With Arun, Jyothi beside me and dear friend Minalini sharing the road, we stepped into journeys that touched both the map and the soul.
If not now, then when?
My second innings didn’t begin with a checklist… it began with a simple decision:
What “Second Innings” Truly Means to Me
A story of pain, survival, courage, and wheels that never stop turning.
My second innings did not begin with a choice. It began with a wound.
Two years ago, during my 25-day journey across Rajasthan, the beauty of the desert was shadowed by a constant, unbearable pain in my tongue. Every bite felt like fire, every meal felt like a battle — but my spirit refused to give in. I travelled through forts, dunes, palaces, and lonely roads with a wounded tongue and an unbroken heart.
When I finally returned home, the truth arrived like a storm. The wound was tongue cancer.
The word itself shattered me. Cancer. A word that took away my dearest sister, Tulsi — my soul mate, my inspiration, my companion in exploring forests, mountains, and wilderness. Losing her had already carved a hollow space in my heart. The thought that I might walk the same path… terrified me.
I did not want the treatment. I believed cancer meant the end. I was afraid — not of death, but of suffering, helplessness, and the memories of Tulsi.
But my family refused to give up on me. They held my hands, pushed me, pulled me, and sometimes dragged me — not out of force, but out of love.
And then came two guiding lights in my darkest night: Dr. Shreyas, a compassionate dentist from Mangalore who first recognised the seriousness of my condition, and Dr. Rohan Gatty, a renowned oncology surgeon whose gentle assurance heals the mind even before the body.
With them, I walked into treatment trembling. With them, I walked out transformed.
Cancer did not end my journey — it restarted my life.
Six months after recovery, I wasn’t just standing again… I was travelling again.
Gujarat – 25 days of culture, temples, deserts, and discovery
North East India – 25 days of mountains, monasteries, and magic
Badami – Hampi – Bijapur – Itagi – 8 days through ancient history
And now, just a few days ago, I completed one of my most adventurous journeys ever:
Uttarakhand Garhwal, from 18.10.2025 to 07.11.2025 — valleys, glaciers, remote villages, high altitude, and pure Himalayan silence.
They say life anchors you to the ground. But my life? My feet seem permanently tied to wheels.
Cancer didn’t stop me. Pain didn’t stop me. Fear didn’t stop me.
Instead, they all taught me one truth:
My second innings is not about age — It’s about survival, resilience, and the fierce joy of being alive.
Every journey now feels like a celebration. Every sunrise feels like a blessing. Every mountain feels like it’s calling my name.
I walk for myself.
I walk for Tulsi.
I walk for the life I fought to reclaim.
And I walk with gratitude — for the doctors who healed me, for the family who held me, and for the spirit inside me that refuses to sit still.
This is my Second Innings. Not defined by illness, but by courage. Not marked by what I lost, but by what I chose to live for. And as long as my heart beats, my wheels will keep moving.