My First Companion...

That's the 7th ring of the day. Quickly I looked at my watch to check the time. It's 3:30 pm, so 1 more class to go. Neel sir just wrapped up his book, asked the monitor to wipe the board and wishes us all a happy weekend before leaving the class.

 I heard someone calling my name and I turned back. Pallavi was calling me to know the time, so a few others. I looked down towards my watch again and with a happy face told them the time. It was followed by a wink from a few of them. Not every school going kid in the 90s have a wristwatch, and I seem to be the lucky one. While my luck here didn't come just like that, it's from my lil savings which I am doing for the past 1-2 years. Inspired by me, a few of them have also started saving money to buy their own.

I am super excited today. Excited to go back home and look at my gift. While this new gift is not again from my savings, it's a gift from my dad. Or I can say his efforts to reduce his daily rounds to my school. Deeply grossed in my thoughts I have completely ignored Pushpa ma'am entry for the last class. Being the first bencher it was evident that she noticed that and instead she greeted me with a piece of flying chalk. With the chalk hitting my forehead and creating a white "tika" I came to my senses. The whole class was laughing, so do Pushpa ma'am. With a lil embarrassment, I apologized to her and then she started the class. For the next 20 mins, I was myself and made sure I am not lost in my thoughts again.

The final bell rang at 4, and my heart skipped a beat. Not every day that happens, but today is special. Unlike other days, today I am excited to go back home. Quickly packed my bag and turned back to ask Pallavi to do the same. Done and dusted we both moved to the corridor for the last prayer of the day. My excitement level was going up and being my bestie Pallavi knew the reason. Holding my hands, she grinned at me. The prayer was over and we both rushed out, with our respective bags.

Like every school, students staying nearby school started walking towards home exiting the main gate. Few went near the main gate to look for their pickups, could be family or could be the school van......And few started walking towards the cycle stand. I paused for a moment and looked at other students from the 3rd category. Their end of day chit-chats have a different level, most of them being from the senior grades. They leaving school as flocks of birds defining their own routes have always mesmerized me. Before I get lost again in my dreams, Pallavi quickly grabbed my hand and whispered in my ear "Not yet, Moti....we are getting late, remember". And then she hit me on my head. "Oh yes, I am late" blabbering these few words I rushed towards the main gate and started looking for my Dad. Standing at the regular spot, near the tea stall he waved his hand and I quickly jumped onto the back seat of the scooter. Pallavi also went straight to her brother and they vanished quickly in his black bullet. My father started his scooter and with that starts the last 20 mins of my wait. Going past our school lane, we crossed the small bridge. A group of school-leaving cyclers caught my attention again. We went past them. After a few more minutes, we crossed another group of cyclers coming from the opposite side, students of another school. While Dad was driving straight as usual, the unusual me tilted my head towards the right to have a better look at them. A constant smile was stamped on my face, throughout the ride. We crossed the lane, the area, moved to the main road, crossed the sweet shop, entered our area and then ........entered our lane. My excitement was growing up and up, like mercury in summer. My father halted

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near the Kirana shop and asked me to wait for a few minutes. The restless me, not able to wait any further quickly jumped off the scooter and started running towards my house. My father peeped out of the shop and was laughing at me. Ours was a house just 2 min from that shop, in a small colony. In excitement, I forgot to close the main gate, but immediately got reminded by Geeta aunty who called my name from somewhere. I looked up and there she was peeping out of her balcony, with a cup of tea in her hand and pointing the other hand towards the gate. I ran again towards the gate, closed it, looked up and after she nodded her head and I went straight towards my house.

And alas ...there she was. But not one, there were two. Two brand new bicycles. One in red and one in pink. One for me and one for my sister. I put my bag aside near the door, took off my shoes while my eyes were still glued to those beauties. Washed my hands properly not to touch them with dirty ones. In excitement, I asked my Mom about my sister's whereabouts. To this, my mom explained that she is still in the washroom and had yet to pick her one from these two. A smile (less satisfying, more cunning) just popped out of my face, which my mom noticed and laughed. While I was wondering why my sister is not at all excited about this, I know it's good for me, as I have the advantage now to pick first.

 I went straight to them, put my hands all over the glossy bodies, checking them from each corner and from each angel. Dad had told us last night about buying the Atlas make and we were ok with that. In fact last week he had taken both of us for a small tour of the cycle stores in BapujiNagar. After doing a thorough review, I stuck my eyes on the red one. The bright red cycle, glossy and glittery was still covered with polyethene at some parts. The black tyres have turned a lil grey at some patches, maybe due to their travel from the shop to home. I quickly grabbed a cloth and started wiping the dirt. The brown colour seat-cover was complementing it a lot. My dad has also added a nice pair of brown soft handles to this one to enhance the look. The pink cycle also has the same, but all these are in colour black. Somehow the red one stuck my heart and head. I was completely in love with her, my new companion. I don't have to now learn cycling on my brother's cycle. I have one of my own. While I was grateful to him and his cycle for helping me learn cycling and hence I have this red one now.

Just then my elder sister came out and before I could say anything, she made her announcement. "Don't look at the pink one, that is mine. Red is not my colour". And she left.

My mother peeped out of the kitchen window and looked at my face. She knew which one I had selected and there was a sign of relief on her face also. I was still in shock, as may be the very first time in my life my luck favoured me. Maybe the 1st time we both have different choices and maybe the 1st time we both don't have to fight to get the one we have liked. 

Just in time, my father came home with a bag full of groceries and called out my Mom. She quickly came out, looked at my relaxed face and took the bags from Dad's hand. In a lower voice, she informed dad, "Red one hers and the pink one for the elder one". Before Dad could ask anything else, she added "And both of them have no conflicts, this time". And both of them grinned, with a sigh of relief.

So do I......

I was all set to ride my new companion. The beautiful red one, shining like a newlywed bride with brown bangles in her hand. I am all set to conquer the world, to wonder like the flocks of birds.

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I was ready to fly.......