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Chapter 1:

“You know how to ride a bicycle? Scooter is the same.’’ Sagar told me.

“Sure,” I replied. Nervously, trying to sound confident.

“I taught your brother too.” Sagar boasted.

So I sat on the scooter, turned the accelerator. Smoke puffed from the exhaust. The front-wheel stood up, saluting as if preparing for independence day. On its hind wheel, with a loud thud, the scooter slams into the compound wall, leaving me on the ground bruised.

The three watchmen and 2 aunties rushed toward me to see if I was safe. I had rudely interrupted their evening walk. I turned to see how ‘Priya’ was. More than my bruises, I was concerned for her.

Bajaj scooter had three models: Bajaj Super, Chetak, and PRIYA.

Sagar was also tense. One he feared my father, second, he had to answer to my brother and third and the most important for him was that he took my scooter every night to get his dinner and a quarter of Old monk rum.

My dad came home at night, and on cue, the first thing before dad took off his shoes someone said “Nuruddin ne scooter thok di.”

My father could see me standing in the corner. He came up to me. I braced myself for a thundering slap that I knew would ring my ears for days.

“Lagi to nahi?” “Did you break any bones.” My father asked, to my surprise.

“No” I nodded, quite happy to escape unscathed.

He said “Ok don’t worry, it happens. Good thing nothing happened to you, but be careful in the future.”

After a few days, Priya was back on its legs, repaired and ready at a cost of 150 rupees.

Chapter 2:

“Can you take me for a ride on the Scooter? We can go to Bandstand and come back” Suhana asked.

“Sure” I replied. When you are 18 and a cute girl smiles at you, there is no other answer.

Three months had passed since my previous accident. I got up every day at 6 am to practice riding the scooter in my building compound. I had learned the basics, how to accelerate, how to change gears, and more importantly, how to brake.

My friends from college liked to hang out at my house, more so in my building near the table-tennis table. After playing everyone got nice tea and samosas at my house.

That day too, eight of my friends came to the building after college. Kaushal and Roshni went first on his scooter. ‘Priya’ refused to start. It was as if Priya had the premonition of what was about to happen. I had to kick her hard and curse her many times and she finally gave in. Suhana sat on the backseat, tying her hair in a ponytail. I put the scooter in first gear, turned the accelerator with my right hand, and ……..

“Kya Hua” shouted the watchman from inside his cabin.

“Woh Che malewala baba phir ghir gaya” the watchman closest to the accident replied.

I was on the ground, Priya next to me, her engine still purring. Suhana was on her back, holding her head and looking dazed. I helped her up. She seemed alright except for the small bruise on her head. She was talking gibberish though. Mom saw everything from the window and called us upstairs.

Concerned, I took Suhana upstairs. She did not like tea, so I made instant coffee for her. Mom put Dettol and Soframycin on the cut she received. My other four friends who were playing Table Tennis also came up to the sixth floor. Suhana had lost her memory.

Suhana said she wanted to go home. My mom agreed. She told me to drop Suhana to her home. Luckily a yellow top Fiat taxi stood right in front of the building. Suhana, I, Aarti (her best friend), and Ravi took her to her house in Mahim.

Once in the apartment, Suhana’s mom asked her what happened and she said something in the Sindhi language. Hearing this Aarti took her mom aside and corrected Suhana. Ravi was standing next to me. He couldn’t control his laughter. I asked him what the hell happened, why was he laughing. Ravi said, “Suhana told her mom that she went to your house and you put something in her drink and she felt drowsy.” She didn’t mention it was sugar in her coffee. She forgot.

Suhana’s mom took her to the family doctor who advised her to rest. The doctor said if she doesn’t improve in a day or two then, we will have to do an MRI and consult a Neurologist.

The next day, I caught a 214 number bus and went to college. Suhana did not come. My friends started making fun. They told me if she doesn’t regain her memory, then I will have to marry her. All, this happened because of me. I was waiting for Aarti to come to college so I can ask her about Suhana’s condition. I was too scared to call Suhana’s house.

Suhana recovered in a couple of days, her memory was back. She was fine and I didn’t or in fact, she didn’t have to marry me.

Sadly, ‘Priya’ could not recover from the accident. My father decided that the cost of repairing her was more than her worth. She was last seen at a junkyard in Matunga.

“Death lies on her like an untimely frost
Upon the sweetest flower of all the field."
Romeo & Juliet – Shakespeare.

Photo Credit: Raghav Modi