Birds of a Feather

A farewell is a sweet reminder that lives longer than an average memory. Puducherry may not have delivered for the expected events; however, a group of bikers ensured Kaka remembered the city on a positive note.

Kaka and B.O.Y. 2.0 have departed from Puducherry for Chennai today morning. He bids goodbye to the familiar lodge and rides towards the highway by himself.

On the way, he is instructed to take a detour to Mahabalipuram where a group of bikers await his arrival. They meet at the decided spot and lead Kaka over to the bikers’ favourite place!

Sitting by the passing road, a cosy café welcomes Kaka. Joe’s Café is a den for these bikers who have come especially to meet Kaka. All of them park their bikes neatly – decorating the café’s entrance.

The bikers’ act of placing Kaka’s bike as the focal point of their parking arrangement speaks volumes of the reverence they have for this old man’s high-spiritedness!

Once inside, everyone introduces themselves to Kaka when he realises that only one out of those 10-15 bikers knows Hindi… Swiftly, he adjusts to the scene and takes the aid of the translator whenever needed.

He gives a small power-packed presentation in the café. One of the bikers, Joe, records his efforts and has posted the video on his channel ‘Joe Mahabs’. You must surely watch it!

The thundering applause in the small café catches the attention of the other patrons who are majorly foreigners.

A Russian lady’s attention lingers longer on Kaka’s table than the others. Kaka is up for this opportunity. With the translator in tow, he introduces himself again. Expecting to be turned away any moment, Kaka still moves to the next step – asking for a photograph!

The lady smiles… and hands over her phone for the photograph! Surprised and pleased, Kaka is eager to know the reason.

Turns out, this Russian is a social worker! Despite the language, cultural, and nationality differences, she talks of planting trees and saving the ones that are already planted. She also educates kids who can’t afford schools and teaches stitching to underprivileged girls so that they may lead a respectable and independent future.

It is only when you are immersed in a topic that you realise the depth of its importance. Her gesture of capturing the moment of meeting another human working for a social cause displays the respect she has for Kaka.

She promises to post about Kaka, B.O.Y. 2.0, and the need of organ donation on her social media channels. Kaka expresses his gratitude and wishes her the best for her endeavours.

Their instant connection is sent to us via WhatsApp for us to treasure and know that in every pocket of the world, there are people working selflessly for the society’s betterment.

Day 30
Puducherry to Chennai | 167 kms
– Juhi Kothari/Shetty