Free Falling..

Winds are changing
'So what is your name?' asked the instructor.

"Pritesh," I answered. Thank god I still am in my full senses. I think even he was trying to ascertain the same.

"Pritesh, I am ... and I will give you some tips for a nice jump," replied he. I forgot his name, and I can easily put the blame on heat of the moment. Nervousness grips your soul like that scene from Spiderman 3 where Spiderman is gripped by the black creature [or whatever it was].

"So Pritesh, I will hold you from back till you are ready for the fall. Don't worry. You need to stand like this at the edge of this trolley. Once we are up, you move forward and hold this handle bars. I will keep a firm grip on you so don't worry. You have to hold your hands together like this and then one-two-three. Just fall. It will be fun." He said in one line.

I didn't have time or courage to hmmm also!! Doesn't matter anyways. My words, then, do not hold any significance for anyone anyways.

"And one more thing, don't take more than 10 seconds at the top. Jump as soon as you are ready. We are facing powerful winds, so it will be difficult to stand there for long," He continued once more in his next breath. I knew I won't stand there for more than that.

Winds were indeed changing.

Free falling
While getting ready for the jump, I tried hard to recall lyrics of Free Falling by Tom Petty. Nothing came to my mind, I could just hum the tune. I don't even think if the song was anyways related to such a situation. But only two words keep echoing in my ears - free falling. And I knew it was going to be one hell of free fall. But I was ready for it. It was "Now or Never".

As soon as I left the handle-bar, I felt a shiver down my whole body. Here I am standing at 150 m height, with nothing but a guy holding me from back. Trust is the word here. I got myself in the position and told him "Yes, leave." He trusted my words too.

And here I am. Free Falling.

From the top I could watch some of the world [Had to leave my glasses there on ground :(] But as soon as I was falling, I could not see anything. My eyes are wide open, still vision is as blurred as that when you try to recall the sweet dream you saw in early morning. Nothing at all. It was an experience I will never be able to put in words.

I reached the nadir. And then I was again going up. This time there was no trolley though. I realized I could see something. Oh yes, I have to see up or down. Sideways it is just sky. So I looked down for the first time since the time I left the trolley. I guess 10 seconds were over by now. Around 1/4rd of time over.

For sometime I went up, then again down. Life, only thing that could have come to my mind if I was thinking then. But it was not time for thinking. It was just to grasp as much of the moment as I can. And I did exactly the same.

Three more oscillations and I was again on earth.

Yes, I did it. That's the expression on my face, if anybody could read it. I knew it, and I did not need any mirror to read it.

Birthday Gift
102 - you will never like such a number to be written on your hand, if that specifies that you are 102th person to attempt bungee on the day. In indirect terms it amounts to a wait of more than 4 hour. Anyways, I could not have helped it. They wrote on my hand "102" and I took it as the God's will.

Waiting for such an exceptional event is not a boring experience indeed. You see people going up the trolley and then coming down. Some through use of rope, other less courageous back on the trolley. How their face changes color and expression with each moment is a thing to see. And you really won't feel bored if you are observant enough.

Before us, there were few interesting people who tried their luck against the gravity with just an elastic rope tied to their ankles. The three girl gang was extraordinary in courage. They had the best possible falls and with no hesitation whatsoever. Board the trolley, go up and come down. No time waste in thinking anything. I took as much inspiration from them as I could.

Then there is this girl in her 19s. As she reached on top, her dad took the mike from the MC and shouted "Happy Birthday ..." Oh my god, what a way to celebrate your birthday. The happiness of every face is apparent and a moment to cherish.

The 5 second theory
"Don't take more than 5 seconds to make yourself ready there at the top. If you take more time, the decision of falling will be difficult one to take," declared Ravi. I did not know he has read Blink by Malcolm Gladwell. If not, he is the next Gladwell for sure.

There were few who went up there, with all their determination intact and a hundred people cheering them from the ground. They reached, tried to take the position. Could not leave hand. So they moved back. Again one more attempt. Result the same. Again and again it was the same.

Very few people could actually successfully jump after the 5 second window. May be its the heights or the wind - but somehow the more you stay there, the feeble your chances of enjoying a fun filled fall. Quickness is the key. Logic and Calculation can wait for 30 second [of fall].

Photos: Link

ps: An account of my experience from Xtreme zone. There is lots more to be shared. Please wait...