Needless to say we will all miss flying for a while. But it has been a fab season and we had all come down to Kamshet to bid adieu to the wonderful flying season and celebrate. For all who know Sanjay, Astrid and company, celebrations don’t need a reason and each day gone by is reason enough to make merry. And it is precisely why any visitor, a pilot or not, has a good time at the ‘Native Place’. However, the party on 30th May was a special occasion and it has been a ritual for years where the Nirvana gang gets together with the locals to host a ‘Puja’ to the Goddess for the advent of rains in the months to come. Me and Ash reached the Native place by noon, right in time for a coupla beers, some delicious pork vindaloo and chicken feast. After a snappy siesta, we were on our way to Shelar and we didn’t waste any moment to strap our harnesses on and begin ground handling. Like Anand, a co-pilot, said ground handling is an exhilarating experience and the joy of keeping the glider aloft while your feet are firmly planted on the ground knows no bounds. The place was swarmed with all of us enjoying the ground handling session. There was Noel, Apoorva, Dwayne the Daaku, Ashwin, everyone lost in trying to keep the glider overhead. I, for one, was making the most of the occasion and I was playing with the wings allotted to me with the enthusiasm of child at playtime. I lost track of the time till Vinay came up to me and said it’s time to pack up and party. Reluctant as I was to let go of the wings, the word ‘Party’ somehow struck a chord with something within me and I made my way back. Anand was having a gala time with his wings and he was probably the last person to come off the field. His enthusiasm reflected with the fact that unlike everyone who mushroomed the gliders and came off the field, Anand ran down the entire length of it with the glider aloft right to the point where we were all assembled. Some spirited performance that, and I’m sure he enjoyed every bit of it.
We all moved to the Shelar Mama’s abode. We also had the company of the Local guys and children who were eagerly waiting for the festivities to begin. While the children enjoyed the soft drinks we got started on the booze. Pushkar was behind the music console and he set the mood for the evening with a track called ‘Banao’. The guys had prepared a makeshift dance floor and as soon as the first track was over, someone requested the song ‘Main hoon Don’. The best part of the evening was that the local guys and the children wanted only three tracks to be played and the same was kept playing in a never ending loop. Since all of us wanted the local guys to enjoy, we played along. Someone did manage to squeeze in a coupla Rock n’ Roll tracks, but that was it. The music again went back to playing the same 3 songs in a loop and it wasn’t long before all of us were on the dance floor and everyone was enjoying the same 3 songs and no one gave a damn. Never in my life did I imagine that one day I would dance to the title song from the Jitendra movie ‘Tohfa’ and really enjoy it. The evening was an absolute riot. Another highlight of the evening was the dinner which was meat cooked on wood and there was a flavor to it that simply enhanced the taste. After a fun-filled evening we headed back to the native place which played host to the fireflies at night. We switched off the lights and enjoyed a few more beers in the company of the fireflies. The evening ended with celebrating Dwayne the Daaku’s birthday in the pool. The next morning, as we all started for our homes, I felt that I simply cannot get enough of this place. I am sure everyone felt the same. Astrid assured us that we will all meet again during the monsoons. I am looking forward to it.
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