Fear Factor

The girl, now a speck in the sky, is poised to spring from the cage. She takes off suddenly, plunging for a few thrilling moments, before the bungee chord kicks in, yo-yoing her back to the sky. The nuns clap with joy and I scream with the vicarious rush.

8220;Have a jump,8221; says Priya Raheja, Extreme Zone manager. I flash her a smile and walk up to the doctor8217;s tent, to have my weight taken, answer questions about my medical history and sign a liability waiver form8212;in case I cease to exist.

8220;The first jump8217;s always the best,8221; says the soft-spoken Dr Santosh, 8220;take a deep breath, stop thinking totally and jump,8221; adds the 25-year-old, who8217;s doing his residency at the OPD of a local government hospital.

Please keep me alive if something happens, I say. 8220;I8217;m a survivor and I8217;ll keep anybody living,8221; says Santosh who, since working this job, has been bitten by the bungee bug.

Checks complete, I walk into the red cage, where two instructors strap me onto a harness, then wrap my legs with all-important pads, which latch onto the main bungee chord. I8217;m joined by my instructor Lokesh, who8217;s sporting a blood red bandana and a small walkie-talkie around his neck.

The crane starts lifting the cage and Lokesh starts his monologue8212;never breaking eye contact with me. As we rise past a hundred metres, I start laughing, but Lokesh won8217;t stop talking. It8217;s something about taking full advantage of the opportunity that lies before me. I keep laughing, as the people turn into ants, cars into bugs and the Extreme Zone a narrow patch of beach.

When we reach the summit, I savour the panoramic view: It8217;s dusk and I can see most of Mumbai8217;s stunning Western coastline. The JW Marriott Hotel, which dominates Juhu beach, appears like a miniature Mediterranean fort. As I look around in amazement, Lokesh doesn8217;t let up on the verbal barrage, trying to take control of my psyche. 8220;In life, we8217;re always held back by fear; this is how you can take back control,8221; he says, 8220;just do it.8221; My legs feel like lead as I walk to the edge of the cage. I look down at Juhu beach, at the thousands of visitors8212;and each one seems to be starting at me and waiting for the jump. The token headline flashes through my mind8217;s eye: 8220;Young Journalist is Mumbai8217;s First Bungee Victim.8221; 8220;Ready?8221; shouts Lokesh. I nod. He gives me a count and I leap out at 3.

I shoot downwards, everything a blur. I8217;m conscious of nothing but the adrenaline-flowing experience of a free fall. Yet at some point, it occurs to me that I8217;ve been dropping for a few seconds and that I8217;m getting closer to ground. Worry threatens to strike, but I8217;m yanked back up by the bungee chord and the world flips upside down and starts to twirl. I scream with pleasure!

The bungee rope bounces me around with the momentum, also spinning me like on an upside-down merry-go-round. It8217;s a whole new way of looking at Juhu beach8212;and strangely empowering. I8217;d seen bungee jumping off bridges and dams, but in the heart of Mumbai city? That8217;s fresh.

As I8217;m being lowered, Santosh welcomes me back to earth. 8220;How was it?8221; he asks. 8220;I jumped without thinking,8221; I say, my body still flowing with the rush.

8220;Always listen to the doctor8217;s advice,8221; he chuckles.