The bicycle

an flash of romance from 1920

gateway to HERITAGE

India in 1920,

when bullock carts ruled the traffic, the man who rode a bicycle was considered a yuppie.

Imagine, the man a young doctor, withthe british army, who went about from one state to another. Owning a bicylce. was indeed a prize catch.

The familiies of all eligible girls sent out proposals to the Hande House, after all Madappa, the doctor son of the sarpanch was no small fish.

The Baasari’s,Herle’s,Karanth’s Hebbars and Aithals the aristrocrats of the Kota Brahmanical Clan all casting their dices.

It looked as though the young man after being exposed to the urban women of Mangalore-Madras and god knows where was immune to this.

For want of better work to do, he decided to cycle down to Kundapura the town ahead of his village.

He had just gone a half the distance when his bicycle punctured.

In 1920’s the bicylce repair man was a star who spoke only to bicycle owners which meant he had a very low audience turnover.

Here was a young man who would appreciate his entrepruenership and wide travelling, he was a coffee vendor, oil mill owner, and now finally he had his bicycle repair shop.

Listening to the bicycle repairman and his saga,was a safe and discreet opportunity to eye the little girl playing by,

“mahalakshmi, get some water and ask you aunt get coffee for the young man.”

so the girl’s name was Mahalakshmi.

“My daughter,”Said the bicycle repair man Holla, answering the unasked question.

The cycle had no doubt been set right, but the young man’s pulse was grossly disturbed by the young girl, that he found excuses to cycle down to Coondapur.

Once the mystery of the mysterious attraction was found out, the Hande’s were triffle upset, that the scion had choosen an semi-orphan.

But soon things set in favor of the young couple.

So Madappa and Mahalakshmi were united in holy matrimony.

Why does this offend me?

Well their daughter Parwati, being my grandmother I hold responsible for all trivial trails of my life.

If only the bicycle had punctured else where.