Story to Sketch - 'A bike ride to remember' by Usha Iyer

After 2 decades or more, I sat on a bike- also 20 kgs heavier now, I was worried about balancing and falling off! I was also worried about my nephew, Shashank’s shoulder into which I dug my nails in tension.

Ever since he bought the bike, I’d been asking for a ride. My chance to ride pillion with him came when we were returning after attending a friend’s son’s wedding. I enjoyed every moment of the speed, of the excitement and the ‘hava’ on my face. The part of my face that was exposed, I mean, since I was wearing a helmet, something I never did ever before. 

I was told I would be safe as long as I kept my feet firmly on the footrest (is that what it is called?). The heels of my pencil heels (I was dressed to attend a wedding!) kept going through the railings of the footrest(?) and every now and then I got them out, trying to balance and not cause Shashank any trouble. All this while we were moving. Fast. 

Something is different about the bike’s seat design now. With every tiny brake even, I seemed to be sliding closer to Shashank. At every signal, I tried sliding back to position, with not much of a change happening though! My Kanjeevaram saree did not help! I smiled inside the helmet wondering what kind of a sight I made as my pallu fluttered happily in the breeze, having slipped out of my fingers as I clutched the little handle under me with my left hand. How much of my ample figure was on display for all the people behind us, I don’t know, before I pulled my pallu back and tucked it in, to preserve my ‘dignity'. Thankfully, the helmet sweetly hid my identity and we zig zagged happily and reached in the same time it took the others to reach home by car. 

The memory will last forever, as the highlight of Nikhil’s wedding on 6th April 2018. I think there is need to look more closely into the seat design and the reason it is made for the pillion rider to slip forward and encroach upon the biker’s space, ever so often!

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