10 years is a long time ...!

Anniversaries come and go. And then, there are some that are milestones. Though painful - anniversaries generally are a meter of duration and most often than not they make one look back and think "Oh my god, it has indeed been so many years .... time does indeed fly". One would tend to think so, even on a first anniversary. So, come to think of it, 10 years is indeed a long time.

My mind's eye takes me to the party we were having just before passing out from college. Quite a few scenes rush are fresh. There was Rahul, our secretary, promising that our branch should be different from our batch, in having a get-together function every year. That resolution was unanimously passed with "Ayes" all around. There was Ompie wailing loudly - literally crying like a baby, that he will miss many of his friends. There were groups - the "right-wing" group, then the left group - more so the hostellers, then there was the electrical side of G-15 (I doubt if G-15 members - an assorted mix of 7 girls of electrical and 8 guys of Mechanical and Electircal - actually knew that they were called so - primarily for their liking to culture of the USofA and even more so, for their behaving as US citizens in campus!) probably reliving the good memories of the 4 years spent or were they all contemplating the paths one would have to take in future. Will those paths cross - some ensured that they would - obviously by marrying the ones they loved in campus, maybe there were many who were apprehensive of decisions that they had no clue about!

10 years hence, on this very day that we wrote our last university exam on (well, the subject was "High Voltage Engineering" for yours truly, for which the text book was purchased the previous day!), one wonders as to how time went by. I am not aware of a single get-together of our branch in these years - there was possibly 1 attempt made 5 years back! Maybe, they are meeting up in San Francisco or LA, right now when I pen ... err type these words. Or maybe one of the "left wing" friends is chatting with a "G-15" member or maybe they are still in their own groups, a few of them may be living as life partners - and this day may have turned out to be of little significance. What about me? I was in my own little cocoon 10 years back and probably in a smaller cocoon now. But then, I have been up to something - 4 companies, 5 cities, 1 more campus, a marriage and lots of travels point to a lot of activity. But then, I do have my own circle of friends from college, who I am sure, will maroon in a flood of memories the moment I inform them of this day 10 years back. Well, or maybe, when they get to read this, if at all. But of one thing I am sure, I will be the first person to inform/remind them. My first call now is to Rao ... who stayed closeby and who definitely missed us (the 3 roommates) a lot once we all went our own ways.

A toast to my companion on her birthday

She came into my life 19 years back. I still remember the day – the evening that I met her standing there – glowing skin, all fresh. I walked her down the 2 km distance till I reached home and the pride I felt was insurmountable. She was my constant companion through thick and thin for the next few years – 5 years to be precise – and then I had to share her with many others. Before your thoughts go wandering, let me clarify – am talking about the cycle that Appa bought for me when I was in my eighth standard!

Well, this was the most prized possession of mine for a long time. The gleaming maroon BSA-SLR cycle was the one that I took to school – having learnt cycling on my sister’s silver Speed King that had served it’s purpose quite well and could have been mine, but for the perception of ignominy that I had in mind in taking a ladies cycle to school on a daily basis. By the way, she is still cross with me for being the root cause of taking the cycle away from her – Appa gave it to his friend for a nominal amount since she had left home to pursue her higher studies and also because it became difficult to maintain and keep two cycles at home.

The first day was an eventful one. All was well in the morning ride – even the notorious district court bridge junction in our small town was negotiated with calm. However, in the evening, just about a furlong from home, the first “accident” happened – these two school girls were just alighting from their school auto and I could not brake hard – or rather the front brake did not work since my school lunch bag had already pressed on the brake wire – bump I went and hit into the younger one who fell down and started wailing! I did not know what to do, but then the elder sister picked her up and turned off, not before making a scornful face at me. The only other disaster that happened was the evening I was going to the badminton club for the first time, directly from school. The lunch bag was again to blame and my front wheel went straight into the sari-fold of a lady who was walking towards me. Before she could react, I was off in a hurry.

But for these two occurrences, the first 5 years were a breeze. My father used to go cycling to the temple and his driver used to take her out for lunch and these were the only rides she had while I was in college, away from home. But then, I used to more than make up for lack of activity for her, by cycling 10-12 km over the weekends that I used to be at home. And as I went farther away from home – job, post graduation etc, I used to ride my cycle less and less frequently. But still, Appa used to take care and ensure that annual overhauls happened and that she was fit for a ride whenever I went home.

The last two years have been difficult – no cycle rides at all, thanks to a niggling back pain. Was it the reason for me to turn an avid fan of Tour de France, the best cycling event in the world? Maybe! My friend and I had an interesting debate on whether cycling is worth watching, what with the drug tainted sport falling victim to too many controversies this year. But, I am afraid he is too clinical in his analysis and at times cannot relate to the thrill of wind hitting the body – my view is that cycling is the only activity where man and machine are so closely and physically involved in the process of transport. Watching the cyclists attack the Col du Gabriel mountain climb and the subsequent race down amid the scenic French countryside has to be seen. The sheer physical effort involved (drugs or no drugs!) took me back in time to those little races that we used to have, while in school. I used to win a very different race quite often – the slow cycle race which required more balance and control than effort.

As she enters her 20^th year and celebrates her birthday today, here’s wishing her more activity after a 2 year rest, since I am looking forward to getting back on my cycle. There is the interesting option of riding to work on my wife’s cycle, but then am a bit apprehensive since you guessed it right, it’s a ladies cycle!