One Friday Evening – Perks of being a ‘Serious’ Rider
Date: 11th December, 2015
It was around 8pm when I entered
Infosys’ MLPL (Multi Level Parking Lot) where twofloors are dedicated for
bikers and 7 floors for cars .Yes, I find it ridiculous too, considering the
number of two wheelers which are kept open under sun and rain. I just walked to
my bike with an admiration as if it was the first time we are going on a ride.
This happens every day ;) The typical process of warm up starts, start the
engine and leave it to get heat after 10hrs of sleep and in the meanwhile wear
the gear. You might be wondering what gear??? I would like to keep it always in
between safety and comfort. Considering the Hinjewadi traffic and my distance
of 7kms, 30% of my ride is in first gear and less than 20kmph and for the rest there
are broad tyres with a little less traffic where I can hit the 60kmph mark. So
my gear includes, Balaclava, Jacket (unarmoured), Helmet and then gloves.
So coming back to reality, my
machine is idling and I am wearing the gear, then I see a middle aged person, 30-35yrs
of age, relentlessly trying to kick start his bike. It was a Pulsar 135LS red
coloured in not so good condition. Everyone around him are just leaving like
kids run from school after the last bell. This happens every day too. He was
ready to just push the bike to ground floor to the service shop where all they
do is repairing punctured tyres. Seeing me wearing all the gear and looking
like a ‘Serious’ Rider he looked at me and then my inner one woke up and asked
him ‘Are you not able to start the bike?’ He said ‘Yes’ in a happy note, he
understood I offered help. Then I removed all the gear to help and I don’t know
but I was more than happy this time going away from my machine. Below is the
conversation we have.
Me: “Just be cool and let’s try kickstarting it again”. I
sat on the bike and tried. 5 times, no response. I can see the ignition
starting but the spark is not catching the pulse.
Him: “I tried and I am tired now” with a childish smile.
Me: “When was the last time you started the bike?” it’s time
to start some diagnosis.
Him: “It has been here since last two days.” There comes the
catch, it is a winter and engine is cold. It just is talking time to warm up.
Me: “Don’t worry. It takes time to warm up being an old
model it takes more time. Where is the choke for this bike?"
Him: “I don’t know” Yes he is just one in million commuters
in India who knows nothing about their machine. I don’t blame them.
Me: “It should be below the fuel gauge controller. See you
got it here” He was happy knowing something unknown about his 5year old
machine. “Push it while you kickstart it will start. First let me know remove
the spark plug and see” It’s fine. I attached it again. Now in two kicks the
bike responded with a small pulse, third time it woke up like a lazy kid having
slept all day.
Him: “Rise it more, more” I can see his feet off the ground
with joy.
Me: “Yes no worries now” I varied the RPMs so that engine
gets heated up fast and it did, I can hear the sound. I handed over the bike to
him and said “Have fun, Hinjewadi traffic will keep it heated now”
Him: “Thanks a lot, Thanq very much” trying to shake my hand
with one hand on the throttle ;)
Then he left like a kid with a new toy. I wore my gear and
left the MLPL on my machine. Under the helmet, I was smiling big enough that my
cheek bones don’t fit anymore in my helmet. That’s the most self-satisfying thing
I have done all week J
I didn’t do any mechanical wonder to start his bike but the joy of he leaving
home with no tension on a Friday evening made my day or my weekend.
Picture abhi baaki mere dost….
They say ‘good deeds pay off’ I believe
in this, but I didn’t know when. This time it was fast, this is how.
Because
I was helping him and I got into a delay of about 10mins, I now have to get
stuck at the checking point of Infosys where all the bikes from MLPL get
accumulated like ants at a sugar candy. It takes hell lot of time to get out of
the campus than reaching campus every day. Had I started 10 mins before I would
have zoomed past most of them and would have finished the checking fast but now
I am stuck with 50 bikes ahead of me. Surprisingly I know most of the security
guards who stand for checking just by a smile, I do that to strangers a lot ;)
Some think I am crazy but it’s okay I keep doing that. I smiled at the guard in
the four wheeler checking lane as usual, he could sense be being impatient
being stuck there.
Immediately he came up to me and said, “Sir take the four
wheeler lane and go”
I replied “No, how can I? It’s not allowed na and I didn’t finish
the checking also”
He said “It’s okay sir, I will tell the guards” and then he
shouts to the guard at the front “Leave Sir, I know him”
I entered the four wheeler lane and swiped for the last time
for the week. Every two wheelers are glaring at me like “How can he go? Why are
we not allowed? Shit I am still stuck, What the?” I can’t see the guard who
helped going, but I lifted my hand and waved thanking him and in the RVM I can
see a hand waving higher J
This broadened my smile further.
What an end to the weekend? These
two incidents just swiped off all the tensions and dissatisfactions in the work
and all. I am now in at most peace. I keep thinking how did this happen? Only
possible answer I could see, is with me. Moments like this make our bond
stronger and me more responsible. Hope it goes for infinite miles…
