Raghav Series - The Sky Divers, a collection from past

The Sky Divers

Source: http://www.easypcltd.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Jo-2-sky-divers.jpg

As soon as instructor yelled, “JUMP”, at an altitude of 12,500 feet, all of us jumped from the plane without thinking twice. My stomach started rolling, soon I realized that the ground beneath feet is missing. A sudden gush of wind took me as high as 15000 feet, extending my free fall to 75 seconds from the usual 60 seconds. I had no idea of the directions but one thing I knew for sure was that gravity was stronger than me, pulling me mercilessly to the floor of the earth. Before I could gather control over my mind and body, I had taken three or four somersaults soon after reluctant jumping out of the plane. Ladies and Gentlemen, this is my first, and last, skydiving experience, ever.

It is ironical that even with 35 pounds of equipment on my body, I felt completely weightless, and my body was floating effortlessly. I could not decide that I am falling fast to death or flying freely. Furious winds were pushing me from one side to another like hay strand caught in the wind storm. While I was still getting in terms with myself, I heard a voice, a friend's voice, it was Gaurav, screaming out loud “Raaaaaaaaaaghav”. ... Why is he calling me?  Can’t he relax at such a height? Anyway, he got my attention, I manged to hold my neck in his direction and looked at him, while the strong winds were slapping hard on my face reminding me of my Mom when she is upset with me, and that is more than often. Gaurav shouted again “make a SWAN”. I recalled my training, revised all the lessons, but it took me a few seconds to realize that he wants me to make the simplest of all the flat poses in the free fall of sky diving. Gaining some control over my free fall, I tried to flatten my torso and straightened my legs together in the layout position. Finally, I got my first pose right in the middle nowhere. It felt good, and with every passing second, I was gaining confidence. We were five divers,Gaurav, Ashutosh, Abhijeet, and Peeyush. Using wind to our benefit, we came closer to each other to make a star pattern. It was a thrilling experience! And then with well choreographed moves we dispersed in different directions. Wow! I felt like a pro at Sky-diving.

Being a first timer, I tried some flat poses while descending to the ground, my friends tried everything from seated posses to compass moves, creating a compass like illusion by rotating their torsos to 180 degree and keeping legs stationary. It was inspiring and my conviction to do more was growing.

Soon it was time to touch the ground, so far so good. At about 2,500 feet, all of us were prepared to land. My heart was pounding hard – at this moment, I felt probably jumping mid air was easier, landing seemed way too tough. For Gaurav and Peeyush, it seemed like a cake walk, they treated it like any other sport. They were so good at adventure sport. Peeyush was best at free fall. His lean body helped him fall with ease. While Abhijeet was a veteran, Ashutosh (Ashu) and me were beginners. It was his fifth and mine first. Good thing with Ashu is that he is a quick learner and a committed student for anything in life.

As expected Gaurav, Peeyush, and Abhijeet were the first ones to hit the release pin, and they did it comfortably. It was a sight to watch for a first timer like me, a bridle (nylon webbing) came out first, and then unfolded their pilot chutes from the deployment bags. Now they were descending easily, cutting through the opposing winds. Ashu followed them, and then came my turn. I reached my Pilot Chute bag, pressed the release pin, at the same moment a bird flew above me. I panicked and my hand got stuck in the bridle and my chute did not deploy properly. I was spinning like a Top. My body turned upside down, blood was gushing into my brain. I could see hazy images of my friends who were watching me, they wanted to help me, I could see on their faces. Usually, they are never that kind to me. Today they seemed concerned, for once my situation looked alarming to them.

I felt my left ear being twisted to 360 degrees, it was paining now, I thought my ear is caught between the nylon threading of my chute. Then, I heard the voice of my Instructor again – “get up, Raghav, you have a class at 9:00 am, don’t you have to go to college?”, I opened my eyes. My Mom was standing near me, trying to wake me up from my sleep. I said “Thank you for waking me up, she din't even acknowledge and dragged me out of the bed, and in her commanding tone, asked me to get ready soon. I got ready, and rushed to college. I was late, and my professor did not allow me to attend the lecture.  

Roaming outside in the college campus, I had some happy company, Gaurav, Peeyush, Abhijeet, and Ashutosh were already there, they too had come late for the class. 

I saw them and felt relieved, five of us standing in the college ground, smiled at each other. Peeyush then said “Hey! There is a paragliding event set to happen in the city – wanna to visit?” I took a long breath, looked at the sky, and thought that it was rightly said by Leonardo DaVinci, "Who has been in the sky, will always walk looking at it, wishing to go back". Though for me, it was in my dream but who knows…