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Mission possible
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Dacoits in Bihar and stale chicken soup in Jharkhand as Zaheer covers 13,000 km across 17 states and 32 cities in 28 days
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MAN AND HIS MACHINE Zaheer Ahmad and his Unicorn PHOTO: K. PICHUMANI
Zaheer Ahmad rode his bike for a whole month and now has a wealth of stories to tell. While his bike bounced down a pitted road in the Bihar countryside, he was ambushed by dacoits. As they pointed single-bore country revolvers at him, he fingered his jaw thoughtfully and said, "Don't force me to use my pistol." As he pushed his jacket a bit to reveal a leather strap designed to hold a pistol, the dacoits recoiled. "I think their revolvers had no bullets, just as my strap held a non-existent pistol," laughs Zaheer, whose only weapon was a knife tied to his belt.
Excitement galore
Many such adventures (or misadventures, depending on your point of view) came 55-year-old Zaheer's way, as he rode a Unicorn around the country, following a demanding itinerary that covered about 13,000 km, 17 States and 32 cities. Didar Motors, which sponsored the expedition, laid down three rules — "bike and biker should be off the road after 10 p.m., proof of visit (a seal and a signature) from the local Hero Honda dealer has to be obtained and bills from petrol stations have to be collected as additional proof". While Zaheer complied with the last two, he had to flout the first a few times.
Wrong turns
"As I was stuck in a few places because of the unrest over the cartoon controversy, I had no option but to ride in the night to make up for lost time."
<167,0m,1>Dangers trailed these night rides.
In Kharjat, two men on a motorcycle (the pillion rider holding a long knife) tailed him. "I braked and swerved, catching them off-balance. That gave me enough time to slip out of sight. While making the hasty escape, I unwittingly veered off the planned route."
Zaheer often rued that he was not a polyglot — in Cuttack, he went around in circles for one whole day because he could not make sense of the directions given in Oriya. Zaheer's absent-mindedness also disturbed the schedule. On way to Jaipur, he realised his Ray-Ban was missing, retraced 30 km, only to find out that the expensive glasses were perched on the bridge of his nose.
At times, Zaheer's fertile imagination made him miserable. In Jharkhand, a bowl of chicken soup stirred a storm in his stomach.
"When I learnt about the outbreak of bird flu, I imagined I had got it. Since I had no time to consult a doctor or take any kind of treatment, I ate lots of juicy fruits to avoid dehydration and hoped for the best."
When our wanderer felt weary, hospitality raised his spirits. "In Punjab, I was often offered tall glasses of free lassi and free cots to spend the night". In Khandala, our dauntless adventurer played the Good Samaritan. "The road was strewn with huge stones that lorry drivers had left behind (generally they use such stones to `anchor' the lorries); I flung them off." With names of Hero Honda dealers stuck all over his jacket and bike, he seldom failed to attract attention.
Responsible driver
"I was persuaded to participate in a fair in Lucknow. I gave youngsters tips on safe driving. I asked them to take responsibility for others' safety as well." He told them what he did in Khandala.
Carrying all these memories, he returned to Chennai on March 1 (he set out on February 2). Zaheer, who is a driver at Polaris, will be behind the wheel once again after a week's rest.
PRINCE FREDERICK
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