Washing his hands after dinner he noticed his mobile
vibrate. A message beeped,
“Everythingready!! The road is set!!
See you at 11.00 PM sharp “
His heart raced as he watched his mobile. He had to make his
movements fast. He looked at his watch to see the time, there was an hour left
for him. Everyday had become a challenge
for him since he had started this game, the most daring sport. It meant life
and death. But he wasn’t scared anymore. It had started with excitement, pulse
racing speed, a desire to be ahead of all but now it was addiction and the
sheer need to calm his burning desires.
He stealthily walked to his room and tried to avoid any
conversations with the members of his family. Locking the door of his room, he
switched on the table lamp and sat in the light that shone from it. The time
started to pass and he waited for the final signal after which he would be gone
into a different world. Lost in his thoughts, he didn’t notice his mobile beep.
It beeped a second time and he stood up astonished.
“Assemble at the Thiruvanmiyur signal in ten
minutes”
He took the keys of his vehicle and checked to see if
everyone had slept at home. He walked to the door when he remembered he had
forgotten the most important thing.
“I forgot to kiss Trishu”, he thought. He walked into his
sister, Trisha’s room and kissed her on her cheeks and ran to start his bike.
“His bike”, was the instrument in this game. He rode fast as being late would
cost
him his life.
Far at the Thiruvanmiyur signal there were members of RSR
(Royapettah speed racers), boys in the age group of 18 – 25 stood with bikes
making the loudest noise as possible and that were made to race. He reached the
signal on time and joined the rest of the group.
The road was dark and lonely. The streets lights were bright
and the wide road was an advantage to race in a spree. 10 bikers stood across
the lanes. 5 in each group competing with the other 5 in the other group. The
entire city slept when these bikers woke to play the most dangerous sport. Brakes
were not meant to be taken, gear was the key and the accelerator was epochal.
The bet was made for Rs. 50000 and the “winner would take it
all”. The race was a 12 km one from
Thiruvanmiyur to War memorial. Three signals were given
after which the race would begin. The first signal was given and the bikers
started their bikes. The second signal was given and the accelerator was raised
to the most formidable limit. The third signal and the bikers set the road on
fire.
He was always the
king when it meant to race. He had been trained better than the rest because he
had the potential to be the best. He was the lead and when he raced he felt the
road was a magnanimous mystery which had many unfolded secrets. His eyes were
blind to any disturbances and disturbances meant just anything and anything
that would make him use something that he hated, “The brakes”.
There was a style in which the entire team rode; it was a
zig-zag fashion and not a linear one. This style was maintained to divert the
opponent and anyone who missed the fashion ended up giving his life. Sparks of
fire were emitted from the bikes which was a sense of pride for every raced.A
myriad of images gazed in front of him when he rode and the road was his
fantasy. When he rode, he rode with a zest and passion as thought he was
born to rule the roads.
The destination was not far and he had already decided
in his mind that he would make it and victory would be his. As the finish line
approached he was sad that his drug would come to an end and he would have to
wait till he would hit the roads again. He cherished the last minutes of his
celestial journey which he finally won. He raised the accelerator in his right
and held the clutch with his left hand and watched as the opponents stared at
him and his charisma.
He picked up his cash that he had earned and walked towards
Jerry, his mentor and his master. For Jerry, he knew his “bishop” would win the
game for him. Jerry hugged him and paid him for his win. His mission accomplished, he knew he could
rest in peace.He drove back home and opening the door of his house, he stood
astonished as there was someone waiting for him. The person who according to him
should have been the last person to know about his late night mystery was
standing in front of him with inquisitive eyes.
“Vikas anna, would you please oblige and tell
me where were you so long at this hour of the night?”, Trisha his
sister enquired with gleaming eyes.
“Trishu, I had some important work outside.
Listen just let this be between us don’t take it to Dad and Mom”, pleaded
Vikas.
“Okay anna, I promise I wont tell it to Dad
and Mom, but on one condition that you have to tell me truth about your
whereabouts”, Trishu played her card right.
Vikas thought about the deal, it was a difficult decision to
tell everything to the person whom he loved the most. His sister had always
been his life since she was born. But racing was none the less important to
him. When he weighed his love for both of them he realized that he could give
up all his aspirations to the girl who sat in front of him.
“Trishu, I was street racing!!!”
The words hit harder than a thousand bells rung together. “Anna, are you kidding me, I knew biking and bikes were your
passion, but does that mean you can risk your life and others too?”,
Trishu reminded.
She glared at him and walked off to her room. Trishu was
more than his little sister. She meant more than anything in the world for him.
He had waited for 7 long years for her to be born and ever since she was his
most important responsibility.
Vikas sat in the porch of their house and focused on what
Trishu had just said.Many a time he wanted to give up this madness, but now
racing had entered his blood and veins. He gazed around and his eyes fell on
his bike. His thoughts ran back to the time when he was 15 years old. He had
watched Sashi his neighbor race the bike and ever since then he wanted to own
one. He waited till he was 18 to get a license and even scored well in his
engineering exams as this was the condition put by his father if he wanted a
bike.
It was his 18th birthday and the day his dream
had come true. Trisha had tied his eyes with a scarf and led him to the porch
where he now sat. She had screamed in his ears, 3….2……………….1 ½……………..1…. and
pulled the scarf from his eyes. He couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw a
Stylish black and blue Yamaha R15 standing in front of him. He walked and knelt
beside it. He touched it as though it was a new born baby. He was going to
cherish it for a lifetime. And since then his bike had been his all, his love,
his life and his passion.
“Vicky, you ride really well, why
don’t you show your skills to my friend, he loves bikers”, Sashi
suggested to Vikas. Sashi had always been an inspiration to Vikas when it came
to bikes. Sashi introduced Vikas to Jerry. Jerry had heard a lot about Vikas
and wanted him in his group in any cost. Jerry owned the RSR group and he was
always in search of bikers. He showed Vikas a whole new world of biking and Vikas
was overwhelmed and decided to drive for RSR.
He got his bike sophisticated with a lot of essentials from
Puddupet the land for bikers where they enhanced the ability of bikes and gave
them extra effects. Vikas had done well from the very first race and had held a
special place in Jerry’s heart. He was Jerry’s right hand and his trump card as
well. Ever since then there was no
looking back for Vikas. The roads and his bike had become his life.
The next morning Trishu behaved a little abnormal with Vikas
and this hurt him. 6 months back Trisha was diagnosed with leukemia and Vikas
had almost died when he had heard the doctor say
this. He knew it would give her more pain if she had heard her brother woke up
every night when she slept and risked his life on the streets. He gathered
courage to speak to her and end the silence.
“Trishu what is wrong with you?
Why are you not speaking to me?” he enquired.
“Anna, dad and I met the doctor
yesterday, he said my chances for survival are vey meager. I don’t know how
long am I going to live. You are all I can leave for maa and Paa, but instead
of being responsible you are ruining your life on the streets” ,
Trisha spoke without a pause.
“You have to promise me Vikas anna that you
will give this up and never take up this dangerous game again”
Vikas took time to reply and again the love for his sister
outdid his passion and he promised to give it up for her. At the beginning it
had been difficult for him to forget his addiction but he slowly started
spending more time with his family and came out of the death hole. He had
almost forgotten everything when one day he received a call from Sashi..……
What could the call have been? Will Vikas go back to the
streets? Will he break his promise?......
To be continued……….
waiting for part 2...
ReplyDeleteWill Post it soon Rohit.....
DeleteIt kept me till the end! I'll wait for the concluding chapter.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much... Great to receive a comment from you. Will post the last part very soon. Almost dne with it.
DeleteWow, excellent buildup Cynthia. The way you describe the bike race and tied it to the rest of the story was really good. The fact that it was bike racing, and the struggle that Vikas has between his passion (bike racing) and his responsibility was well strung and kept me riveted til the end.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait for Part 2!
Thanks Dark knight..... You have been one ardent follower who boosts me so much. thanks a ton for going thru. Will post the part 2 soon.
Delete