From an enigma to a trusted friend, Bajaj Chetak set my wheels in motion

My day begins with a first look at the lightweight, lemon-colored four-speed tandem parked inside my house: the Bajaj Chetak scooter, as it’s known. It’s been like this since he was four and it could continue until he’s 84 (if I live that long) as, like most humans, these scooters are known to have a longer lifespan. The same story has been repeated to this day, although the only difference is that the one I have now was bought last year. The sturdy ancestor of his that used to occupy the place where it is parked today was yellowish in color and belonged to my uncle, an expert in handling machines and gadgets, with whom my family shared the house because they were a united family.

And as I proceeded to dust it off as per my routine before leaving for the office, I managed to take a step down memory lane as a mere four-year-old and held the vehicle in great awe. I could remember playing my uncle’s Bajaj Chetak, the day he landed at our residence for now, twenty years ago, new. His frame was gigantic compared to my diminutive frame and he was probably ten times heavier than me. Being the baby of the house, I was told to stay away if the adults weren’t around as it might fall on me and reduce me to a pulp.

The scooter was more of an enigma to me, as when I was out with my uncle, they would ask me to keep my little fingers out of the gears for fear of hurting myself, whenever I was in front. You had to tip him before he could get going, which I found quite funny and absurd. And besides, every time I kicked it, his voice would startle me and I hated the noxious gases it emitted, even though at that time I had practically no idea about air pollution or its harmful effects on human health and the environment. .

Almost every day I used to watch my mechanically minded uncle take it apart in the name of maintenance and then put it back together. It was hard work, which he hated and considered a waste of time. Although my uncle often said that he got good mileage, a Bajaj Chetak was a vehicle that was almost difficult for me to understand, even as I progressed in age and began attending school and then university. The feeling that I might not be as scary as I think if I learn to ride a scooter made me ask my uncle to help me learn the basics of riding.

He agreed, and we both set to work in our extensive facility, on his two-wheeler, which had navigated beautifully over the years under his control. At first, learning to balance it was a really big test. I will never forget the day I landed in a flower bed and got scratches all over my body while trying to control the vehicle. It was too embarrassing as many in the neighborhood witnessed this fact. Also, the gears were hard, so hard that trying to shift them while driving the vehicle was almost impossible for me.

Also, you had to learn how to synchronize the footbrake and throttle with the gears, which was another big challenge, which often got me into trouble. The start was something else, which took me getting used to. No amount of concentration and hard work could get me under control, so I almost gave it up thinking this was a machine I could never comprehend and switched to a moped, which was much lighter and easier to ride. .

However, as time went by, I grew up, got married, started a family, and settled back in my native place. I started looking for a vehicle that could help me get my son to school and back home, as well as help me with my shopping and take me on various excursions, part of my job. Getting good mileage was a big ask, while budget was another major concern. I started looking for a vehicle that would suit my needs and seeing my doubts towards a geared vehicle, all our attention was diverted to gearless mopeds and scooters that cost a fortune that we could barely afford.

“You shouldn’t go for two flashy wheels, they are only pleasing to the eye, but heavy on the pocket, take my advice and buy a scooter. You will never regret it,” my uncle opined. ‘¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡ ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡ ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡!!!! “Dude, have you forgotten what happened when you tried to teach me how to ride yours?” I said, but he just smiled back and reminded me that I was now an adult who could easily operate the machine. So, with the consent of my mother, who has great faith in my ability to learn and master things, my uncle and I rode that trusty old Bajaj Chetak to the same showroom where my uncle had bought his wheels earlier. twenty years.

And there was my light lemon two-wheeler, parked on a podium, waiting to be purchased. I felt an affinity develop within as I touched it. The sensation was quite the opposite of what he had experienced twenty years before, and it was much more pleasant. Almost an hour later we came home with my new wheels. My uncle asked me to take control as soon as I entered our store, giving me the same instructions he had when he tried to teach me how to drive his scooter two decades ago.

The difference this time was that being mentally and physically more mature than in my childhood days, I was able to understand and handle it well. There was a round of applause from my family members as I successfully completed the first round of our installations on the scooter. Now driving one didn’t seem as difficult as before. My scooter and I became friends because we spent most of our time together every day, going to different places and doing things together, like dropping off and picking up my son from school and many other jobs.

As for the machine my uncle had, it was retired after serving my uncle faithfully all these years and was given in good working order to one of his friends who wished to have it. Now it is my Bajaj Chetak that has taken his place in his house and I am proud to say that I have it.