the cafe to enjoy a 360° view of the scenery and sang a few happy-go-lucky songs. Food arrived and we ran to our table.
At the table, we hogged on the maggi, chai and the pakoras. Cold and hungry, we ate silently, leaving our little troubles behind.
As evening set, we left Mulshi with an ecstatic peace. I am absolutely glad to have gone with the flow of the random plan and how it turned out to be. I shall again be game for a Mulshi adventure when the opportunity comes knocking.
