Shaurya was not just a bike for Rinkyui, but also an important member of their family. Her son Daksh had always been passionate about bikes since his childhood. When he was just four years old, Rinkyui and her husband Komleva took him to a showroom to buy a scooter. However, Daksh was instantly drawn towards a Hero motorbike and admired it for a long time. Although Rinkyui and Komleva felt that a scooter would be safer to ferry their son, they couldn’t ignore his love for bikes. As Daksh grew up, his fascination for bikes only intensified. He started collecting posters and pictures of different bikes and even started building a scrapbook of cars. One day, when he was twelve years old, Komleva decided to take him to the Mercedes Benz assembling workshop. Daksh was thrilled at the idea of seeing different cars and was eagerly looking forward to the trip. At the workshop, Daksh was amazed by the variety of cars and the intricate details of their assembly. Komleva explained the different features and specifications of each car and Daksh listened with rapt attention. As they were about to leave, Daksh spotted a shiny new Yamaha bike in the corner, just outside the workshop. He was instantly drawn towards it and couldn’t take his eyes off it. Komleva noticed his son’s fascination but Daksh was just twelve. Daksh was athletic and loved cycling, football and tennis. Despite riding his bicycle at top speed, he could reach the tennis court and practice tennis for hours, and then return home happily.
Every year Daksh would tell Komleva that he would buy a bike with his earnings. When Daksh turned eighteen, Komleva decided to surprise him by gifting him the bike on his birthday. Daksh was overjoyed and couldn’t believe that he finally had his bike. He named it Shaurya, which meant courage and treated it like his younger brother.
His bike was his mode of transportation to the college, and he spent time with his friends after class. As he believed, it was only he who knew the bike well, he never let anyone else ride it. Daksh took good care of his bike and made sure it was in perfect condition. He cleaned and serviced it regularly. Shaurya was a Yamaha bike and was dark blue and black. One of the days’ Rinkyui saw Daksha rush back home. He wasn’t in a mood to talk to anyone or eat food. Daksh locked his bike in the garage and left it there. He was visibly upset. Rinkyui was curious and asked him what had happened. Daksh refused to tell her. Days later Daksh told how his classmate met with a bike accident and lost his life on the spot. Rinkyui was in shock. She finally understood why Daksh was so upset. She was heartbroken for the friend and the family.
Daksh gradually began riding Shauraya, but only for the essentials. One day while returning home, he saw a Robin about to prey on a Praying mantis. Amid Daksh’s attempts to save the insect, a car came rushing through and killed the Robin, while the Praying Mantis walked back to the Gulmohar tree unharmed. Daksh was horrified. He realized that he had failed to save the bird. He buried his head in his hands, feeling helpless and guilty. Rinkyui told him that it was the way life was and that one lived just the number of breaths they were bestowed with.
Daksh slowly felt better. He looked forward to life and completed his studies. He took up a job and would use Shaurya to commute to his workplace. Shauraya was competent and would carry Daksh safely. One of the days, on a holiday, Daksh rode Shauraya on a long trip to the neighbouring city. The ride was adventurous and exciting but Shauraya wasn’t a match for long trips as its parts were slowly wearing out. Daksh had no other choice but to find an alternative mode of transport. He decided to buy another motorbike, he was fond of the Royal Enfield bikes. He rode Shauraya to the Enfield Motorbike Studio where there were gleaming bikes all superior to Shauraya. Daksh test-drove a variety of bikes like the Himalayan, Hunter, Bullet, Classic, Roadster and Super Meteor. Daksh was eager to travel to nearby cities and he felt the Himalayan Scram or Meteor would be the best. Shauraya felt sad as Daksh got the papers ready for a purchase. It was common for Daksh to ride Shauraya to the bike showroom and all of his intentions were known to Shauraya. Daksh got Shauraya washed well at the bike washing centre and filled its tank with petrol as he planned to sell off Shauraya.
On the day of the delivery, Daksh went in a cab and Rinkyui and Komleva followed Daksh and watched him as he completed the transaction. That afternoon the whitish-red bike stood beside Shauraya in their parking space.. Shauraya looked at itself and ruminated thinking whether it would die creaking without his regular rides. True to his thoughts, Daksh drove the Royal Enfield each day and Shauraya remained in the car parking.
Daksh felt guilty about leaving Shauraya behind but he would polish it and make sure it was in the best condition.
One of the days as Daksh was ready to leave on his Enfield bike, he was approached by an auto-driver to know if Daksh wanted to sell his Yamaha bike. Daksh told him, ‘The bike is for sale, come any day and ride it’. Shaurya was shaken up on listening to this. It did not mind being left in the parking but leaving Daksh was painful.
The Autodriver did not turn up but the gardener brought a new buyer, Drumdhar. He met Komleva who gave him the keys to the bike. Drumdhar liked Shaurya as the bike started in the first kick. Shaurya was overwhelmed by a feeling of betrayal. He felt like he had lost his only friend. He rode away, his heart heavy with sadness.
Upon meeting Dhrumdhar, Komleva realized Drumdhar was a gas deliveryman. Although Komleva was relieved they had found a buyer, he wanted the papers changed to Drumdhar’s name before the money could be exchanged. Drumdhar agreed and they decided to finish the transaction after the papers were ready. For many days Drumdhar did not appear. Komleva left the idea of selling Shaurya much to his relief.
On the day of Dusshera, Rinkyui and Komleva were busy preparing for the Ayuddha Pooja, a celebration in India that involves the worship of tools and equipment. They had led an austere life during the nine days of Navratri and had bought garlands of flowers to decorate the house. They had washed all the vehicles to decorate them with flowers and pray. As they were getting ready for the pooja, the doorbell rang and it was Drumdhar, dressed in his uniform. He asked if he could take the Yamaha bike home to wash it and perform the Astra Puja, even though the papers weren’t ready yet. Rinkyui and Komleva hesitated at first but then decided to let him take Shauraya for the ritual. As they handed over the flower garland they had brought for Shauraya, Rinkyui felt a pang of sadness, but she knew it was better for things to be used rather than get rusted. Shauraya reminded her of young Daksh but life teaches us that moving forward builds strength.
Meanwhile, Daksh rushed to Shauraya and patted it hard, thanking it for everything it had done for him. As Rinkyui walked away with a smile, Shauraya felt a sense of relief that it would be in safe hands. It felt loved and appreciated by Daksh for taking care of it all these years. With a sense of contentment, Shauraya waved goodbye to Rinkyui and looked forward to a new chapter in its life.
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