We came to Chennai in the Summer of 2000. I had finished ma 8th Std and had to join 9th Std here in Chennai. We were trying to get admission in KV, Ashok Nagar thro’ some MP Quota. So, till then, i was staying at home doing nothing! Yea… Nothing! Our things had not yet arrived frm Delhi, so i didnt even have TV to watch then! I was new to the Place and wanted to Explore… And so I decided to learn Cycling!
The reason behind the then sudden attraction to the Cycle was
1. I hated travelling by Bus.
2. I was too lazy to Walk.
3. I didnt know to ride a Motorcycle/Car/Train/Plane or for that matter any Vehicle! Cycle was the first step that cud lead to others!
My mom agreed to teach me Cycling!
She bought me a Lady Bird Cycle (I was Ok with it initially, but later when i joined school, it was so so embarassing to take it to school!) coz she felt it would be better for me to learn cycling in a Lady Bird, than with other cycles having a bar, which would be difficult to mount! I agreed to it(i always do, being a nice boy!)
I then pledged to save earth by
1. not polluting the environment with smoke
2. conserving fuel usage by not using Motorcycles
3. making the earth greener.
My first Cycling Lesson:
I learnt cycling in just 1 hour! The first time i cycled was around 1st Sector KK Nagar. Ma mom held the cycle for me and then i climbed into it. And then kept ma hands in the handle bar. And started pedalling. Wow! It was so easy. I started pedalling and the cycle started moving. Ma mom came running along with me for a few feet. And then she removed her hands. I was cycling all alone. It was so cool. The streets were almost empty. So, no worry abt others! I came around the 1st sector. I turned left right again left. It was all so easy. Suddenly, one old man came in front of me out of nowhere!!!
I didnt expect him at all. So, inorder to avoid him, i turned the handle bar. I didnt know how to brake! I remembered mom saying that where the brakes were, i looked at the brakes. But, I was too frightened to remove ma fingers frm the handle bar and press the brake. I hit a stationary car standing in a corner of the street, and fell down. Thank God, the owner of that car was nowhere nearby. I took the cycle and ran back home, pulling the cycle along with me.
And from then on i got the hang of it. I would take the cycle, wherever i was asked to go. Even to the shop in front our house!! I was more than willing to run errands for ma mom(that is, for the first few months!)
And soon i joined school. And after a few months, me and my brother fought over the ownership of the cycle. So, ma parents decided to buy us another cycle. This time around, i wanted to buy a Gents Cycle! Coz i was by then experienced and had a little bit better knowledge of cycles. I settled for a Blue Colored Hercules AXN for somwhere around Rs. 2000/-.
This Hercules AXN was for me and i gave the Lady Bird to ma Brother, citing the reason that i was more experienced than ma bother in cycling(atleast by a few days!)
And, thus, Hercules AXN became the first ever Vehicle i owned. That Lady Bird was not mine! Ma parents had bought it saying that me and my bother both should share it. So, officially, Hercules AXN is ma first ever Vehicle!
It holds lotsa memories and fun i had with it along with ma School friends. I used it till ma 12th std!
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