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Sometimes a weekend can turn out to be more boring than you can ever imagine. I had been staring blankly at the wall clock for quite some time and when I could take it no more, I decided to take to the road once again. A weekend getaway was a must. What's more, there's little to worry about when you have an efficient car like the Etios Liva at your beck and call.

Among the many advantages of living in the city of Pune is that of its close connectivity to some of the picturesque locations, perfect for a quick weekend foray. Without wasting much time in deciding the destination, I opted for a variegated drive on the plains and through the twisties. What better place than Mahabaleshwar, the hill station famous for its strawberry and chana?

The route to this place is rather interesting, a perfect blend of straights, winding ghats, steep gradients and sharp descents, thus giving one's car a fair chance to prove its mettle. The Liva fared well on my expectations in this regard and offered me a very stable and comfortable ride on both bumpy patches and paved asphalt roads.

I was still trying to bring myself back to normal after an adrenalin-filled high around the one-way Khambatki Ghat and the zigzag Pasarni Ghat when there hove into my sight colourful gliders from behind the hills. Parking the Liva at the Sydney Point, I took a good look at what I was thinking of getting into. Letting myself hang in the air with just a seat for support and thin strings holding the glider wasn't exactly an easy task, but that was what I wanted to do. So, after a bit of a prep talk with the trainer I decided to trust my luck. They put the harness around my body and asked me to tip-toe towards the edge of the cliff. Before I could act, gravity transformed the tip-toeing into little jumps, then bigger leaps and then I could feel terra firma under my feet no more. Wind cradled me for some time and then, as I balanced the strings, kept me juggling between one buffet of wind and another. If you ask me how it felt from up there, I would say, 'Forgiving'.

After about an hour of hovering over the tiny mortals, I pulled the strings and brought myself back to the ground. With my head abuzz and feet still floating, I walked towards the Liva and turned the a-c full on to get the sun off my skin. Once the cosy cabin of the car brought me back to normal, what to do next was the big question. The fuel indicator signalled to me to continue with the excursion. It was time to reward the Liva for the excellent fuel management it had shown and off I went for a little spin towards the Wilson Point. A wide view of the town, rustling leaves, just the car for company and a medley of thoughts in my mind – it felt good to be away from the hullabaloo of the city for a day.

The dense cover of trees on the way offered a refreshing sight too. Food was the last thing that occurred to my mind as I dusted the week's worries off my shoulders, but then when it did, it was really strong. I knew where to go and what to eat. Coming to Mahabaleshwar and going back without relishing strawberry-with-cream was like touching a horse's tail and calling yourself a jockey. A mandatory stop-over at the Mapro Garden soon followed and, with the belly full, I decided to head back home with happy memories of the day. Contrary to my decision, the Liva still had enough fuel in the tank for a long run. There's a lot more in store, I said, and many weekends to come, my dear!

Story: Gasha Aeri
Photography: Sanjay Raikar