PRELUDE TO OUR ESCAPE TO MURUD-JANJIRA

On December 7, 2005 we sent out a bright mailer to our clients declaring very ruthlessly about how, we had laid out the plan to escape to MURUD-JANJIRA. The entire credit goes to Kirti and her husband Rajesh, who came up with the idea to visit their hometown. The mailer ignited the excitement within us. Within seconds, we banged our heads on the dining table of our office. Thanks to our bosses Lata and Sunil for being considerate towards our weird behaviour. We discussed everything right from what to carry, do's and don’ts. Being avid lovers of junk food, we couldn’t abstain ourselves from overloading our bags with the same. There were biscuits and farsan and what not. But, hot idlis prepared by Bindu stole the show. This doesn’t mean there was nothing else to eat up to. But, yes the idlis set our tongues rolling. We deliberately tried to ignore consumption of heavy stuff because travelling by a ST Bus is no less than a scene straight out of Sholay wherein Basanti is chased by Gabbar’s loyalists. We mean that. Our picnic was typically organised to have fun, not just fun but loads of fun. There was no place was seriousness or being left aloof. We boarded the Murud bound bus from Thane Depot at around 7.20 am. Surprisingly we were all on time. The females deserve an award for the same. Don’t be surprised! All are aware that females need to put on heaps of makeup on their faces to put an impression on the weaker sex (read, male). Makeup was not at all evident and everyone looked fresh. Drowsiness lay behind and we all set our feet on the bus. The seats were reserved so we did not have to worry about first trying to push our bags into the bus before settling which is a regular scene normally at all the ST Bus Depot’s all over Maharashtra and probably all over India. At 7.30 am, the driver pulled the first gear and the bus drove out of the depot. There was no filthy smell. Externally the bus looked as dirty as a half bathed lunatic but, internally it was well dressed like a groom leaving the home to marry his sweetheart. It took us five hours to reach Murud. But, not for a single minute the journey seemed to be tiresome. How can it be tiresome? We were a complete platoon of ten. Instead of gun, we were loaded with smiles and one of the soldiers carried a digital camera (Nikon coolpix 4600) round his neck. This was not his, he himself had borrowed it from his friend by assuring him sleepless days and nights. It was a brand new palm sized camera completely unused and about to lose innocence. This guy just exploited the camera in capturing the scenic beauty of Murud-Janjira. Going back to the journey, it was super pleasant with short stops at Panvel, Alibaug and an unknown village. On our way, we came face to face with Ispat plants. Now don’t ask us which Ispat belonged to whom. Some argued one of them belonged to the Mittal group while some agreed to have known that the Birla’s owned them. Forgive us, if we are politically incorrect. Schoolchildren, college goers, fisher women, tribal women, almost everyone was a part of our journey. Remember Bombay to Goa, well we created our own script with Thane to Murud (fun intended). At 12.30 pm, the driver put his foot on the breaks to bring the bus to stand still. The conductor announced, “Chala Chala Murud wale utrun ghya” (“Murud bound please alight”). After alighting from the bus, we reached our host Kirti’s home. A hearty lunch comprising Pav-Bhaji and Methi Theplas were served hot. After gulping the same, we retired for a short Afternoon nap. There was no electricity but who cares about it now-a-days, when the whole of Maharashtra stays unaffected. Post, napping session, we set out to explore Murud. Beautiful bungalows and aesthetic courtyards of coconut and beetle nut palms arrested our minds. It would be unfair not to mention about the fresh coconuts downloaded from the coconut palms and the consumption of unlimited sweet coconut waters. Not just this much, there is much more to be said about Murud-Janjira. We want you to travel with us, while you browse through the pages of this album or say a coffee table presentation. Before you go ahead an introduction of the voyagers is a must. The next slide, would bring you face to face with the entire cast of the escapade. Enjoy….! And Enjoy and Enjoy…!