Belladonna

Read this, in order to read this.

"Bella donnas on the high street
Her breasts upon the off beat
And the stalls are just the side shows
Victorianas old clothes
And yes her jeans are tight now
She gotta travel light now
Shes gotta tear up all her roots now"
                                                             - Portobello Belle, Dire Straits

I call my motorcycle, a military green 1999 Bullet, The Belladonna.

Belladonna is, among other cheerful things, a deadly nightshade and a fading American porn star.Etymologically, however, it means "Fair Lady" - with a slightly negative connotation, since it also refers to a poison extracted from the belladonna plant.

And although I did not know all this when I got the bike, she's turned out to be all of that and more.

Seen here in quiet repose, the Belladonna became a part of my life in March 2007. 

And ladies and gentlemen, I'll have you know that since then, she's been an absolute bitch. 

Acquired: March 2007.

First breakdown: April 2007

In the garage from: April 2007

To: June 2007

Second Breakdown: November 2007 (Although a certain $%$%^$% was responsible for that)

Third Breakdown: February 2008

Accelarator Cable Snapped: June 2008

Induction Coil Down: July 2008

In fact, the pic that you see up there was taken after her first breakdown, on a trip to Chikmaglur.

But a true lover of the Belladonna is helpless, you see. He trusts her no matter what, and he believes. He truly believes. And well, what the hell, at the end of it all, it doesn't matter. Although he knows that she will collapse, and she will fail him, he will abide by her. He will ride on.

 

And so at three in the afternoon, on the 30th of September, 2008, Kulkarni and his loyal steed left Bangalore, to embark on her longest journey yet. At least 800 kms of solid riding to come, and self, as usual, was going to wing it on nothing more than a prayer.

Out of the charming, congested, catastrophic city that is Bangalore at 5, truly on the highway at 6.

Smooth roads all the  way from Tumkur to Chitradurga, and she belts along at 80. On and on and on.

Ranebennur at 11 in the night, where an attempt at slumber is made. But a wonderful concotion of adrenalin and mosquitoes render that a doomed attempt. On and on, having crossed the pothole that calls itself Davangere. Haveri at around one in the morning, and Hubli about an hour after that. Fog in the air, a nip in the air, a remarkably well-behaved engine, and a shivering Kulkarni.

Finally, at around three in the morning, I get off the highway and collapse onto a bed somewhere in Belgavi.

Only to be woken up at 7.30 by Girish, and his non-existent bus driver.

And so on to Kolhapur, from where on in, bhaisaab tells it far better than I could.

But the Belladonna rode like the wind, and she did not fail me once. Nearly two years after wooing her, she finally relented - and I'm, as I always was, in love.

"Bella donnas in the jungle
But she aint no garden flower
These aint no distress in the tower
Oh, bella donna walks
Bella donna taking a stroll"

                                         - Portobello Belle, Dire Straits

Umm say, bro - there can be more than two players in a jugalbandi, no?

You think he might be interested in describing a leetle beet of Goa?