After going to Kanighat from Srimangal on the 14th of February and leaving my bicycle, I could not leave the office and home for two consecutive weeks due to various complications. I've never been so anxious about my beloved cycle on a long ride. Because I don't know the person to whom I left the bicycle in the Kanighat market.
Even he doesn't know me one iota. Only with reference to a well-wisher brother in Sylhet, a stranger to himself, but a known brother's acquaintance leaving a bicycle for a long time was mind-blowing. And with that restless mind I had to spend two weeks in the office and at home accepting the cruel reality.
Finally on the night of 28th February, I finished my office duties and boarded the bus from Mohakhali after 12 midnight. After dealing with the busyness of the office for three consecutive days, I will ride a long and remote route for the next three consecutive days. I bought an AC bus ticket on purpose for the first time because of a long journey to see the whole country.
But even though the bus was comfortable, it was not a good night's sleep after stopping and turning on the lights. After a half-awake night, I landed in Sylhet at 6:30 a.m, on a late winter's mild frost morning. Not getting a direct bus to Kanighat from Kadamtali or Badamtali bus stop for a long time, seeing that time was wasted, I finally got stuck in the bus to Jokiganj. You can take the bus from Shahbag Bazar to CNG and go to Kanighat Bazar.
But that local bus of Jokiganj stopped at so many places and the goods were so high that the two-hour journey took about three hours, reaching the extreme limit of annoyance and finally dropped Shahbagh Bazar after 9 am. Got CNG but because the passengers were not full.
Thinking of my precious time, I had started proceeding with the condition of paying the remaining passenger fare. After about 20-30 minutes I reached Kanighat market. The one with whom I left the bicycle, even if I got him on the phone, I was disappointed to know that his brother had taken the key to where he kept the bicycle, or that his brother had taken it to Sylhet.
But I have to take the bicycle! I will definitely not waste a day that I have been waiting for so much. So when I offered that grandfather, I will buy a new lock if needed, you arrange to break the lock, he found a way to open the locked door in a different way. He removed the heavy fridge, table and some other furniture next to the separate door on the way inside, waking up the people sleeping in that room, and made it possible for me to take out my bicycle. I also brought out the safely kept bicycle even though it was a little difficult.
Thanking grandpa sincerely, I cleaned the dust accumulated on the bicycle and took off the t-shirt of the night journey. Put them in the bag, put on the ride clothes, after 15 days I sat on the bicycle after understanding the location. The journey began. After starting to run the destination that I had decided in my mind for the day, as time started to pass, I realized that it would be impossible to reach my destination today. Especially seeing the condition of the road before reaching Saraighat.
Although I enjoyed coming across the beautiful secluded path of the pitch-pour village, new place, new village, very few people this spring leafy nature. But the road is not as smooth as in the previous places, and a lot of time has been wasted by crossing unnecessarily high bridges! Although the mind was happy to find the Jaflong highway from Kanighat to Chatul Bazar, Darbast to Sylhet. A little further, entering the road from Saraighat to Goainghat, I was delighted to find the fine pitched road for the first time in the day.
The road to Goainghat was so beautiful that I drove a lot. Sometimes there are paddy fields scattered on both sides of the road, sometimes it is a lonely village road, sometimes it is the sweetness of a long road that touches the horizon. On this way, I saw the first surprise of the day!
In the middle of the empty road, in an empty place, there are some very old structures standing among some trees. It looks like two or three old houses built on pillars with a floor level of about two floors. A few ancient houses that are very surprising, the wonder why they were made in an empty place with no locality!
Although it is not possible to get answers to these things at that moment, so I started walking with some memories. I stopped there for the first time of the day, finding a nice bridge in a great empty place. There was a matter of making some new preparations.
As I started walking again after a break, I remembered walking this route a few years ago. I brought my family with me during one rainy season of service. And on the way back from Bishatkandi I went to my most favorite place in the country and the village Panthumai. Keeping that in mind, I wanted to add Pangthumai, which was on my route and out of my plan, to this trip to see the country on two wheels.
I thought, in such a wonderful place, the opportunity to spend some time on my favorite bicycle is not always available. So I decided to go to Panthumai again. And going off the main route, learned the way to Panthumai from the local people and cycled towards it. For this, about 20-25 kilometers more had to be walked. However, compared to the beauty of the road, the sweetness of nature and the sheer joy of walking on the narrow paths of the village, the journey of 20-25 kilometers is insignificant.
Especially the 5 km before entering the Panthumai village, where I saw the blue hills of Meghalaya for the first time. If you don't see the path of that beautiful village with your own eyes, if you don't move slowly according to your own pace, if you want to stop at a place and see the mountains, if you don't enjoy it, I can't explain it to anyone else.
Locked in the hypnosis of the front, to advance towards the vastness of the blue hills, along the crooked, meth roads of this village, it is as if one could cycle for eternity without leaving any fatigue, any irritation and any backwardness!
I, too, intoxicated by the blue hills of Meghalaya, walked along the path of Pitch Dhalla Nikhand village of Pangthumai village as if in a strange hypnosis! Crossing thick bamboo groves, jungles, thickets, at one point I reached the banks of my beloved quiet, slow still, silent Tatini, in the shade of the trees of the Pian river, touching the border of the farthest end of the village of dear Pangthumai!
It is a strange and wonderful place in Bangladesh! Panthumai is the most beautiful village in the country for me. Because, at the same time, surrounded by secluded villages, mountains, forests, springs, rivers, clouds, fog, I do not doubt whether such a strange nature exists or can be found anywhere else, I can say with certainty that it will not be found again! What is more special is that this place is surrounded by nature. There is no noise here.
On the other side of Tatini there is a small shadowy island! The island surrounded by beautiful shade and forest! Where a small cottage makes it possible to meet the basic needs of life, eternity can be spent in peace, contemplation and solitude.
That's why I spent a lot of lazy time, lying down, on the banks of the pines, in the shade of the trees, rolling in the green grass that day. Then as I had to walk a long way, I started walking again as soon as I got that thought. Now one of the favorite destinations of the day is towards Bishatkandi. As soon as I started walking on this path, I came across the first and most bumpy dirt road of this long journey. It is very difficult and tiring to ride a bike for a long time. However, we have to keep moving forward.
Walked a long way, asked many people, knowing the way, crossed the long unpaved road, when I reached Hadarpara market, it was past two in the afternoon! Having not had a good breakfast in the morning, I took a lunch break at Hadarpar Bazaar. After eating rice with beef, I began to overcome the sea of dirt and dust, which was more terrible than before.
After a long and boring journey, I reached the vast flat valley of Bishatkandi's wonderful landscape. The hypnosis of the blue hills of Meghalaya stands as a wall on three sides.
Leaving that beautiful landscape, plowing through the hilly dirt road, I cycled across the dusty stone path to the stone-bedd Bishatkandi. Although it was not the rainy season, there was no water in the bed, so its former appearance was not seen that day. Still, I spent a lot of time lying on the stone bed, leaning against the mountain wall, soaking in the spring breeze.
Then the road started again towards another beautiful place Bholaganj.
The road from Bisthakandi to Bholaganj is more dangerous and difficult than Panthumai and Bisthakandi, very rugged and unbearable. But even though the path was like this, the hypnosis of the mountains on both sides of the path kept me and my path enthralled all the time. That's why I forgot the pain, distance and pain of the journey and moved forward by looking at the fascinating nature around. At one point, I was very tired while walking along the rough path of the bare earth. So much so that I didn't want to walk anymore.
Just then, a bamboo bridge over a river had to be crossed, with a toll of five taka. Despite the reluctance, just seeing their very poor condition and paying ten taka toll on the bicycle and moving forward with two pedals, they saw a beautiful, silent mountain river. Green paddy fields on both sides! A shade tree swaying in the breeze and a soft bed carpeted with green grass. Changed the direction in a moment, turned the bicycle to the quiet river bank, put the body in the soft green grass of the shade of the tree, leaving the bicycle next to it!
Oh, what a place! What a time of heavenly happiness I spent is indescribable. I spent an unearthly time on the banks of that calm river, lying on the green grass surrounded by the shade of trees, that happiness, that joy and the value of that time only I know, I can perceive and I can feel. By saying, writing or showing pictures, he is not trying to convince at all. (I came to Bholaganj and found out that it was actually Utmachara). Despite great reluctance, I had to get up from there and move forward. Another 30+ km drive followed, with even more horrendous dirt ruts and dusty, rocky sandy roads.
Along the way, once all the energy of the body was exhausted, I crossed the Doarbazar area to find a green empty field, left the bicycle and threw myself on the ground. After eating all the water in a row, I fell asleep after closing my eyes with chocolate mouth!
I was asleep for about 30-45 minutes. After that, I started contacting and did not proceed further to arrange where to stay. Calling Apu Nazrul to see if he can find someone local, I went ahead a little further and crossed the Dharla Bridge and reached the Bholaganj border!
But when I was disappointed because I couldn't get in touch with anyone and I couldn't find anything conveniently in Bholaganj, I started thinking whether I should return to Sylhet or Dhaka, that's when Apu Nazrul called. And after getting Machum Bro's number in an SMS, I started walking towards Doarbazar in the opposite direction again.
Driving four or five kilometers back, Doarbazar reached the intersection of three roads, when I found Machum Bro, he was surprised and surprised when he opened his face mask and said, Hey, you brother? Call my social media name! Which made him and me both surprised, surprised and delighted! That means we both know each other through social media. But never seen before!
At Machum Bro's place, I left the bicycle in the room and went to take a dip in the cool Dharla of the last winter and take a bath to wash away the dust, dirt and fatigue of the whole day. The really cool Dharla water gave great relaxation and a peaceful sleep after Machum Bro's entertainment. I checked the records with the data shared by him. On that day, I drove 90 kilometers on the rough dirt road!
That's how I covered 90 km on my cycle. So far today. I will return again with a new travel experience.