The bicycle story

I earned less than 20 k a month while working for an NGO. Besides other things, it made my life rather difficult, when it came to buying expensive gifts for R. The farthest I had gone in buying something for him was a Reebok t-shirt, then. Well, that's all I could afford. Ever since I've known R, I've come to know of various things that fascinate him (weird things). They are typically 'man' things like gadgets and gizmos. But one thing that he always wanted was a'bicycle'. He had the same story to share like many others who have had the typical Bong middle class childhood ---- his dad never bought him a cycle on which he could ride to school(and show off). That was perhaps one of his biggest disappointments of his childhood and every time he saw a kid on a fancy bicycle, he looked at them with so much jealousy. And like Anupam Kher in DDLJ he swore to give everything to his kid that he missed out on in his childhood-- even if it was just a bicycle.(I wonder if he will allow Meeshu to be out with boyfriends in high school--after all he had a really boring childhood that way).

So then, the bicycle craving continued, at some point in time it got damn strong-- he was really keen on buying one for himself -his excuse was that it was his ONLY motivation to wake up early and exercise. I was totally against it owing to the fact that there was no space to store another piece of junk. He got into a frenzy... well, almost.

That year I finally started earning some money when I joined the NGO. Prior to that working in a production house fetched me little or no money, and I lived off R mostly (how could I, i keep asking my self...i mean, ME?!). Anyhow, I had decided that for Valentine's that year, R would finally get his bicycle. So i did go and buy him a BSA sports cycle, with the works. On 14th morning that day he woke up to see his 'childhood dream' come true. Of course, he had issues. He wanted to exchange it. We did. But all I was interested in was when he'd finally wake up to go cycling. A week passed and then a month. Track pants were bought, and all (un)necessary gears along with it.

Finally one fine day he woke up and got into his Nike tee and cycling shorts and wore his new shoes took out the cycle. On his way out of our apartment on the steep road up, he fell (coz he couldn't pedal any further on the steep road --lol). Huffing and puffing he came back. Ever since its been lying like a piece of junk in our garage. The pic you see is proof of that. It is slowly rusting.....This morning I saw it and it brought back memories.

Next time I hear a sob story about his childhood, I know which direction to look.