a tryst with my bike

It was summer and what better way to cool our heels and ofcourse heads than to go shopping ..at central.!

As always, took out my scooty pep + .. my darling... constant , trustworthy,not-so-troublesome-except-a-few-flat-tyres  companion .. along with my sister.

We were parking the bike in the parking lot ..when all hell broke loose ! The weiredest of things happened...
I turned the key to shut down the engine..and it did'nt ! I tried again .. turning it as slowly as I could (Maybe the bike dint realise that I turned the key :P )  . Drrrr... It was still running.

I looked around sheepishly.I wanted to hide..My sister behaved as if she dint know me ! As if I was invisible and wotever was happening was not happening at all !

A bunch of good-looking boys were walking towards the parking...and my heart sank.. they SHOULDnt see me like this..NO !!  I wished I could vanish into thin air, .. "Oh God ! mein mar kyun nahi gayi .. :(   earth phat kyun nahi gaya..!!  "

I immediately put the keys back into the lock.. trying to look as normal as I could...
Now they wudnt know wot sort of stupid,utterly-mortifying situation I was  in. I dont know if they even noticed I was there..sweating..and praying dat I wouldnt be found out.. but the problem at hand felt much smaller wen they left ... Geee !

With another solid prayer.. which had only 1 word "Deva (God.. in marathi ) " ( My prayer sounds like this..deva deva deva deva..which goes on until interrupted ) , I turned off the engine..and in a slow motion ... started taking out the key..my lips quivering.. still praying fervently for that elusive Deva !

The engine din't die out... Drrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr....... it still was running.. Damn  ! Devaaaaa !

Looked like God was on a holiday and in no mood to help instant devotees... In His world of instant dosa..instant saabudaana....and instant what-not , wots wrong with instant-devoutism ?

I had only one option left. Approach someone for help !

I pleaded with my sis to go and tell dat security fellow of our predicament..but no.. she glared at me like I asked her to marry  him... I admit that's much better than being laughed at ( just an exaggeration..dont jump to conclusions ! )

I have heard of bikes not starting at all.. seen a lot of flat tyres... seen bikes without silencers making that horrendous sound, as if  producing thunder... but this ! It was ,like, my engine attained moksha.... and the petrol  was serving as "amruth" and not letting it die ... uwaaaaaaiiin !

I looked around and when the coast was clear ( no good-looking boys around ) , I told the security fellow ..
"Bhaiyya.. gaadi band nahi ho raha .." How weird did that sound...


He gave that grin that I dreaded and came to have a look... He walked with an air that tried to convey that I was soo foolish and naive that  I dint know how to shut off my bike..!

He fiddled with the keys ... took them out .. And this time my Deva decided to answer my prayers... The engine died... (I guess the speed of sound fell short for the urgency with which I said them... All the "devas"  reached God a little late...)

You should have seen my face... and his ...

I gave him a sheepish smile.. murmured a "thank you" .. signalled my sister that she can acknowledge me now..and went in....to shop..

After an hour or so of scanning..we decided lifestyle was a better place to shop than central...and with that on the agenda.. hurried outside.

I kicked the bike for all trouble it gave us that morning..when nobody was looking..clenched my teeth as hard as I could and when I thought I took out all my anger on it, proceeded to start the bike.

I pressed the start button.  No sound.  I turned the key again and pressed the button. It dint make a sound.

Then I thought It needed a sound kicking.I put it on centre stand and tried kick-starting. It made a purring sound..and then died..I started kicking it furiously..till my legs and hands ached.

Last time, I felt engine "not-starting" was better then engine "not-dying" . This felt no better.

My sister dragged it along... upto half kilometer or so till we found a mechanic.

Our day was ruined..totally !