Its been raining incessantly since yesterday 11 AM onward, the roads are flooded and the city is in a disarray. A big shower at 3AM, put a big question mark over Biscuit's walk and the run thereafter. Thankfully the rain subsided just for enough time for Biscuit to have a quick tour of the water drenched neighbourhood, i don't know if he missed the Hubli Golf course after rain, i sure did! Sundar messaged me if the run was on and i texted back sure it was! That must have helped him get past his better half's reservations about the mis(?)adventure. I quickly tucked Biki (short for Biscuit, my 6 year old Labrador, for those who haven't had the previlege of knowing him yet!) in side and was at the gates. Rain was getting harder, but, decision had been made and i was glad for it. While waiting in the rain, i went back to y'day's lift incident (for those of the readers who feel the dead horse has been flailed enough, do switch off for a while!), the few minutes it took for the lift to reach the lady of the 3rd floor to her station and come back were my Petermaritzburg moments. What hurt me most was that it hurt me! Looking at the comments and seeing that the helpers do not take the lift when Biscuit and i are on it (i used to think they were afraid of him!), i only hope the lady's reservation were only skin deep, viz., my attire, sweat and bare feet (talking of bare feet i felt in august company of M F Hussain!). If the reservation is sharing the lift was anything more pernicious, this Gandhi would have found a mission! Enough of the lift don't you think!
It was absolute bliss to run on the deserted and drenched streets. Even the policemen and dogs were not to be seen, i was only worried if cows would there to receive my offering. Some of the stretches were badly inundated and Sundar must have had it tough with shoes on. The rain came in spells and God decided to put on a sound and light show of lightning and thunder to recognise us bravehearts perseverance. The guards near Amma's residence were standing to attention with weapon in hand, a dress rehearsal in anticipation of her arrival ? By the time we reached the Gandhi statue, it was pouring heavily and Gandhi looked washed clean and the walkway absolutely deserted. A few cows were grazing away unconcerned with the rain pouring on their backs. I called one to the fence with my offering of banana and orange peel and today's winner was a Yama's steed (or his better half?). Her gender was confirmed when i found her with her son trying to find shelter under a small tree on my way back in the first loop from the Napier bridge. We didn't check the time at the bridge as it was raining and i didn't want my mobile or Sundar's watch (now snugly ensconced in a plastic bag in my pocket of the top tied around my waist!) catching a cold. I vetoed his idea of going to RBI as my bare feet would not know the road condition under the water. We decided to do a loop from the bridge to lighthouse and back. The smooth surface of the walkway was slippery and required all my concentration to give my bare feet a good grip at each step. M S amma was giving a private concert for us and her full throated rendition of the Vishnu Sahasranamam ,unpolluted by the noise of the traffic, was heavenly. Second time around when we reached the Napier bridge, it was light and we decided to go to RBI after all. We reached RBI at 6:11 AM (4:03 AM start!) Sundar stopped for a drink enroute and we had a photo session at the bridge. We found a couple walking and a few runners . The runners cheered us and were cheered back in return. The water level on the roads had increased compared to what it was on our beach-ward journey. We had to take to walking where the water was almost ankle deep. A few dogs had gotten up and around to attend to their bread and butter issues (its a dog's life rain or shine, unless you are well placed and born with a silver bone like Biscuit!). Sundar did a good sprint before his water break point, with the result i didn't get any break at that point (anyway my security guard friend was not there today!). More run and walk and we hit my colony gate at 7:43 AM. A good rain drenched 3hour 40 minutes of bliss and not less than 30K of a run. We parted with promise of an encore at 4 AM tomorrow!
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