The engine roared to life on a quiet morning in New Delhi in the early 1970s, marking the beginning of a journey that would last a lifetime. For Yogeshwar Bhalla, buying his first Royal Enfield 350 cc Bullet with his hard-earned salary was more than a purchase. It was the start of a love affair with the open road, one that would later find its true meaning when Sushma entered his life.

Their marriage was arranged, their personalities different, and their expectations uncertain. But somewhere between the hum of the engine and the winding roads leading from Delhi to Kashmir on their honeymoon, something deeper took root. The motorcycle became their shared language. The road became their shared home.

Over the decades, their Bullet carried not just two people, but a growing family and countless memories. Hill stations like Manali, Shimla, and Mussoorie became familiar companions. Their son would sit in front, their daughter cradled safely in Sushma’s arms, while Yogeshwar steered them through mist-covered mountains and sunlit valleys.

Years passed. Responsibilities were fulfilled. Their children grew up and built lives of their own. And in 2011, when retirement arrived, it did not bring stillness. Instead, it gave them freedom.

The road called them again.

This time, their journeys stretched beyond India’s borders. They rode and travelled across 24 countries through the alpine beauty of Switzerland, the historic streets of Europe, and the quiet countryside of distant lands. In Nepal, at the age of 69, Yogeshwar ran toward the sky and paraglid over Pokhara, feeling the wind carry him like a young man again. In Bhutan, he hiked despite aching ankles, trusting nature more than medicine.

There were difficult moments too. Dangerous roads, sudden rains, and uncertain crossings. But each challenge became a reminder of their silent promise wherever they went, they would go together.

Today, they still ask each other the same question after every journey.

Where to next?

Their eyes now turn toward Japan not as tourists, but as travellers who believe love does not age, and life does not slow down.

For them, retirement was never an ending.

It was simply the beginning of the longest journey of their lives. 

Source / Image Credit : cntraveller