Describe a risk you took that you do not regret.
Naveen sat on his study table. He had been asked ‘sternly’ to sit and focus on his studies and hence a school textbook laid open in front of him. However, the content of the page was veiled by the thoughts in Naveen’s mind and he made no effort to make it clear.
He looked to his left, between the gap of the two curtains, outside the window. The light of the Sun gave a bright view of the world that stood outside the window.
Naveen looked at the marks left by a light bruise on his right palm. The bruise had attracted considerable trouble. He recalled how he had received it.
Examinations were at the corner of the preceding week. Despite objections raised by Naveen’s mother, Naveen’s maternal grandfather bought his grandson a new red bicycle.
Naveen sped through the neighbourhood, smiling and rushing past everything and everyone. Naveen loved his previous bicycle but he had outgrown it and it remained standing in his room under a white sheet. But now he was back pedalling a new one.
Imagine yourself standing in a house by the road, looking down on the road from a balcony or a window, and a boy rushes by smiling on his red bicycle, and you decide to keep watching him till he vanishes outside of your sight, but he doesn’t vanish, I will tell you why.
In his rekindled enjoyment of riding a bicycle, Naveen had almost missed to notice the incoming puddle of water and what little he was able to notice of it, wasn’t enough to allow him to apply brakes or make a turn in time; so, down he went. Some passersby helped him get up. Wet and partially bruised, Naveen slowly pedalled his red bicycle back home. Despite the discomfort, he was glad that his bicycle hadn’t been damaged much.
The bruise on the right palm… Naveen was able to observe very closely how his mother’s expression of worry changed into that of anger upon seeing the bruise. ‘How could Naveen have been so careless especially with the exams approaching?’ was one of the several questions Naveen’s mother asked him and then she asked some similar kind of questions to his maternal grandfather as well. His grandfather almost had the same expression as Naveen
At present, Naveen still sat once again peeking at the world outside. The exams were two days away now, there was no way his mother would allow him take a ride on his bicycle, even if he had pleaded to the best of his abilities. He looked back at his textbook.. but wait, ‘had the intensity of the sun light outside decreased?’
Naveen looked back at the sight he was previously focussed upon; the sunlight had certainly started dimming. He pushed aside the curtains and looked up at the sky, the dark clouds had decided to paint the sky differently. The air felt comfortably cooler. It was the perfect weather for… yes bicycling.
What could Naveen do, to not let this perfect weather pass by without him riding his bicycle in it. He could try asking his mother, she could be in a very good mood and agree.
Naveen walked to his mother’s room and glanced inside. She had fallen asleep while reading a book, sitting on the rocking chair.
‘I can go out quietly, take a quick ride and be back before she wakes up,’ Naveen thought and that is exactly what he proceeded to do. He took out the key to the bicycle’s lock from the drawer, then he wore his shoes before slowly creeping towards the door, making sure to open and close it slowly without making any noise as he left.
Naveen stepped out of the building with his red bicycle and he looked up the sky, the weather felt pleasant. Even if his mother happened to wake up before his return, it will all be worth it.
Back in my childhood days, I distinctly remember the joy of pedalling a bicycle and feeling the air against my face. The air was cleaner back then, the summer days were less hot but most importantly I possessed something far more essential and obvious according to my age, ‘the imagination and will power of small child’. I too loved every bit of riding my bicycle, for me my bicycle was no less than even the most expensive and feature rich automobile in the world.
Now, I mostly walk my way around and watch other children enjoy their bicycle rides, just like that boy who passed by me on a red bicycle.
Early Morning Memories 
One response to “Streamlined”
And life goes on…
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