1. As I rolled into a petrol bunk, I stood in the queue to fill up. I was the 3rd one in line and I saw a localite, sporting a tricolour on his rear view mirror, zooming in from nowhere and as usual breaking the queue and standing next to the fuel pump attendant. - Smiling at him - saying in rural Marathi dialect - FILL ER UP!! - I couldn't help open my mouth and said - BOSS..kam se kam 15th August ko to aisa matt karo. Baki sab din to hum Indians har cheez ko lightly lete hain. Kam se kam aaj ke din ka to khayal karo. Needless to say, the attendant asked the guy to move his bike away. Feels nice to see that even in today's consumerism driven society, where people don't care for fellow human beings but we still have some amount of respect for our nation and its integrity so what if it’s only on 2 specific days. The attendant smiled at me and then handed me a small tricolour and a packet of laddoos - Happy Independence Day Sir! - Loud patriotic music blaring in the background at the fuel bunk I was happy to be an Indian. Really happy and proud.
2. Hardly did I move a 100 meters I saw a tricolour, obviously fallen off a reckless biker's rear view mirror stub, rolling across the road. I screeched to a halt and stopped broadside on the HIGHWAY to bend over and pick up the flag from the road. The speeding cars behind me saw the indicators flashing on my bike, and noticed what i was doing. Not even a single one blew his horn but couple of them just smiled at me. Surprising? Not at all. Deep in our heart we still ARE human beings and respect our country and people who respect the Nation and its flag. Had it been my cap or my bag, people would have run over it, or sworn choicest of words for being so careless and foolish as to stop broadside on the damn highway ....Faith instilled i moved off towards Mumbai
3. As i took a short break in Mumbai i read in one of the leading periodicals about the College Festival being held at one of Mumbai's famous colleges. I couldn't believe it when i saw that the FASHION SHOW had been replaced by a MOTORCYCLE SHOW. A 20 Yr old Ex-Collegiate had actually put up a show of modified bikes and had captured the hearts, minds and attention of the cool dudes and babes who were all on a clicking frenzy with their mobile cameras. No prejudice to the cat walking nymphets but is this a sign of the coming ages? Are we really focusing on different things from now onwards? Is
Thankfully to my relief before i could see tears brimming on the edge of my eyelids with emotion. i entered Mumbai and experienced REALITY. The beautifully laid FRESH potholes placed so nicely on the road that one had to be a swift snake going amazingly zig zag at 20 KMPH to avoid them. I managed to dodge a few but then overall had to go bouncy bouncy till my speedometer assembly started rattling loose.
Thank god i got the irritating vibrations noises back on my bike. Finally i again have a valid reason to visit my mechanic today. Tighten up all screws.
You know sometimes its good when such things bring you back to Mother Earth, it may leave you with despair but it definitely leaves you with HOPE..
Saala ek na ek din yahaan pe bhi ROAD ho jayega!
I am sure there are better times to come...Well!! I certainly do feel so! Have never had a happier independence day.
Here's wishing you all my biking brothers and sisters A Very Happy Happy Independence Day.
Wishing Independence from all Professional n Personal problems...from Motorcycle Troubles (Bikes really don’t bother us ...They are just moody...)... all Traffic Snarls...potholes...All highway Road Rash...
Vande Mataram - Bharat Mata ki Jay!!
Cheers - Praveen P Sathaye
P.S - Statutory Warning : - Please forgive the OVERKILL!!
