"Road journey is not easy always, you don't
know whats coming ahead..
There were some incidents of looting trucks
and cars near MACHLI GHAT. It comes on
the Ahmedabad-Indore national highway..
It all started from late 80's when some radical
groups used to spread nails on the road and
as and when any vehicles punctures, they
used to loot that vehicle and sometimes they
used to kidnaps the vehicle owners and kill
them".
"Bhaiyaa ek chai dena.." I ordered chai at
Goodluck dhaba on the highway, where I
stopped feed my starving stomach. I
ordered Puri Bhaji as well.. thinking about
machli ghat which was almost 80 kms away
from my current location. With bit of fear, I
was having my tea.. I thought to get more
info about that ghat, so I googled..
And was thinking and making list of things to do and places to visit
in Indore with Neha. I am a foodie girl and I like street food a lot. I
knew little bit about Indore.. Like..
Bamboo forest
Ghulavat - a river of lotus
Khau galli - for which I was very excited about.
Thinking about Garadu fruit (famous in Indore), Rabdi-jalebi and
all..
I was too much in to that zone, when Neha called me, I picked up
through my bluetooth helmet..
"Hey ritz where have you reached?"
"Have you crossed Machli Ghat?"
"And I'm like.. I don't know.. where am
I.. wait.. and I realized I'm on ghat.. I
said "Oh My God Neha.. I am passing
through Machli Ghat Right Now.."
"Ok don't stress.. I'm on the line till
you crossover Machli Ghat.. don't
worry.."
After wedding procession, bus was coming
from Indore and heading for Ahmedabad with
"I was bit relaxed.. she was saying
lots of passengers, bus suddenly got
something something.. I don't know
punctured at "machli ghat" and it was
what.."
afternoon, that was a trap by some radical
And then when I checked the map, I realized there was a long
gang.. In the day light the bus was looted,
patch I had to pass through.. And I couldn't see any vehicles neither
including the jewelries of bride and
of any sides of me. Neha's voice started cracking.. and phone got
passengers.
disconnected.. I saw no network signal in my mobile. I consoled
I have almost finished puri bhaji and asked
myself.. and told my big guy.. No worries my boy.. we will pass it
for bill..
through safe... without wasting any time I accelerated my boy.. and
started concentrating on the road.. God knows which was the song
There were many incidents like this..
was playing in my helmet..
I thought machli ghat is not safe during
nights but I read looting incidents in day
time as well.
I was frightened, I won't lie, but as nothing
comes easy.. I thought "Jo hoga dekha
jayega.."
I paid the bill and continued my journey..
This time it was "Guru Randhawa" a
punjabi singer, playing in my head who was
helping me to let go my fear of machli ghat..
Only punjabi songs could calm this punjabi
girl, and it worked really well. With all the
twist and turns of the road, I was leaning
with the curves of roads with my big guy..
completely lost in my riding.. humming a
"downtown song" of Guru Randhawa".