| First car, First roadtrip - Pune to Hyderabad
Prologue :
They say some times you got to run before you can walk. I just made that a reality.
I got keys to my 2010 Hyundai i10 Magna 1.2K on Saturday, March 9. Took it for a bit of a spin --> pressure washed it --> general servicing with oil checks and stuff --> Nitrogen top-ups --> parked it home.
And yeah, so sorry there are no photos to show for ; I'll explain later why !
Background :
The idea was to surprise my mom coz she always wanted a car but my dad couldn't afford one. I started earning but my apartment in Hyderabad didn't have a parking. All in all, her craving got subdued over time. I bought a house in Pune last year and we moved out of Hyderabad in December, but mom stayed back since her school tenure extends till March. My wife suggested we buy a car ASAP to surprise her with a car pickup instead of the routine bus/train.
My son and wife both are profound exponents of travelling sickness to the extent of about a puke every 10 kms. Top that with the fact that I got my driving license last year but have been behind a wheel for only about 100 kms in about a year ! So a family of 2 puketards and a complete novice of a driver decided to take the plunge on Sunday, March 10. Time to go to Hyderabad !
Destination - Hyderabad :
We started from Pune at about 6 AM. Serene and cool, perfect for beginning a road trip. Tank full at the onset for about 25 liters at a Shell pump near Tathawade. From there it was all about the sweet mid range of the Kappa till the urban traffic limit of Hadapsar. Wow this baby revs as melodiously as an opera singer !
We hit NH65 at about 7 AM; about 100 kms of shitty 2-lane roads and unexpected traffic. We had our first break at about 9 AM at a wonderful breakfast joint adjacent an HP petrol station. Great place for yummy Uttappams. My 4 year old binged on a couple and hadn't puked yet. Great start to the journey !
From there it was like entering tunnel vision mode till about 2 PM in the afternoon, where my kid was rolling in the backseat clung to the phone screen, my wife in the passenger seat next to me having a gala time switching tracks on Youtube Music, and I was in my tunnel vision weaving in and out of highway traffic. Loved the experience and gave me a ton of confidence about highway driving. I never exceeded 80 kmph all this while ; fuel and temperature guage were stilll reading normal as we crossed Solapur and beyond. The Naldurg section is still a pain as has been highlighted by many BHP-ians till date, FYI.
Afternoon break for lunch was somewhere near Maharashtra-Karnataka border ; a rather average food joint with average tasting food. My i10 braved a shadeless parking spot in the scorching sun for about 30 mins, and the cabin was smouldering inside when we came back. Air-con in recirculation mode after 5 mins of driving with all windows down brought the cabin temperature back to pleasant in no time ; blower speed at 3 till then and back to 1.
And a few kilometers later, I came across one of the most beautiful pieces of tarmac in the country. A little bit of Karnataka in our journey is where NH65 had the smoothest top. I could hear the feeble but soothing grumble of the Kappa after almost 9 hrs of driving. This stretch of about 70-80 kms till the onset of Telangana was where both I and the car were equally joyful. I was mindful of some advice from my brother-in-law before the trip and quickly pulled into a Reliance petrol station for about 5 liters of fuel before Karnataka ended -- cheap fuel !!!
The familiar landscapes of Telangana brought a sense of rush back-- It was home stretch from here ! That was of course after a juice break just after the Telangana border toll. As darkness dawned, we entered the dreaded city traffic ; took me almost an hour and a half to get from Patancheru to Kukatpally !
Total distance driven was 565 kms with the i10 guzzling 30 liters of fuel, so the FE came to 18+ for the trip. Not bad for an absolute novice ! 80 kmph limit was strictly followed throughout and Air-Con was operating at fan speed of 2 almost throughout. What made it a win for me was the fact that my puketards didn't puke inside an AC cabin for almost 12 hrs ! WooHoo !!!
The return journey to Pune :
The car was loaded to the hilt this time as my mother's pending luggage was literally stuffed into the cabin. The wheel arches literally bent over the wheels by about 3-4 inches ; that got me worried the whole time. Did refuel and Nitrogen checks the previous day, so we started early at 5 AM this time. I was mindful of the extra load this time, so it was even stricter till we reached outside Hyderabad. The bent wheel arches and the stressed out tyres made me less confident this time ; I was scared of crossing 60 for about 5 hours.
After breakfast in Karnataka, we started again at 10 AM but this time I pulled into a Nitrogen filling station alongside a petrol pump almost immediately. The guy showed my the stress on the tyres ; there was a bulge on all 4 tyres due to the load. He advised me to deflate and inflate all 4 at 33 PSI and I obliged. I'm not sure if his advise if correct according to BHP-ians here, but it worked wonders for me. The car felt in control again and my confidence was back.
It took us almost 2 hrs more this time than the onward journey, courtesy of Hadapsar and the snarling Pune traffic at 7 PM in the evening, but I cruised at 100 kmph for most of the journey. It was both confidence and awe inspiring. It almost felt spiritually serene as my family chattered while I drove happily, toll after toll, mile after mile. There was a refuel in the middle after crossing Solapur at a Reliance pump worth about INR 2000. Thanks to the 100 kmph cruise, the FE in the return leg came down to 15, but it was totally worth it ! I can't even begin to describe how amazing this ride made me feel about myself !
As I parked in my spot in my building basement in Pune, I realised I had grown up from a starry-eyed vehicle-struck enthusiatic young lad to a mature yet happy driver. I was finally 1 big road trip old. I now feel like a BHP-ian, finally !
Point to Note :
Not to brag, but I already have my next trip planned already. April is when I will travel to Tumsar via Nagpur. An 850 km odyssey awaits, but I'm smiling. I think I know you know why : SAMRIDDHI !!! | 
27th March 2024, 01:14
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