Sweet Bicycle O' Mine

Bicycles are the major way of commuting in almost every institute for students these days. Among them, save some lucky dogs who have the pleasure of sitting comfi on the seats of bikes and similar two (some even have four) wheelers. Removing such people, the whole student community can be divided into some categories. First category, nice people, (why nice?), I am in this category. They have the bicycles in working condition. If you are bicycle less, you either have to look for the insti buses, or you have to choose a "lucky" guy for sitting on his bicycle's carrier (I don't know who is "luckier", you or he, as the carrier is made up of iron and your...well you know it). These two constitute the 2nd and 3rd categories, respectively. Or if you are one of those health conscious beings (not too much time conscious though) you will like to go on foot, but these are in minority. So, coming to my bicycle. Why is it special? It takes revenge. "Revenge"? Yeah! "Of what?”. Of me giving my bicycle to the people of yet another category, the fourth category, continuously strengthening in number. These are the ones who have their bicycles punctured, lost or its key lost, etc, etc. Guess my bicycle doesn't like anyone else except me climbing on it. The condition becomes more pathetic when you are surrounded by friends who belong to the last three categories.

The kind of revenge it takes might appear to be funny to you, but it gets onto my nerves at times. Firstly, the chain. The chain of my bicycle is like a magician's knot which loosens the moment it appears to be almost undoable. And the interesting part of it is, it loosens only when I'm riding the bicycle, and not when anyone else is riding it. Can you believe it? The irritation becomes higher, if someone comes and says "Great bicycle, da! It's so smooth and flawless!” Here, some of our friends who are mathematically inclined must feel the urge to say that "You idiot! It is ought to happen. You are the one riding the bicycle most of the time. So, the probability of its chain loosening with you riding it is higher than anyone else." At this point, Einsteins, I would like to clear the doubt, that I'm not the one riding MY bicycle most of the time; it's the people of fourth category. Anyways, once I was the "lucky" guy to give ride to this friend of mine. As soon as I turned my bicycle after dropping him, the spokes of the rear tire bent while some of them simply broke off as if they wanted to say "You are lucky indeed".

These are just little revenges which I almost became habitual of, until my bicycle showed its ultimate anger. After coming from mess, having our afternoon coffee, I and Torpi were on the way back to hostel on bicycles. Torpi (the devil) asked me to show some guts and called me for a bicycle race. Initially I said "childish" and soon after I became "childish". I paddled harder, and soon gained enormous speed. Torpi's poor bicycle couldn't catch up. Just when I was about to clear the hypothetical line which would have marked my victory, something happened which I can't explain as it involves some hi funda mechanical failure that can happen to any bicycle, but for the sake of our understanding, I will say it acted as an instantaneous brake for the front wheel and I did a wheelie. Now, I don't think I need to explain to you what happened to me next. They say that I was air borne for like some, eternity. I broke my pair of glasses; thankfully none went into my eyes. What can be regarded as a perfect timing, is, we had our CY102 quiz the next day. No, it wasn't that bad, the injuries, that I had to skip the quiz, but the aftermaths are still audible and visible. I have a "talking elbow" which can make sound voluntarily and some bruises at such "strategic" places that you will wonder how he got that (like a bruise on the back side of other elbow). Some of you who have read about my bicycle accident in previous blogpost "My experience with a Jyotishi" can now say "Hey Sid, where's your helmet, huh? Forgot you are riding a bicycle?” I agree. I don't share very peaceful relationships with my bicycles.
I want to say to my bicycle if it is reading this "Hey, it’s me who takes care of your oiling, dusting and other routine stuff. Then why me? Why not some other guy riding you?”

Just when I was writing this post, Ravi (my friend and another fourth category guy) came to my door. He was to return the bicycle keys, I suppose, but with utter grief on his face, he said, "Sorry da. I lost your bicycle". I was like "HUH?” I was thinking that my first category status is finally gone. I almost said "I'll miss you" to my bicycle when Ravi said "Got you! Your bicycle is near Gurunath. I was too forgetful to remember that I borrowed your bicycle and guess what (sheepish smile reigns), I came on foot". What an idiot! I said, playing with my emotions.

"Well, the revenge is still not complete may be" I said to myself and completed the post.