A TRIP DOWN THE MEMORY LANE

I was surfing through my laptop last night and I came across this picture of my bike that I once owned. As I stared at it fond memories came rushing back and for a moment it seemed as if I was right there... back in those good old days with my gang of carefree friends and my beloved bike.

So, I decided to write a blog on how it all began, how I got my bike, friends and all those wonderful memories:

My romance with biking began in the year 2002 when I was in my 10^th standard. I desperately wanted a bike because I was in my teens and everyone around had one. Moreover, the funda that 'bikes attract babes' gave an adrenaline rush and sent the testosterone levels northwards.

But my bike had to be different because the Hero Honda CBZ and the Bajaj Pulsar, the two popular youth bikes were as common on Delhi roads as American soldiers in Afghanistan or Iran.

So I zeroed in on the freshly launched Hero Honda Karizma and at over 80,000 bucks -- its price tag would have burnt a huge hole in my father’s pocket.

But as I found out it wasn’t the money that would bother my parents but the bike itself as they were strictly against buying me any kind of two-wheeler considering them dangerous especially when being driven by a youth (remember the testosterone and adrenaline).

So the question of getting me a 223 cc bike with a top speed of around 110 kms was out of the picture.

And after days of endless read failed convincing, I had almost given up. However, as luck would have it one fine morning I was told that my wish had been granted.

I was ecstatic and so proud of my convincing skills. But my parents soon burst my bubble and I was told that they had agreed because when my mom came to wake me up that morning I was murmuring something about a bike in my sleep.

They got very emotional seeing my desperation and decided against their wishes.

Gratified I was but at the same time quite surprised because I knew I wanted a bike but never expected that I would get dreams about it.

So, on Sep 5^th, 2002 I got a spanking new Black Karizma—DL 9 SJ 8935—and the next couple of years were pure unadulterated fun.

Thanks to the bike and a friend, in just one month, I made as many as 10 new biker friends and we formed a gang and named it – ‘Hunting Attitude’. LOL.

Apart from the hilarious name we did indulge in some serious fun.

Like racing (the fastest I drove was 125 kmph on an empty stretch of road at 2 a.m.), long drives to Gurgaon and Noida malls, late night outings to several eating joints that remained open all night including a shack in Connaught place that served delicious Rajma Chawal and a Keema Paranthewala in Naraina.

There were early Sunday cricket matches in Buddha Jayanti Park and a hearty breakfast of Chole Bhature on the way back home.

In addition, ‘patrolling’ our neighbourhood streets everyday in search of pretty girls was a routine activity loved and enjoyed by all.

I discovered several ‘addas’ in our area in several nooks and crannies where we could savour delicious chicken rolls, maggi or just have a cigarette without being noticed by our parents or worse some aunty ji.

Come to think of it we even had fun when not riding the bike, that is when we would park our rides at one of the above mentioned addas, with a pack of cigarette and coffee (in winters only) for company, lengthy sessions of storytelling would commence.

The two topics that dominated these sessions were failed love stories or the successful erotic outings with our ‘timepass’ girlfriends.

It’s been close to ten years now and I still cherish those beautiful and memorable days all thanks to my dear Karizma and my loving parents. Wish I could turn back time… SIGH!!!