Memory Wheel

Deshpande began at 6.30 am on February 20. Chalking out the route,he decided to make stops at Ahmednagar,Aurangabad and Jalna. “I stayed at the Majhi Sainik Vishramgruha,which is a rest house for ex-servicemen,” he says. On an average,he cycled for 100 kms everyday,and spend six to eight hours on the road. He says,“The first day was difficult. Even though I had done practice runs,the weather had just changed and the temperatures were soaring during the day time. And by the time I reached Nagar,I was very tired. But the second day onwards,I got used to the heat,the road and the people.”

In Mahekar,a small town ahead of Jalna,he encountered a drunk taxi driver. “The man ran behind me for almost hundred metres because he wanted to ferry me to my destination. When I told him I would be cycling down,he felt dejected and just walked away!” Deshpande laughs. He also stayed at a temple in Karanja. The total distance he covered in a span of five days was 530 kms. “It just felt so good. I was revisiting the land of my childhood after so many years. En route I even managed to prove to myself that I was fit enough to undertake something of this sort,” he says.

What’s next on his agenda? Teaching Yoga,his new found passion,to those who are interested. “I might take a road trip again,but I don’t really know when. I will continue to teach yoga. That is the purpose of our existence — to constantly be useful to both ourselves and the society around. Otherwise there is no point in living a life that doesn’t make a difference to anyone,” he says.

Curated For You

‘I worked even on day my daughter died’: Paid just Rs 66 daily, Chhattisgarh midday meal cooks seek better wages

‘For a month and a half, I was just in my room’: When Sania Mirza reflected on struggling with depression after a career-changing injury

‘Not sure if I’ll be back’: Neha Kakkar announces ‘break from relationships, work’ after brutal ‘Candy Shop’ backlash