Today I rode a bicycle

Today I rode a bicycle without falling off !! For the very first time in my life. It was exhilirating and liberating but only after I got over the fear of falling down.

My last attempt to ride a bike was when I was about 7 years old. I recall vividly - my 3 brothers taking me to the compound of a local municipal school. We rented a bike from the bike shop across from New Talkies. It was a little bike - to match my height, emerald green in color. I remember falling down multiple times, despite my brothers efforts. And I remember after the nth fall, my brothers saying it was time to call it a day and that I really did not need to learn how to ride a bike.

I do not remember exactly how I felt - but it could not have been too bad, given that I had not attempted to mount a bike since. Over the years, I've ridden stationary bikes in the gym and cars have been a pretty satisfactory means of transport. But in the last few years I've thought about learning how to ride a bike - especially after I heard about all the biking vacations and how much fun those could be.

Sadly, I was too embarassed to admit that I could not ride a bike. Unfortunately such an admission is the key to getting started with the bikes. I was further embarassed after I mentioned this to Salyani. Salyani is a young woman in her late teens, who cooks and cleans for me. She was born and raised in a remote part of Assam. She had not seen a TV set or a movie prior to coming to Delhi. I gave her her first paying job. There are many things Salyani has not had exposure to, but she too rides a bike.

About 2 months ago, the young niece with the indomitable spirit that persuaded me to start blogging, posted a blog on biking to the waterfronts of Mumbai on Saturday morning. And I recall thinking that that was an incredible way to see the city I love. And I thought it was pretty sad that I could not bike. But when she blogged about biking around Pondicherry, and getting a valet to park her bike.. .I knew I could not put this off much longer.

Teaching me how to ride a bike became the big project in my household. Mukesh - my chauffeur and Archana the Yoga teacher came with me to the bike shop to help pick out a bike - both complained about the price of bikes these days. We brought the bike home and parked it outside the apartment. Last night Salyani watched over me as I rode the bike in the long hallway of my apartment, and tried hard not to laugh.

This afternoon Archana and her colleague took me to an alley behind Beverly Park II where they held the bike steady as I attempted to ride it. Thre were a handful of spectators. I did not notice anyone I knew.. but there are many people I do not know who seem to know me.

I was doing well until I noticed Archana running alongside me - she was not holding the bike. I almost fell off. After I steadied myself and had been riding around for a bit. Archana asked me to go take a break and rest up a bit. Then she started teaching Aarti how to ride..... So much for me thinking I was the only one on the planet that could not ride.