The Princess with the Diamond Necklace! - The Old Story!

The Princess with the Diamond Necklace! - The Old Story!

There is an old story. That, once upon a time, long long ago, far far away a beautiful princess lived in a palace. The princess was very beautiful and always was good to all and appeared in beautiful clothes, but there was something which added to her beauty. That was the beautiful diamond necklace which always wore. Every body in the kingdom including birds and animals appreciated the beauty of the queen but all were curious of the beautiful diamond necklace which the princess wore.

As in most of such stories a poor wood cutter boy was enfatuated with the princess and was trying to find a way to get near to the princess. The princess had a pretty parrot which flew into the jungle and back to eat the choicest fruits there. The wood cutter boy came in contact with the parrot as the parrot came near him of and on and enquired of him of the places where the best fruits were to be found. In gratitude to his advices, the parrot became friendly with him and told him about the beautiful princess in the palace and her beautiful necklace. Through the parrot the boy got the friendship of the princess and she called him to her palace. When they were alone the princess divulged the secret of the necklace to the jungle boy. She said “Without the necklace, I would die”!

After a while the boy got back to the jungle.

In the meanwhile a wicked prince in a near by kingdom was trying to get the princess in marriage and tried many tricks. But the princess looked through her diamond in the necklace which showed her the real purpose of the prince who was mean and cruel. The prince through the help of his soldiers got the the King, who was the father of the princess, to marry the princess to him. On the first night itself the prince who was hot headed and wicked set his eyes on the beautiful necklace and imagined the huge booty he can amass by selling the necklace and removed it while the princess was asleep....! The Princess was sleeping like a child. A couple of beautiful hairlocks kept on flowing in the breeze around the place. The villain had a last look and went out to do his bad deeds! The surprise was when he returned to wake up the princess! Whatever he does she won't wake up! The princess slept on and on....

The King the father of the princess was concerned. He passed an ultimatum to the villainous prince “If you can't awaken my daughter for a week, take the marriage as dissolved” All the soldiers and the people of the country of the King were up in arms and the prince had to give in. He could not awaken the princess! The King carried back his daughter ceremoniously and kept her on her beautiful bed which she used to sleep on..! The parrot came to see this and informed the jungle boy who set out to procure the diamond necklace.! After long searches in the palaces and jungles ultimately he found out the necklace and brought it to the palace and requested the king to allow him to try to wake up the princess. He was instantly allowed to do so by the already heart broken king.

And the boy went to the princess straight away and adorned her with the beautiful diamond necklace and Lo..! the beautiful princess got up as if from sleep and sat up looking benevolently at the boy and the King and all others who had assembled to watch the miracle the boy was going to attempt. This was the happy ending of the story where upon the King got the princess to be married to the Jungle Boy and they lived ever after in the King's palace as prince and princess and in course of time, when the King became old the prince took over as the King and the beautiful princess became his wonderful Queen and they both ruled their kingdom for a long time where their people were extremely happy..!

When we heard the story we all became happy.. but the catch is the diamond necklace. What is the diamond necklace in these days? Is this a real diamond necklace? No! In place of the necklace we can conveniently replace the kind of medicines each of us are taking for various illnesses! Also the beautiful princess to be replaced by any body suffering from any kind of simple illness where medicnes and treatment have become unavoidable! We hear many stories of deaths where the people do not get their proper medicines on time as required. The speed of death can be aggravated or speeded up by the villainous behaviour of the near and dear who may inflict much more grievous injury to the minds of the concerned individuals who would otherwise live a happy life for a long time...!

NOSTALGIA

NOSTALGIA

The old time piece sat in the brown wooden show case which is used as a prayer stand. The stand is two glassed cupboards joined together with a flat wooden piece. The wooden cup boards were made mimicking the old Greecian pillars with flat tops. As the two pillars stood apart with a television stand cum cassette holding drawers we had added the new idea of the flat plate on top to use it as the prayer stand.

While the upper stand can be used for prayer purposes, the show cases below held the old items like used prayer books, the old merit medals of our children, some photographs and the old books which had been presented to them which they had left behind on leaving the house on marriage and their own works.

They had kept it diligently, till they left and, often reminding us of the importance they carried to them, with the result we thought of not disposing them off. They remained in their places and now after years together, whenever we came across them, when we opened the shelf for cleaning or searching for something else, they at times overwhelmed us. Thus was the time piece of the yesteryears named “Swito” A 'Swito' alarm time piece with a handle on top and also aN alarm stop button, is not an item of these days. In olden days, it came to houses where somebody needed to wake up on particular times and this was the equipment to be had if the family had the wherewithal.

Children's school was our fright of the morning, especially in winters when any body can sleep upto eight o' clock in the morning, if not they were insistent to get up at six. For this, the alarm-time piece was a big help, as it started ringing with a slow 'grrrrr' sounding bell, at five in the morning slowly unwinding the wind, which we filled up before going to bed the day before.

It is not that our children got up at the bell, but it helped us to get up as parents and start calling up the children. That also had its own rhythm! First my wife will call me and the children and will move to the kitchen to make tea and boil a little water for the children to take bath. A geyser for hotwater was not fashion or possible for the lower middle class! Once she moved, it was my turn to move and call the children, our daughter and son to get up and start the day..!

Our daughter got up either at the first call or at any of the subsequent calls according to the degree of tiredness of the day before. Generally it was by the third or fourth call..! And since she was elder she had a sense of seriousness in this matter and tried to get up after a few calls mostly. If not, we picked her up from the bed and said some endearing words which made her alert and there after she was guided to her moring chores by her mother. But the case with my son was slightly different! He was a good sleeper and could sleep fast and long and normally did not want to get up in the morning..! So had to be called many times with a few shouts thrown in at times. Sometimes it came to no avail and he called back in half asleep mode: “Hmm...kya hai?...” That was when we generally picked him up and slowly carried him to the bath room for the bath. We slowly seated him in the bath room floor on his little chappels and he sat there sleeping. Once luck warm water is poured he would warm up and take part in the next part of the ablutions of the morning and will come out charming by the time for the school bus.

The driver of the bus, a sturdy fellow from the villages, did not wait even for a second, if the children are late! Coming from a village back ground of farmers who generally get up very early in the mornings and go about their chores, he could not stand chhildren not ready for the bus on time, even though, it is too early in the winter months. At times, we thought, he had a grudge against all those children who are able to go to school in the cities bu bus as children in villages always walked to the nearby school. The Blue Dialled, 'SWITO' alarm time piece supported us in catching up with the furious driver who was a stickler for time punctuality and we always thought his morning appearance is a blessing in disguise..! Now the time piece sits comfortably in retirment in the great wooden show case.Now our children are away and no more need them and the Alarm Time Piece it self has taken retirement, but we have not allowed it to go into oblivion. It is our fetish and privilege to keep and look after the old things of yore which gives us a kind of nostalgic pleasure even though it overwhelms us at times.

Below the alarm time piece is the picture frame with the beautiful picture our daughter made with our help, of a buttlerfly sucking honey from a flower with various colours in a white back ground neatly put into a glass frame! Simple families in the villages did not have the power to buy this costly equipment for forty or sixty rupees or so in those days in the eighties and ungrudgingly, they made use of the household cock, who gave an alarm from time to time or at least at five in the morning or sometime around.

Both my daughter and son do not use such equipment these days, instead uses the android or the computer which makes music or peculiar soothing alarm sounds which we the oldies are generally unfamilier, even though we like them..! This is today, but tomorrow may still be different!

The funny side of the Bank Account..!

The Bank Account Management-The funny side of it!

Times have changed. These are global times! The old order changeth..and the new is struck in to make leaps and bounds in transactions, progress in general life and “achhe din” all along! These welcome steps always sent me, a village man into great euphoria! We always doubted or thought why earlier such things could not be thought of by any body. They in their authority in the Banks and those who transacted with them in the villages only thought of Banks as places where they deposited excess money when it was available and took it off when they needed a little money here and there when there was any immediate necessity.

The Manager knew not only you, but also your father, the family tree and all those related to you.

He welcomed me as soon as he spotted me and I proceeded just after reciprocating his helo so as not to encroach upon his time and to get our own transactions done. The counter clerk did almost all that was wanted by me and at times took the money from the cashier and gave to me. But those times have changed ! Now globalling is on the roll, Bankers with MBAs rule, the clerks and others have become executives with computer knowledge and computers and the Banking has changed altogether into Air conditioned suberbs1

In these circumstances, like the computers and executives all are new and no body knew the other person and the old customers are simply forgotten as we are all fed into the computer and are told to bring new KYC formats. On enquiry the counter clerk in his chair looked quizzickally at me as if he was looking at an accused in a police station and said “Have you an Account here?”

My polite reply “That I have” brought his next order: “Then you have to fill up the KYC” and pointed me to a counter clerk sitting in another corner with a lot of forms. He on approaching gave me my required forms. I searched out an empty chair and sat down to fill up the forms both for me and my wife and after a lot of references to this and that got all the little squares filled up and took it to the earlier executive. He went through it in great detail and demanded “Where is the photo?” I was taken aback and said “ have it in my bag”. “Take it out and fix it in the column above signature and sign it” was his next command which was obediently executed. He went through it again and instructed “All right, this is complete now, attach a residential proof and an identity proof and take two photo copies each and bring it to me” to which I meekily asked him “Can the Bank make the photo copies?” to which he retorted “Are ither kutch nahi hoga..aapko yeh cheese banaake laana hai” which ended my arguments and I started to make photo copies from the shops in the market cluster where the Bank was located.

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The shop just opposite was closed and it had a small board saying “Photo copying” -> and an arrow to the right. This meant I have to walk to the right side of the complex. To be doubly sure I enquired in the next shop next to it who directed me in the opposite direction. He said “Walk to the right side of the Bank building and there is a market. As soon as you enter the market turn right and photo copying is there”. I walked as he said taking the right turn and I was looking into a old dilapidated shop in which an old gentleman was talking to a young girl. I entered and enquired and he replied in the affirmative. He was talking to the young girl and disposing her off after laminating some papers and making her identity card water proof etc. So, I waited for my turn and when the old gentleman turned to me enquired the charges for photocopying.

He looked at me quizzickally and said “It is two rupees per copy” for which I put forth my bargain, “Not one rupee?” The old gentleman looked at me benignly and said “I shall make it one rupee and fifty paise for you, which is the minimum you can get in this market.” I agreed.

He took the papers from me and very metiiculously took the photocopies on his computer copier adding: “My copier is superiour to other machines. It is a computer thing. It costs more, you see” I saw that and agreed with him. I remarked in reverence to his age and experience, looking at a huge photo copier stacked on one side of the shop completely dusty and in disuse. “You should be using the large machine and lessen the price for us” for which he said: “Who is going to get this repaired

and reused? Even otherwise there is not much business here these days”. He completed the copying, counted the pages and gave me the two copies each of the three pages and I walked back to the Bank where lunch time had started!

THE LUNCH: When it comes to village banks, the lunch time is sacrosanct. The clerk sir who was to take my originals and copies was walking out wiping his face and stroking his stomach. Once outside he did not recognize me which is OK. I entered the bank to wait for him and my wife who was with me said”It has become lunch time now, should we wait or have lunch and come back.?” “Naturally, we can go for lunch and come back, there is no point in looking at those who are taking lunch or at those who are having a little piece of mind during lunch time.”

We left for lunch to a relative of ours and at their house I started rechecking my papers and found out to my horror, that I have missed out my original KYC with the lovely old gentleman who did my photo copying. Now I have to go back there to collect the original copy first before giving it at the Bank....I knew, things are compounding. The KYC is going to trouble me a little.

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My wife was agitated at the loss of the original at the photocopying shop and enthused me to go and check the shop once again which I did. I found the shop was shut half way with a blue shutter and the internal glass door is visible at the bottom side. I tapped on the shutter and the door for a little while and then came back to the bank to report the matter to my wife who said she will make enquiries at the shop or around and find out if she can get the same and went out in a jiffy. She came back promptly with a phone number and showed me how simply things are in place. I kept wondering, what is happening to me. I never saw the phone number. She said the phone number was on the top of the shop. (Perhaps..!, I thought). I called on the number brought by my wife and the gentleman on the otherside seemed to be appologetic. He said : “saab jee, mey thoh sochaa bhi tho ek khande se pehle uthar aah nahin sakta. Meh toh Luxmi Nagar meh hoom is waqt.” (Sir, even if I wanted, I can't reach there before an hour at least).This threw away our idea of getting the paper back immediately and giving it to the Bankers immediately after lunch.

We came out for lunch and once on our own, thought of looking at the shop once again. We went to the shop and found out the shop which was now fully shut and the real inside of the shop I could not visualize. I remembered the old gentleman, sophisticated in his talk, but the whole shop in shabby conditions, a huge dusty” photo copier at one corner and his having a computer copier on the shop table and his standing infront of it with a small laminating machine on one side etc. But now I can't reverify them until the shop is open. Also, the glass door which I had seen just behind the shutter was also confusing as I had not see a glass door when I went in for photocopying. I thought “Now, I can't do a thing, until I saw the shop opened”.

Then, of course, we thought of asking the neighbouring shops. The girl in the opposite shop said, “The photo copy shop on the other side? He closes for lunch and comes late after lunch. Why you worry, we can also photo copy for you. What is it that you want to photocopy?” I was amazed! I had not seen this shop in my hurry to get the copying done in a hurry when I came the first time. The shop was full of hanging leaflets and pamphlet advertisements on various issues which made the people inside the shop invisible. Since I did not have anything to photo copy now, I said lazily:

“Oh..no..we have to collect a paper from him”. The girl said “Then you can come back after your lunch and siesta. The uncle takes a nap after lunch and then only comes.”

We surveyed the whole area for the near by shops and the location and left for lunch. We could relax a bit at our relative's place which made us recover from our crestfallen feelings and once we felt good, I called up the phone number again to check if the gentleman had reached the shop. He replied in the affirmative and ever so promptingly saying “Saab jee, shop meh toh hai, magar aap ka photo kaunsi hai. Mere paas athaareh photo hai, aapka kaunsi hai?” This gilted me. You see, there was a quirk in the conversation with him. I am talking about photocopies and he is asking me about photo. I sensed something is not correct. Why he should ask me about photo instead of photo copy? I told him : “Don't worry..I am coming there..so there will be no problem” He said: “Aayiyeh ji, aayiyeh...” We reached there in the shortest of time when the skies were getting cloudy and a rain was about to come down. The noon time temperature had come down and we were relaxed. Once in front of the shop, which was now open it was clear to me: “My lord, this is not the photo copying shop. This is a photo studio. !”

The shop keeper saw us and came out to invite us in with a broad smile: “Aayiyeh....ji.” Once inside, I appologised to him Bhai sahab, we were looking for a photocopying shop near around and not your shop. This is a faux pass. Sorry for the inconvenience” He was a young sikh gentleman at his best in politeness and hospitality. He said “Areh saab, kyaa baat karthey ho, yeh toh hota hi rehtaa hai... koi baat nahin” He continued “Hum toh photocopy nahin, photo kheenchteh hai. Yadi kabhi photography sumbanthi koyi jaroorat ho, yaad karleejiyeega” “Aap kaa photocopier vaaleh uncle ji doh shop aage hai. He comes late. Timepaaas keliye aathey hai.” (Sir, what are you saying? These things keep happening. No problem. We make no photo copies but photographs. If ever you needed a photography connected necessity, do remember us) (Your photocopier gentleman uncle is two shops ahead. He comes late. He comes for time pass only).

It was clear a faux pass has occured and now we are at the receiving end just for a photo copy because our bankers won't do a photo copy for themselves ..! The studio owner showed us various albums and their varieties which he can make for us on order whenever needed.

We decided to wait, even thoughit was only past three o' clock. A wait which made us cut off from all other worries of news paper, tv news, internet and cell phones. My wife kept standing infront of the newly located shop. I had missed noticing this shop properly. I was reminded of my new traits of not noticing the places and shops properly these days, which I fully agreed in my own surprise.

The new shop which we now aimed, had the small sign board saying “FOTO COPYING”. The shop had the old and fading large sign board of “CHEMISTS” written on the Shutter followed by thefurther sign of “Specialists in ayurvedic medicines” . I had not seen this earlier, when I went in as the rolling shutter was up then..! My wife, now adamant that she will collect our paper as soon as the shop keeper came in, took position in front of the shop and I walked back to my car to sit down and watch when this old uncleji is returning...! The climate was cooling down as the clouds were becoming darker. Now the market had a desserted look and there were no body outside the shops, except my wife standing alone. A girl from the nearby shop came up to her and started chatting with her. I went to join the conversation to see what is happening. Once with them it was clear. The girl is an emplyee in the near by shop. She could not stand the sight of an elderly madam just standing in front of their shop all alone in this humid climate. She invited us to sit in their air conditioned shop. That is a piece of Indian Hospitality. We profusely thanked her and said we would rather keep outside where we are to which she made a great suggestion: She said: “You give us your number, I shall call you when the uncle ji opens the shop! It is not necessary that he comes in the evening. Sometimes he does not turn up” That was great of her. May God bless her. We told her that we shall take her number and call her after a while which she agreed to and gave us the shop's visiting card.

We left after giving the girl our number and with the visiting card of their shop in hand. We came to our relative's house again,had tea and left as it was getting darker. On our way back, it started to rain heavily. It was a beautiful drive in the heavy rain remembering old times and free from the bank stuff and photocopying.

After two days, we got to know, our relative had got the original from the old uncle ji and now it is our turn to go and collect it. Our KYC (Know your Customer) is still not given in our Bank with which we have an account for the last twenty years or more..!

Will continue.....

Week day Musings....!

All days have 24 hours, but holidays have only twelve hours, no? Perhaps, not. But to a usual working guy, it would seem to be. The morning itself opens up at nine o' clock and matures to be noon after the holy mass in a matter of two hours. After lunch, if you have friends, you lose your after noon nap and the evening dinner is soon to be at seven and then you have to be ready for the Monday morning..!

Monday mornings will hurt you only until you have started the day in office and had the first cup of tea. Once on the high way of the week, you do not remember which day it is, but go by the dates and programs. All days alike the news paper is a big solace in the morning! Once it is day break, there the over zealous little boys comes running with the paper and at the thud of the paper at the door one feels like getting up. At times the boys have to absent, getting up gets difficult. More difficult are the morning ablutions for want of the paper.

Once the paper in hand, one has all the interest in life and proceeds to the bathroom for ablutions. During the ablutions, the mind if busy noting the happenings of the day before and the statements oand arguments various leaders made and the criticisms offered by matching opposite thinking people. Mind becomes full of criticisms and other ways how things would have been done in a better way. A few decisions are taken to send a letter to the editor, to form a new political party, to join an existing one, to begin with a new start up and giving life a new try different from the one which one is used to so far.

After a clean shave and bath all those things are sent away with the bath water and a clean fellow comes out ready to take the day's burden extactly as it was being done so far and preparing the neck to carry for burden like an obedient bullock under the yoke. On the break fast table, one more last look at the day's paper gives a feeling of goodness and one feels like taking to the advertisements for various items offered.

The paper starts with the new android phones with its various facilities offered including the camera in front and at the back, the various applications available on it and its detailed specifications which normally one do not understand. The words, qualcom, snapdragon and octa-core etc. flow like water and the only thing I have heard is the chinese dragon. The words I could not understand are big enough for me to lift and I think the more troublesome the word, it may have something great in it. Quick recharging and huge number of MP in its cameras and all head start to turn which make me drag to the next advertisement about all the gold in the world. Since South India is the new E;-Dorado, all the gold in the world is here, so it would seem from the advertisements. People advertise all types of gold ornaments and challenge us to buy them if we are the greatest, which we would always presume to think. Even if we did not think ourselves as the kings, at least one can think of being a rich land owner for the matter of buying all sorts of gold offered.

When it comes to the Gold Supermarkets, we pass on to the auto motive advertisements which has been told to be the hark and hit of the times. An automotive jumps through a wall and claims to be the greatest with mettle and muscle! Another one says it has owned all the roads, yet another challenge one to make roads where there isn't any! Once your eyes are fixed on one of them, below there are small letters saying a few accounts as of cc..s, torque, Nm meaning Newtonmeter and what not. The head now really starts turning. If it is an old car, the company will put up the advertisement stating their new version with some 'FREE' stuffs like a Fog Lamp, or 'Shining Glitter on the Wiper Blade, a small steel bit some where else or yet again, a new feeling in the seats or a little LED light on the mirror etc. Which normally do not make any difference to the contraption which has to pull you! But then, they have to sell their wares. The old town cryers are not there to drup up and tell the public that such and such stuff are being offered.

That is time about to go to office, and I have to throw out the paper to the near by old paper stack and I am leaving for office. See you. That is it for today...!

The bi-cycle 'Bike'

The Bike called 'the bicycle'

No body speeks of bicycles these days. But it was not so thirty - forty years ago. This was when the Maruti cars were not born and the roads were ruled by the Ambassador cars and Fiats.

In the old time Delhi (exactly the New Delhi of 1976), a friend of mine told me he used to go to his college and other places on his bike and when I demanded to see it, he took me to an old bicycle (which my friends in Kerala used to call a piece of thorn hedge). I was not surprised, though it was half joke and half simple vanity of intelligent folk. This was the order of the day among the simple people, who worked either in a government office or a factory or private office where the take home salary was meager and ends were to be met and children were satisfied with what ever was available.

The bicycle had appeared in the market as a new invention far back but the buying capacity was meagre and even if one had the capacity, one had to be careful of the caste and social positions before one attempted this extreme event. Since New Delhi was a newly built cosmopolitan city where very many people from all States assembled, the caste stuff was not much in prevalence and hence, one could easily buy a desired transport, which was the bicycle. The other modes available were the 'tanga', the famous horse cart, a horse itself, if one could ride, the bullock cart, and of course the super rich could possess a motor car and the motor cycle. Other wise, buses were the convenient mode of transport which people embraced with great zest.

But the bicycle became the heart throb of many and one felt elated to be with one and possess one. In that respect, my friend youngster was right and I was thrilled by his expression of the 'bike'. That time New Delhi (not Old Delhi-which is a city apart from New Delhi even though both the cities are side by side places complimenting each other) was a place of peace and tranquility, a well laid out city with different sectors with its own housing units and parks and places of worship. From sector to sector one had to walk a few kilometres and a bicycle was a really helpful equipment then. Each sector had a sector market. Different sector markets had different shops which specialised in some item or the other and when one needed to to vsit such special shops is the need of the bike.

My young friends bike is a rusty bicycle with a stick for a pedal on one side and at the other a full pedal where the rubber supports were loose and hanging making a sound every time one pushed down the pedal. Somehow the guy used it with great expertise and took advantage of possession of the same. I had seen that kind of a bicycle with my uncle in Kerala who also used to use it with great love and affection. He had corns in his feet and walking was difficult for him. Hence, the use of the hedge was really a boon for him.

He used to come to see me every time I came down to Kerala from Delhi. Kerala soil had lot of little sharp stones in it making walking bare foot difficult for those who did so. This was interspersed with a few sharp thorns too which was available from the bamboos on the side hedges of the roads and by lanes in those days.

Old Hercules II

Old Hercules II

The old Hercules had started me thinking of the old time cycles which I was used to. There were few bi-cycles and was owned by the well to do only. The others had the facility of taking a bi-cycle on rent either on an hourly basis or for a whole night.

Time before that was childhood times where any body who had parents thinking of children, got a wooden toy cart on four little wheels. This wooden cart had a plat form on which the child can be seated and asked to hold on to the push stick. The push stick had a handle which the parent held and pushed. At other times the child if able to walk can hold on the push handle and push the empty vehicle with which the child became proficient in walking.

The next step is a little steel wheel run with a long hooked stick. After that came the little rubber wheels, cut out by the cobblers from discarded tyres of motor lorries which is as big as asix year old boy and run with a small stick. Next was the dream of the bi-cycle which was rare to come.

There was a shop in the local market dispensing the bi-cycles on rent and this time the owner had newly purchased a half cycle very cute and white in colour. This was a heart throb of the children who set eyes on them. It cost ten paise per hour and one rupee could get that little heart throb for ten hours. Our school had taught me bi-cycling somewhat....., as people, these days say 'Ya., I now driving and have a licence, but has to get the hands on for a while' . Here I was fond of cycling, knew who to cycle, but was not very sure to get on the bi-cycle in the initial tries which troubled me a lot.

My elder brother explained it to me that I have to hold on to the handle grips and look ahead, put my left leg on the pedal and push with the right leg on the ground. As it moved, I am to stand on the left leg on the left pedal, keep the balance and slowly throw the right leg from behind over the seat to the other side of the bi-cycle. I succeeded at times but not always. This was a sham. Sometimes when I threw the right leg over the seat, the bi-cycle first and me over it went to the ground..!

I found a way out for this by getting my friend and neighbour to hold the bicycle while I got on. This for a few times, and it worked. His being near me itself increased my confidence and slowly I was able to do it myself. The pay out for this was I had to give the bi-cycle to my neighbour friend for a few rounds whenever he pleased, which worked well for me. 

The whole episode was made possible by me elder brother giiving me or rather presenting me with a Rupee, one full Rupee, I mean, (it used to be a lot in those days, just for bi-cycling) and telling me that I can have the bi-cycle for as much time I wanted. In the early morning of next day I went alonng with my neighbour friend to the local cycle shop and got the brand new (You know, brand new) while Atlas 'Half' cycle! You should have heard the wheel turning making a fine 'ting..ting' sound when the free wheel is not turning along with the wheel..! We put the cycle on the stand and turned the pedal for a few times and brought the wheel to a high speed and then turned the pedal in the reverse to hear the sweet noise the combination made! Hilarious, indeed!

We took the bi-cycle from the stand and rode it to the house and to the adjoining the huge cashewnut tree orchard to have the fill of our rides. The orchard is full of dry cashew nut tree leaves and one has to be careful to see if they do not have snakes. Tropical snakes are at times dangerous as at time one may come across a cobra or crate as a matter of routine. Most of then the times, it may be rat snake but of good size which is good enough to frighten small boys. In a matter of a couple of hours the balancing and standing on the left pedal was well practised and my friend and I took turns to do a lot of rounds on the new bi-cycle.

Once we had the fill of riding, as there was still a lot of rented time, we bathed the bi-cycle in fresh water clean, put it in the sun to dry and took more rounds which gave us severe head ache as we were over doinbg the rounds in the hot tropical sun bright on our heads. By the evening we were blind with head ache and returned the bi-cycle, the brand new one to the shop owner and cleared his account. Now that we had our fill of the half bi-cycle we had other thoughts. I slept and slept on for a full night and another full day and got up only to have my meals whiich my mother so lovingly gave me awakening me from my sleep.

The day after, I related it to my friends in school, who said that this was not a big deal, as some of their friends used to ride only the big bi-cycles as a matter of course! I was curious..! How is that? May be..! Those who had a huge bi-cycle at home, perhaps..did..! Not me. My two elder brothers who used to bring rented bi-cycles home used to tell me to keep away from it as it may fall on me or so.

Some how these friends, or so called little friends of mine's dialogue made me uneasy and I could not rest until I mastered a big bi-cycle. I was carrying this thought in my mind for the next few days and one day came across a small child of seven or so really moving around on a big bi-cycle..!I was twelve if not more and heftier than that guy! The little fellow was controlling the bi-cycle like a circus man, clonging to it from a side! His one foot was on the left pedal and the other on the right which he had pushed in through the quadrilateral frame, holding the left handle with his left hand he held his right hand on the central bar of the bicycle...! I could not believe my eyes. He was moving around as if this was nothing and was concentrating on some thing quite far. What a fellow..! Now I can't wait. I was full of an untold desire to immediately ride a big bi-cycle.!

In every step I grew big and by the time I reached the bicycle shop, I had grown enough to demand a rental bi-cycle. The shop keeper was known and he was a good guy and sweet too, who had an eye for the little money we brought and believed in the fact 'it is a lot of little little moneys which made a big pool' He never disheartened any one who went to him, except that money should be there for the services offered. I demanded if I could have a bi-cycle and what could be the least rent! He looked at me, looked at the twenty or so odd bi-cycles on display and ultimately went in and brought a bi-cycle which was comparatively new in green pain and it was a Hercules..!

He said it would cost me ten paise for half hour which was readily agreed to and I rode home on it. My idea was to show off to my Mom what I have achieved that morning..! My Mom never let me down, as I knew and as soon as she found me on the big bicycle, she exclaimed: Ah...you riding a big bicycle...Good Heavens, be careful! Now that you have achieved the feat, I can have a support whenever I wanted to send some body to the shop..! I replied with great joy and mirth: “Oh you only have to tell me...any time of the day or night, rain on shine, this beauty works all the time” “Great machine”, indeed! Numberless times, I did errands for my mom on the bicycle and then of course did a lot of work or bicycling for my Dad too, who was a very good cyclist, himself..! -But when one attains age, they want to bi-cycle less and less and would always love some body else to do it for them, if that can be helped.

In those days, the local Police Sub Inspector and High School Headmaster had a new bi-cycle each. The Police Sub Inspector, normally called an 'Esseye' (short form for S.I.) uased to come on his brand new bi-cycle! He wore a khaki shorts and shirt with a belt and a leather cross belt. He had a flat officer type hat and befitting reddish brown shoes ..! As soon as he came, a waiting Police constable took charge of the bi-cycle and took it with great reverence to a corner of the courtyard of the Police Station and kept it on the stand and locked..! The inspector, very hefty in size, just got of the bi-cycle by breaking and putting back his right foot! He did not have to balance on the left pedal and that sort of thing which we children did. He just moved away from it with his baton (In those days they used to keep a small stick with them, only the Inspectors, called SI. The Policemen had huge sticks which they conveniently hang on this shoulder brass buttons and kept them to their back side).

But in the case of the Headmaster, that was not the case! He passed the central market area of the village town sharp at 8.30 A.M. and moved in the direction of the school without let or hindrance. People on the way, many a time, saluted him or 'namasthed' him wth great reverence and respect to which the master at times lifted his right hand or smiled with a little shake of his head. In the school, he got down from the by-cycle balancing and bringing the bicycle to the shady corner of the school courtyard and put it on stand and locked, took the key, looked around, took a few books which he always kept on the back carrier and walked up to his office, all the time, looking at the children coming from all directions! He always acted like a great Parent and was well loved by the students of the time and was looked at with awe and respect by all around and in the village! His bi-cycle was always spic and span and the children rumoured that he cleaned and polished it himself in his free time..!

The only motor cycle, a 'Harley Davidson' in the area which roared away once in a blue moon belonged to the Parish Priest in the town Cathedral, who went on to visit a sick parishner or an old person unable to move around, were lying in his sick bed and had asked for his presence for confession and ablusions..! The priest, though, elderly, was in his form, wore a kkhaki hat and had at times a cigar on his lips! His motor cycle had a huge glass in front which we were told were to protect him from the severe pressure of the air passing against him..!

The difference between the Hercules bicycles or other large bicycles and the motor cycle was that the second item used petrol fuel for its running and the father since he had to cover long tracts of road and non road, could not possible do it with the Hercules or Raliegh (which too was seen in those days).

Now that I have become very bold in bicycling and renting out the equipment on my own with the ten paise coins which I got from time to time,  slowly I acquired some expertise on the stuff.  Now I could jump over the seat without losing balance and also get down slowly on the left side of my bicycle.

The Old Hercules...!

The old Hercules..!

The bicycle was the car of the olden times. They came from two three companies. And the Relieh brand was the most sought after. But the others came from Hercules, Avon, Atlas etc.

Little children were not at all concerned with the companies they belonged to but only to the sweet thing as long as it had two wheels. Children are like that any where. Very open minded. They looked for a small bicycle, in those days, called a half bicycle. This gave them the leverage to climb on it and control it rather than from a full bicycle which stood at a full twenty four inches plus the seat.

All this came to mind today, when I was at he medical dispensary where my close friend was a bicycle neatly locked up on a side of the wall and carrying a lot of cobwebs. The old bicycle was a Hercules with its old seat bottom filled with white cloth which was surely being used by its user to clean it from time to time. Now he may have discarded it. As most of the youth these days want to use a petrol two wheeler instead of the pedalling bicycle.

Olden days, guys did it with gusto and pedalled their heart out and travelled less to the dispensary. Now people travelled more to the dispensary, travelled on many others modes of transport, but less on bicycles. Here the bi-cycle was taking rest away in a corner. The tyres were both old, the back tyre in good shape, but the front one some what deflatede and flat either due to time and air loss or by a punctured tube. The lock seemed to be in tact and the frame and mud guard was good. There was a little board on the white area of the back mud guard which took my attention. It said : “I am engaged”. May be, it may have an ambition. We do not know. In the Indian parlance when an engagement is proposed and decided, it is normally followed by marriage. But that does not work good for bicycles. This sign only meant that this bicycle is not available to any body but to the real owner or the dispensary in whose premises it is stationed.

It would have been owned or had been issued to a Class IV staff or a Clerk to commute to nearby places to save time instead of walking up. Some of them were also given an allowance in lieu of this kind of bicycling and fetching work. That allowance was called 'Cycle allowance'. Only the lower paid employees got that allowance. The better placed officials even though were allowed to use the bicycle, were not paid any cycle allowance. But it was the lower staff who loved and lived with the heart-throbs of old as a new issue of a brand bicycle thrilled any body in those days.

Now this bicycle in front of me would have done the length and breadth of Adyar where the dispensary is situated. It would have seen better times and good people as it would have remained in a family whose sole bread winner would have had this little beauty, that too, a Hercules, which is called a bi-cycle with a muscle, in this part of the country. Regardless of the long use, the cycle still stood its ground and had some sleeping life in it which can come alive any time, but for the sign on it, “I am engaged” Many a medicine would have been carried on it which would have saved the life of many a sick patient. But now the cycle itself is sick of non use and non exercise. The Doctors who advised us to walk and do exercise never looked at the bicycle.

Such things are looked after by the administrative officials and they did not think of health but of administration. Now that there are no takers for the bicycle in the new comers, it will have to wait in the corridor for some more time, beffore salvation came to it.

My medicines came by this time and it was time for me to leave the dispensary and I said good bye to the old friend, the Hercules.!

While on my return home, I was deeply troubled by the Adyar mud on the wheels.  The mud may be years old as it seemed the bicycle had been resting in its present place for quite some time as like in any Government office when things go into disuse.  If the bicycle had been in recent use the mud would belong to the time of the floods in which it would be general mud of Chennai as all the water came together to give a kind of togetherness to the people and animals.

The sufferers for the most part were the animals as they perished and without number.  Humans also faced a lot of trouble and certain death in the catastrophy of great magnitude.  But the Hercules has outlived to tell its story and was standing majestically on its stand.  The handle bars were in tact but the grips were worn out.  The bell was the old single bell type and the chain and pulleys had a lot of oil and grease on them again showing it had been lovingly used thoroughly by some youngster.

Yesteryears found the youth here applying themselves on bicycles when cars, motor cycles, mopeds and scooters were few.  The only well off guys could afford a Lambretta or Vespa scooter.  After a lot of time, the market competitors brought out a long scooter near to the Lambretta called 'Vijai Super' .  That too ran for a while.  On the motor cycle front there were three of them which we usually found on the films and movies of the time, viz. the Bullet for sure as it was a British legacy, followed by the Jawa another roaring long motor cycle and followed by the more suave 'Rajdoot' from the Yamaha company.


Now all those sounds have died down and the new market charmers aponce peared on the scene.  The Hero Honda's put the axe on the less averaging vehicles and once the Hero Hondas picked up other competitors who were making other things started making their kind of motor cycles and the market became very competitive.  This now made the usual bicycle lover go for the 'fast forward' mode of the motor cycles and our loved and dear Hercules is now assigned to a corner of the Dispensary without any treatment or use.   Let us hope that since it is in the Dispensary it will get the attention due to it and get treated, revive its old glory and be used once again to ultimate good health of its user and the on lookers alike...!