Two-Wheeler chronicles

Whats that one amazing possession at an age of 19-20 yrs? For kids of these days it those flashy gizmo's, your apple iPhone, iTouch, you touch and what not !!! I know I'm sounding old, just making it sound so ;). Not very long ago for us it used to be graduation from a bicycle to a two wheeler. Looking back at the first time I ever rode on a two wheeler which was a TVS 50 brought by a painter while on work at our house. That day i remember riding like a prince with the air gently caressing my face, with all daughters of my neighborhood aunties overlooking. I must have been 4th or 5th, but that was when I felt the essence of growing up.

Sis started early on the 'Enfield-Explorer'

My dad was a proud owner of a suave looking Enfield explorer since 1985 which he had until 2003, and apart from sitting on it when dad used to ferry all the four of us around and fantasy riding it, naming it 'Sanjuna' hadn't done much with it. This was until 7th standard, when i had this fetish to sit on it sans the key and push the bike around. Thanks to Bangalore's roads, burnt a lot of calories pushing it back up to balance it on the road downwards. Then one day dad forgot the key and that day it happened. I pushed it around like always and then suddenly saw the ignition key. And the rest like you can imagine, i kick started and set the explorer in motion on the first gear, and it remained in first gear that day to be honest. That was the moment which turned the schoolboy into a dreamy youth.


Next three years of our stay in Dandeli gave me some of the amazing memories that I could only dream of in Bangalore. An accessibility to the jungles anytime i wished, a town with no traffic police and fewer main roads, could i ask for anything else?? It was time to zoom. 49.5 cc seemed awesome in those days. Soon, it was time for us to shift back to Bangalore and the city that is made us realize we'd suddenly grown up now to be too big for the explorer that once ferried four of us. What a bike it was! I think for the India then, which was more into Bajaj Chetak, this bike was an affordable option. And then one fine day as i grew older, so did it and just like that, it was gone.


Talking about Bajaj Chetak, during 12th my uncle's scooter came to me because he moved out of the country. Cant recollect the no. of times I've made it lie down on the road when there was no fuel and then that one quick kick start to get it going. "Welcome to college days"", I'd said to myself and before i could realize, the passion of possessing a bike again, proved too much pressure for my dad to withstand. That was when he got me a TVS Victor. Nothing beats the freedom you have with a bike at your disposal. Freedom and all by the way is secondary. More important then were the reasons like the daily trips to the dhaba, national park or the coffee shop around the corner. OK, alright! I agree the most important of all was to impress the girls. Can't remember how many firsts it was with my Victor.


While I am usually not very emotional, somehow the feeling was a little confusing. No feeling of loss though, while signing the handover forms, I was blank. All i could muster asking the new buyer was, "Can i take her for a last ride"?


Thinking about it, isn't it actually like breaking up with somebody for no reason? Only, make sure you have a reason as good as mine.

Royal Enfield!!!

A beginning to mark a finish and a finish that flags a new beginning

Couple of days ago my Facebook status read, "Dint know Feb 1st 2010, will come so soon, atleast not when I set out on this journey in May 2008". My usually cheerful Facebook homepage, which has a lot of tongue in cheek status updates from my 500+ friends, today bore a rather gloomy look which i guess was the reason of my having this status. 

However this was on the previous eve, soon on the last day of my MBA exams, it was not a sense of completion that hit us... it was a feeling of relief, some sort of euphoria. By throwing away the question paper of the last exam into thousands of small pieces we all were collectively thinking about the 'hazaaron' desires we harbor. The cry of relief, satisfaction and contentment which came in the form of shouts, whistles, lots of photo sessions and maybe a silent tear somewhere was hard for anyone to miss.

(A small collage of some memories I captured on my memory card)

It has been a journey with all kinds of thrills and challenges. And as this journey unfolds I realize that the challenges and complexities will only go up a lot many notches. While we strive hard to scale these peaks, lets not forget to see in the face of adversity and say, "bring it on" with a smile. 

I wish to congratulate my friends "fellow crusaders", on reaching this personal milestone, but at the same time call upon them to brace up for the tougher times ahead. Also my 'hazaaron' thanks for all the beautiful memories you have made me a part of, with your charming company in it. Some of them I have articulated in my blogs, all of which can be collectively found here.

I was just about to conclude after the last statement, when I suddenly remembered I had missed out on something. Our mentors also parents for many, our dear teachers. 

What would have they felt? Will they be happy that they'll get a new batch soon? What runs in a teacher's mind?

(Prof. Sukesh looks on from the first floor, while our euphoria is on)

I can maybe struggle hard and write answers to all of these questions, now that i am still in the mood for writing answers. But they say a picture can speak for a thousand words, and lucky for me I had one that said it all. Prof.Sukesh's trademark smile gave it away for me and all the questions were answered when I just clicked this picture.

May not be the best of forums to do so, but I still want to express my heartfelt gratitude to all the teachers at IBS-Bangalore here. Every single action, has helped us in some or the other way. That one moment where you pulled us up for not giving our best, that one moment of encouragement you gave us by way of your appreciation, will all go a long way in shaping who we are. Thank you for everything!

Best Wishes

Sanjaya KS

MBA, Class of 2010