I am an oldie, you might call me fogey who blabbers, but here I am telling you about my experience with my bike. So, be patient with my blabbers.
In my days there were no swanky and designer bikes. In my time we had Rajdoot: Ek Jandar sawari ,shandar sawari. Though there were others as Yezdi and Bullet as well but I liked it the most.
I still remember vividly when I had brought home my Rajdoot with the savings and some loan from my father after completion of two years of my job in bank. It was very first experience of my family members as well to call a locomotive of their own.My father traversed mostly on his bicycle to his job and for the odd jobs of the house, for other things we used public transport. Now we had cut down on the public transport, heavily. Now I started going to office on my bike. I used to take my parents on my bike to parks, temples, and doctors. Now we were reaching faster to our destinations and that too without any pushing and shoving of public transport.
I used to feel like real Dharmedra whenever my wife was a pillion rider. But I never went berserk with speed to show off. I was a calmed version of Dharmendra: Full in emotion but balanced in energy. In those days getting some time alone with wife used to be a real luxury in Lucknow. I used to make pretext that I had an invitation from a friend and going to his house, while in reality we used to go to movies. It used to be a sheer experience watching movies like Jugnu,Charas with my real life Hema Malini in the old time movie theatres that were far cry from today’s multiplexes.
Gradually time passed and we got blessed with two lovely daughters. I gave them ride to their nursery… to their colleges. My bike has been part of their jitters before an exam and their giggles after the exam. Whenever they fell ill, my bike worked like ambulance for them as well. Once my youngest daughter had severe toothache while she was 4 years old and she was crying like hell. I made her sit on the petrol tank of the bike and rushed her to the doc. But when I reached, I saw that clinic had still half an hour to open. Amid the uproar, created in my mind by the tears of my daughter, I had forgotten to notice that my daughter who was crying badly some minutes ago had a light smile on her face. The ride of Rajdoot had worked as a therapeutic element. I gave her ride on my bike for another 20 minutes before coming to the clinic. I always felt weak when my daughters cried, I am thankful to my bike for making them smile.
Times changed… many new models and brands of bikes started running on the roads of India, and my Rajdoot grew an oldie with me. Now with the change in the design of the bikes, the change in the style of motorbiking came as well. Now it was time of youth who were ready to touch the sky with the fierce celerity of their bikes on roads. I meet several youngsters taking over me on roads, everyday, with a feeling of “king of the road”. Today also I met one king of the road, on the road. I have brought him to a near- by hospital and now some neurosurgeons are operating him for a serious brain injury. I sit outside the O.T praying for positive news. Join me in the prayer.
