“As the daughter of an Air Force personnel, I’ve always been mentally prepared for life’s challenges. My 6 years of NCC training just added to it. But the most daunting one of all came my way in the year 2013.

I was a journalism student at St Francis College For Women, Hyderabad, working for a newspaper at the time. One night, when I was returning home late from work, I realised two bikers were following me. They kept honking from behind just enough for me to lose my line of sight and accidentally hit a bus that was coming from the other end.
The incident resulted in two major fractures alongside a bed rest of 21 days. What’s worse was that I had my final semester exams in a month. Now, although things did seem bleak, I guess my will to recover somehow aided me to get back up and push through these examinations.

But then again, the adventure didn’t just end. I was in the face of another accident, right after my third exam and this time, more extreme! This was just around 30 days after my first accident. The auto I was travelling in, overturned after hitting a divider causing the eventual collision to be more detrimental than expected. I landed with 3 fractures and shoulder dislocation, with my mind constantly bombarded with lines ‘Why me, God?’.
I still went for my remaining exams. I got back to work one month after the accident. Even once I got back to work, I was only riding at a speed of 20 km/h

Nevertheless, my mom was on a mission to make me mentally and physically stronger. And seeing my father come home one day on his bike – Hero Splendor – made her consider the idea of teaching me motorcycling. This was just one of the many things she did to help me get back stronger.
That’s where I believe, the second innings of my life, truly began. I bought my own Royal Enfield Classic 350 in 2019 and it was definitely “love at first sight”.

There’s been no looking back since! In fact, I take it out to unexplored territory and non-touristy places every once in a while. The route might seem challenging, but the ride at the end, immensely satisfying!

My second love came into my life during lockdown – cycling. Having had friends who’ve been into it actively for a long time plus the encouragement from senior cyclists, I slowly began exploring the beautiful activity.
One of my fascinating rides has been climbing up the challenging Nandi hills and completing the 200km trail like a lion. This was during my first Brevet de Randonneurs Mondiaux ( BRMs) on January 9, 2021.

While some people think of all these as unnecessary risks, they don’t realise that near-to-death experiences often change people on the whole. There’s a newfound sense of humility to appreciate life and the goodness in the people around us. It helps us embrace the fact that we are not perfect. Once we experience this, nothing else can scare us anymore. That’s what I live for today – a fear-free life!”

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