I've loved to drive a two wheeler ever since I can remeber. I remember my first set of 2 wheels was my bicycle. And touch wood, the only set of 2 wheel which threw me out of seat when I was learning to tame it. But once I was in control, it felt like the roads are not enough. Every morning before school, every evening after school and every other occassion that I could get... I was found on the bicycle. Suddenly I became the obedient and caring son of my mother. I'll get the milk, bread, grocary. I'll go and post the letter. I'll go and inform the aunty in next street about the Pooja in our house... I'll do everything which requires me to ride my baby devil.
The enthusiasm was same when at the tender (and illegal) age of 13 I got hold of my dad's Bajaj scooter. And instead of being reluctant to let me drive a scooter at 13, I guess he felt a litttle proud. He himself tough me to ride a scooter. And after that there was not looking back. In those days Bajaj used to be the the ultimate dream machine. I used to flaunt it to the girls on the street, in the market and everywhere I could see them. "See, I can drive a scooter at the age of 15... isn't that cool..." was the message I used to emitt whenever I was on the driver's seat. In fact the term drive/driver does not go with a 2 wheeler... so now on I'll not drive it, I'll be riding it and I'll a rider here on.
By the time I reached high school (12th class), Bajaj Scooter, the Dream... started to fade. It was overshadowed by the new star on the road... a motorcycle or as we all call it... a BIKE. Its not that it was the time when the "Bike concept" was started. Rajdoots, Enfeilds and Yamaha RXs were always there... but it was the time when bikes re-invented themselves. It was the time when the bike ceased to be a bad boy's toy and started to be common man's ticket for some fun. Some adrenaline pumping without being on the wrong side of the law. And it was the time that saw the advent of Hero Honda Splendour, India's first 4-stroke bike. Engine refinement, power, milage and never seen before looks to die for, HH Splendour catapulted to be India's (and soon world's) largest selling bike. Every teen ager (and many not so teen agers too) had a new dream machine. Splendour did to 2 wheeler market what Maruti 800 did to 4 wheelers. Though Bajaj (synonymous to scooters in India) still was house hold name, it still was the great Indian middle class's life line, but Splendour (or should I say BIKE) had definitely arrived.
So, now somewhere in there, I had a dream to own a bike. But neither were we such a रईस family that we could afford to have a luxary of 2 vehicles, nor was dad willing to let go his Bajaj for my bike. "You cannot even keep 500 gm potatoes in a bike, and on scooter you can carry whole month's ration".. I simply had no reason big enough to beat that. One possible way could have been... if I perform too well in the 12th board exams (and by too well I mean at least 80%+ score in all subjects), and ask for a bike as tribute to my hardwork, I could get one. But 80 percent...!! Are you crazy...!! Suddenly convincing my dad to let go his Bajaj was looking easier option. So, the 'bike dream' took a back seat, but never left... it always was there.
College days were spent in awe and jealousy for those who had bikes. And invariably all of them got a girl as well, for pillion ride. We, gang of 5-6, were deserted in both departments. No bike, no girl. Slowly I was convinced that I don't have any of the 2, because I am not worth it. I accepted the fate and started to learn without both. Though the learning was hard, tough and many times heart breaking. And salt to all my injuries was that guy in my class VSR (sorry but I wont take the full name). First he got the girl I (and many others) were eyeing for... and if that was not bad enough after 1st semester he got HH Karizma, THE bike of that time. Standing on the bus stop in cruel Delhi heat and VSR zooms past riding Karizma with my girl sitting behind... boy I wish I could put those feeling in words... it can only be experienced... not written. Somehow... as time passed I learnt to live with (and without) it. Now I knew the only sure shot way to get a bike was, as they say the BEST way, to earn it. I decided as soon as I finish college and start earning, I'll get myself a bike. Though how would I get the pillion rider, if at all I get one, was still not clear.
College finally came to an end travelling in DTC buses. Now facing me was even a bigger challenge. A monster which I always thought existed in stories and not in reality. I was facing unemployment. Suddenly the Computer Graduate degree was looking like the consolation certificate in a debate competition, which you can be proud of, but no one else is bothered to even look at it. I realised that the degree might have been something when I joined the college, but by the time I got it in my hands, the world has moved ahead. Now everyone wants either a Master's Degree, an engineering degree or working experience. I had none. Now what..? now where do I go from here? What do I do now..?? Is it all over..?? Well, not just yet. They need a master's degree, they'll get a master's degree. I decided I'll do Masters in Computer Application. I wrote all the MCA entrance exams that I could and all that I could afford. But as the luck would have it, my rank was not enough to get through the Top colleges. Tier 2 college with higher fee structure.... wasn't making any sense to me. So came the big bold step (again), I'll wait for one more year and clear the exam next year. But what till then..? Well another big and ambitious decision. I'll earn and pay for my coaching. But how...? I needed to do a master degree in the first place only because the bachelor's degree was not good enough to get me a job. But thanks to Raman Roy, the father of BPO industry in India, me and thousands like me got the dignity, the pride and contentment to EARN. I got into a US based BPO. The bike which took a backseat in front of bigger 'unemployment' issue, started to come to the fore again....
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