THE RED BICYCLE

        Bokke's Cycle Mart, under a massive banyan tree at the Raikia bazaar in Kandhamal district of Odisha, was an eye-catcher for the school boys in the early 1970s. It was doing a small business in the small locality. Bokke, a middle-aged cycle mechanic and his son Thomas used to run this mart under a tin-roofed shop supported by four strong wooden poles. This shop was very special because it used to give its cycles on rent to the students or to those who needed a means of conveyance for a short distance, say to a nearby village and back on a day's charge. The mart had five cycles then, of Humber, Raleigh, Robin hood  make . The special attraction for the  local Vijay High  School students was the red Robin hood cycle that was being given on rent. Its colour was fascinating that made it much-sought-after. 

        After the  classes in the afternoon, my friends and I would rush to Bokke's Cycle Mart to hire  the red cycle for an hour or two  @ 25 paise for an hour. Since there was only one red bicycle, it was undoubtedly every one's choice. My turn would come  once or twice a week to ride that rickety old red bicycle. However, it would give me an unprecedented experience, a feeling of happiness and freedom like an eagle. While cycling down from the bazaar to the Ramunda Nursery, I felt like an eagle gliding effortlessly above the clouds in the blue sky . I would think then that I had actually become an eagle, the king of the birds .In my reverie I forgot the ordeal of Mathematics classes , the cane-wielding hands of teachers at  my school and the admonitions of my mother at home. The red bicycle taught me the fundamental lessons of cycle riding. In 1977 I went to Cuttack city to study at Ravenshaw College  where I pursued my academic courses till 1981.It was followed by Post-Graduation Degree at Vani Vihar, Utkal University,Bhubaneswar till 1984.By the time I returned from Bhubaneswar , after seven years of study, there was neither Bokke's Cycle Mart at the Raikia Bazaar , nor any trace of the Red Bicycle that we adored. The cycle mart had vanished on the death of Bokke, the owner. His son too disappeared from the area. The old banyan tree that had sheltered the mart was still standing there nonchalantly and  seemed to ridicule me then.

                                                                          ( Writer- Dr.Pradeep Kumar Nayak )