The Thrills

We were only 30 mins far from our pocono cottage and still were not sure what was happening with Shaz and Sapt.Finally the call came and Shaz told us they were near the cottage, I could find a mixed expression in her voice :) but it was a relief for us.The last 4 hrs we had been discussing about them only and how guys react and how girls react in such situation with Neelu's inputs on the topic.


So finally when the cause is great then everything fits in place :) Yep we reached the cottage and saw the happy couple waiting.It was a happy reunion of all the friends with some not to be mentioned grudges but finally no bad mood.We had got an awesome bungalow which was like no one would have imagined :) So it was going to be great fun.It was one big room where movement needs lot of walking.. So although we reached around 12 in night we had plenty to do :)
Yeah the good thing was that no one was tired and everyone in their fresh mood was ready to live the night.I didn't feel the odd man out being single because none of them were acting like married ones :)
We roamed around the place to find out what all we have , Kris and Sapt had TT match and I was teaching the kids Shaz and Neelu in the Kid's room.Finally after one round of card's hand we thought of sleeping,because the next day we had to see around poconos and do rafting, so Good Night!!


The next day we started very early because Sapt has a habit of waking up early :) I as usual was the last to wake up but we all had to get ready to have the wonderful continental buffet Breakfast at our cottage and reach the rafting point in time.In the meantime I forgot to tell that we saw Sapt's new black Elantra and it was really amazing. Since all of us had to go together now we got into our rented van and hurried towards the rafting point.It was more than an hour to this place and I tried driving fast but with the kind of hilly roads and bad pickup of our van we reached there just in time before the last rafting batch for the day was leaving.So quickly joined one rafting group and taking some food got all set.
All this while I was little confident among all the five because I had done rafting before and it was not going to take more than an hour and a half.Also since we should have one Guide with us it should not be difficult at all.Neelu has water phobia so was not very keen to do rafting but we forced her to come with us as this would be fun.
We got into the blue bus which took us to the rafting starting point of LEHIGH river and with all our gears (life jacket/oars) we were all set to pick up our RAFT.We got a surprise at this point that there would be no guide in the RAFT with us :) so we were all alone with no idea how to move forward in the wild river. The water was cold and shallow at the starting place so we positioned ourselves in the Raft, Kris and Sapt in the front and I and Shaz at the back and our Kashmir ki Kali Neelu in the middle because we wanted to keep her safe from the water :) The moment we started rafting actually we started circling at the same point as we had no idea when to move the oars backwards or forwards.The experienced american groups had gone out of sight and we could see only one DESI couple with a kid behind us who like us were struggling to paddle.There was one guide behind us who was telling us which route to take.
A diversion was coming in the river and the guide told us not to take that but how was it possible not to take it??We were not professionals so we just made the River GOD decide which path to take for reaching heaven :) yeah that was how scared we were at that point of time, we were going near to a deadly tree which had fangs not branches to take the lives out of us and rest our souls in peace.... but we will not die so early c'mmon I am not married yet :) and all the others have their own reason ;)
so yes the guide from behind came quickly and was able to pull us out of our heavenly dreams ;)


The next 10 mins it was like fighting our destiny , I can't imagine what Neelu was going through because we all were going through some weird thoughts trying to survive the huge rapids and the wild river's eccentricity.In the next 1 hr bravely and miraculously we survived all the Water thrills (Class II-III) and by now we were confidently rowing our raft out of any water surprises :) but after so much of rowing we were tired like hell and was hoping for the adventure to end and this is when we got our next surprise :)
We stopped for a break at some rocky place and yes it was a break not end of Rafting.So we ate our little food we had packed earlier and were feeling so hungry at that time scolding the food shop which ran out of supplies while we were starting.So now it was crystal clear what we were doing till now.We were not doing rapids rafting we were doing family style rafting for a eight mile stretch on Lehigh river.


After having some fun at the break time we again got in our Rafts and started rowing forward, this time the experience was different we had honed our rafting skills so well that it was easy this time and all of us were enjoying the rafting.Best part was that now we were heading the rafting pack next to the first guide about whom I came to know this time only.This guide was a fat gulabo but I had not seen her when we started probably because we were at the end.So now we were among American families and started playing by throwing river water on them.I know it was my and Kris's idea to throw water but Sapt was getting wet mostly because he was sitting on the front side and these americans are good in throwing water ;) So finally Sapt got angry and threw water on us :)
After all this fun time the guide told us that be ready for the next rapids and we got all set.Since by now we were confident we did well in crossing these rapids and were giving smiles to each other :) Neelu was also doing great now but then in that happy moment something so quickly happened that all of us got a setback.


We didn't forsee a sudden rapid and we all jumped from our positions but when I saw to my left Shaz was missing, I shouted 'Shaz gir gayi' and looked back Shaz was floating in water and was obviously looking scared, even I had the same expression and was trying to give her the oar to catch !! then in the next moment Sapt jumped and was swimming towards her...

Jahan ho itna pyaar do dilon mein,
Wahan juda hone ka sawal bhi nahi uthta,
Khudai khud milati hai aise jaan nasheeno ko,
karne inke pyaar ko amar jahan bhi nahi rukta!!

Yes like a hero Sapt didn't even think for a minute and jumped in water to save his love, if I would have been in a still place I would have stood to give him a standing ovation, but I was not in that position since our raft was left with 3 folks and there was another rapid coming quickly.We all were shouting and trying to stop our raft so that they can come back but this sudden change in the equation was the most terrible thing to happen.We couldn't stop the raft with myself, Kris and Neelu rowing it and trying to catch a tree branch but moving more and more further into the rapids and then we just survived another rapid somehow, Sapt and Shaz's oars were also floating in the river and everyone around us including the American families were looking tensed.The guide made us stop at a point somehow and then the best thing happened.

All the american families with whom we were playing sometime back made a raft barricade to stop movement and then one at the back where Shaz and Sapt were left out pulled them back in a Raft.The Americans behind us made a Raft bridge and slowly they brought them near and they joined back !! All the five of us had white faces but we were not scared anymore!!

Soon the Rafting was over but it became the most memorable one and all of us decided to call it a day.We reached back the Rafting point and ate and relaxed and took pics as all of us knew we had done enough for the day :)

The prelude

It was the labor day weekend and I was aleady set for flying to BaltiMore (BM) where I would meet my friends Kris and Shaz after a long time.Too much of excitement sometimes gives more adventures :) If you don't believe then continue reading.

I was taking the flight from Chicago to Baltimore and was on time in the airport relaxing for the boarding to start but then just 5 mins before the boarding start time there was an announcement "The Flight to Baltimore has been delayed because of Technical Problems, All passengers will be shifted to another flight"
As I know about my hard luck with these transportation Vehicles :) this announcement was a minor issue for me because this time I had no other connecting flight to catch, so although my co passengers looked panicked and started more enquiring, I was still relaxing at the same place listening to my favourite song "Kal ho na ho..."
After another 15 mins we were told which flight will be adjusting us so I smiled at the announcer and stood up to take a coffee from the near by starbucks counter.In the next 50th min I was sitting in the Baltimore flight reading my everlasting novel (I always read it during flight and never have been able to finish it in the last 2 years :))

The flight landed on time and now it was wait time to meet Kris and Neelu (Kris's wife) who were going to reach in another 10 mins because of my Airline's grace (If my flight had not got changed then it would have been 1 hr wait time).
Kris's flight arrived on time and then "do beechde yaar mil gaye" :) WOW!! what a moment.

After a warm hug and some light discussion we moved towards the exit to get our rental car for our next trip "New Jersey"
where we were going to meet Shaz and Sapt (Shaz's husband). In the meantime Shaz called me to know whether we reached BM and I told her that we have reached on time and will be leaving for New Jersey in another 30-45 mins.As soon as we reached the rental office Kris got a call from Sapt which changed his face expressions to a confused one !! I and Neelu looked at him and he was blank !!
"So what is it ?? Kya hua ??" Kris in some confusion answered "There is a change in Plan, Sapt has bought a new car and wants to surprise Shaz" "Wow!! thats amazing to tu pareshan kyun hai??" I replied. Kris with his confused expression told "Nahi problem hai ki wo apni nai car mein Shaz ko Pocono leke jayega!!" Now both of us had the same expression "CONFUSED!!"

YEAH! we had a problem now.Earlier we all had decided that we will take a six seater rental van from BM to NJ and after picking up Shaz & Sapt will go to Pocono together.Now this sudden change in plan was problematic in 2 ways, 1st that we 3 will be driving a big six seater van to Pocono and next the more important one we have to keep this as a secret from Shaz :)

Kris and Neelu were left with no choice other than driving a six seater alone till Pocono which was like
4-5 hrs from BM.In the meantime we also planned to meet Neelu's sister and her family (husband and 3 kids), Meeting Neelu's sister's family was fun because of their twin daughters and son.After having some good dinner with them we left for Pocono.
Meantime Shaz had called once and I had lied that we are stuck in a traffic jam but I was expecting to hear back from her after Sapt's suprise and had not got any call from past 1 hr.All the 3 of us were tensed in our driving trip to Pocono

Follow my next (still finishing up) blog to check out what happens next.