Wheels of Memories

Describe an item you were incredibly attached to as a youth. What became of it?

It was a hot sunny day; I stopped my car in response to the red light that had appeared on the signal. Many people have the habit of listening to music, podcast or simply taking this time in car to talk to people they know on phone, I take this time to go through the bag full of

 

In the rear-view mirror, I noticed the big structure of a red public transport bus distinctly visible standing taller than all the smaller vehicles around. I focused upon it to an extent where no colour except the distinct red was visible.

 

That is where I had begun, another phase of my life. Me and my two friends used to stand somewhere within that bus, talking about a lot many things while the bus moved on its intended route.

 

Later, in our second year, sometimes we travelled by car belonging to my friend’s father. His father owned two cars and whenever one of them was free, we used to enjoy our way to the college in it. Riding a car or any vehicle on our own was a big deal for us back then; it was a transition from our bicycle riding days to finally getting to ride a vehicle on our own without our parent or elder sibling present.

 

So, it was among one of these memorable days, when for the first time I went to the showroom to get a bike with my father. It was a 150 CC black coloured bike with a sporty look. I was quite attached to it, after all it was my very first motorised vehicle which was registered in my name.

 

I rode on that two-wheeler through the rest of my education venture and right into a couple of years of my job. I spared no expense to keep it in the top condition. We did fall a couple of times together with none of us, neither the bike or me sustaining any serious injury. Each time I inserted the key and the digits appeared on the blue backlit digital speedometer, it was always a delight to press the self-start button and be off to wherever I wanted.

 

Then I started driving the car at home after my father’s retirement. Initially I kept a balance between using my car and my bike, but slowly my car took up a more dominant role due to many factors, the Summers had become hotter and Winters are never pleasant on a two-wheeler. The rising pollution levels further contributed to not only me but many making cars their preferred mode of transport and in the end a car has become a requirement in many households nowadays.

 

So, what happened to my once beloved vehicle? I sold it. After many good years there came a time where day after day it just remained parked in the compound of my house. At first the idea of selling it was not acceptable at all. The acceptance that maybe I was never going to ride it again came late and then I sold it off before it would turn into junk. Its engine must have completed its lifespan by now and it must have given a few years of enjoyment to the one it carried for those few years. I still have its photo from the first few days somewhere on one of my social media page, but I never look at it because its picture is right there clear in my head.  

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Written by Anuran Chatterji

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