BAIEKNAMA 5

                                 

BY

SHRIDHAR    TILVE

TRNSLATED

BY

PRIYANVADA NARVEKAR-PARKAR

CHAPTER 5: PRICING BIKE

I told my plan of purchasing a bike to my friends. One of them was the owner of Gokul Dairy and another was Shrikrishna Yadav. I told them that I don’t have money to purchase the bike. One of them was ready to exchange his cows to purchase my bike. But this was not possible because currently our economy is not based on exchange of things (Karan sadhyacha jamana vastuviniyogacha nahi.)

No one was able to fix about what would be the rate of my third motor bike. One of my friends was genius in economics he told to me that according to Karl Marx if we consider the cost of raw material for the motor-bike and cost of production, the cost of motor bike should not be more than ten thousand. According to him I should not pay more than that. 

According to political friend government has to construct more roads when I have decided to purchase a bike. Indirectly I would be responsible for the increase in number of traffic signals and traffic police. Government would be going to pay for it. So I should give two thousand rupees to the government along with the original cost of the bike. According to religious priest friend I would get spiritual satisfaction so it was necessary to give spiritual donation along with the original cost. My sister’s view was different; to her motor bike is a symbol of prestige, manliness (mardangi) etc. etc. so I have to pay more amount for these symbols. Motor bike seller has a different view. I want marine blue motor bike. So he said I am not purchasing motor bike but I am going to purchase small walk-talkie piece of sky, floating blue cloud, colour of ocean etc.. it was impossible to calculate these things in the form of money. So I have to give extra five thousand rupees to provide the special effect to the bike.

My environmentalist friend, Mr. Vanraj Aswale has become wretched. He is active participator of environmentalist movement. According to him my motor bike would create air pollution so I would be responsible for environmental pollution as well as it would also create noise pollution so I would be responsible for fractional (awashatmak) deafness of the people. It is impossible to count this deafness in the terms of money. So he ends up with ‘I should not purchase a motor bike and if I wanted to purchase it I have to pay one corer rupees’.

When I was thinking over these opinions I came to the conclusion that the bike which I am going to purchase has a cost of one corer forty thousand. And it is available for thirty thousand in the market. So when I purchased it, I felt that I am getting it for a very low price and felt pity for the seller who is selling it for very low price.

I said to my environmentalist friend, “Motor bike is my primary need. You need a network of human power to continue your movement. Motor bike is at the center of your movement, because you would not be continue this movement with the help of computer or not a T.V. channels. They wouldn’t get sponsorship for such work. Computer or television people can not stop those who are cutting a tree but motor bike man can reach there and save that tree. It is not a local movement so to get a global focus motor bike is necessary.”

He was convinced and still not convinced with my opinion, and I was convinced still not convinced with his opinion. So the conclusion was total chaos. In such chaos I left to purchase a bike. Though chaos is the nature of the life it could not be a truth of life. But I was surrounded by chaos when I entered in the motor bike showroom.

It was a very enormous show room. Vivek was with me. He was supposed to help me for getting loan. In return favor I am suppose to help him in one project. After the selection of motor bike he will tell me what sort of project it is. The owner of the shop was familiar to me. He was friend of my father and once we had taken a drink together. He had taken a strong objection for my drinking a beer. He is hot drinker (check the usage of word) and he told to his friends that why we should have included beer drinker in the hot cast group. We should outcast him. In his opinion, in this modern world those who don’t drink are Bhramins, who takes hot drinks are Shaktriya and Vaishya, desi (Raw beer) (Is it a correct explanation) drinkers are Shudra, mohachi pinare Aadivasi. According to him beer is applicable only for the teenagers. All the cold drinkers come under feminine category and his medical view for the small children was we should make a habit to give drink from their early childhood. It was weird to him that I have completed fifteen years and still drink beer. So he wanted to outcast me from his group. We had a strong debate on it. At last I got irritate and shifted to the other table.

  We reminded that incident when I entered in his showroom with Vivek. He felt awkward. He thought my mind will be prejudiced after the bar incident.

“Welcome sir” he said with big business smile.

“I hope you will not compel me to take hot drink” I replied

“I really felt so sorry for that day but we didn’t meet….”

”It’s okay.” I tried make him a comfortable.

      

May be Vivek told him that I want to purchase a motor-bike because straight away he takes us near the motor bike case. These motor bikes look pretty while they run on the road but in the show room these look very miserable. I felt myself as lord Rama who is ready for the redemption of Ahilya. There were several Ahilyas who were waiting for the redemption but I could afford only one. (We have to give the reference of Ahilya here?)

I realized that I am changing woman into a motor bike and motor bike into woman. I became unstable for a moment with this thought.

“Sir, please see the motor bike.”  I become stable when the owner made this request.

When I will purchase a bike it would be original. But it’s difficult to identify the original bike. There are several models in this showroom. If I purchased any one among these, it would change into material. Unless it is into a showcase it will remain as model and after that it will become commodity. I remembered the words of one of my add agency friends,

“Before marriage woman is like a model but when you get married with that model she will become commodity. Then use and throw process will automatically enters in your married life. “

       

Really, is there any difference between original motor bike and model of motor bike? Question raised before me. My thought is useless. Nothing is original in this world. Original is model and model is commodity. I became anxious. Suppose if anybody creates my clone and various models of me would be created then what would be the meaning for the originality? While purchasing the motor bike I interviewed with this fact.  

The person whose cloning would be done will only feel that he is original and that feeling would remain the original. If we are original that is the original thing then what would remain in the originality?

Though my face was not sweated I wiped it with my handkerchief. Vivek noted my upset ness. Why the person who came to purchase a bike should get upset? This thought may occur in his mind. He asked in the worried tone,

“ Are you alright?’’

In reply I acted as if I am okay. With this acting I really became okay.    

“Sir may I help you?” owner asked

“We are fine, thank you. But I do have one question.” I

“Go ahead.” Owner

“Do you have the texts of these bikes?”     ?

“Texts!! I am sorry, I didn’t get you?”

“I mean manuals of these bikes.” I

“But sir..” Owner

“All models look alike. Company name is different.  It is difficult to select them by just looking at them.” I

“What will you understand through the manual, sir?  ‘This bike is good’ you will find this remark in each book in different languages. You can ask your mechanic…” Owner

“I don’t have the bike so where would mechanic come from”

“Sir it is difficult to decide which bike is good unless and until you use it.” Owner

“ You can't see heaven unless you die yourself. So unless and until you can not drive the bike you couldn’t realize which is good.” I

“It’s not like that,sir”

“Please explain it to me.” I

“You can take any friend’s advice or even you can just take a test ride of their bikes. It would be helpful to decide which bike you would like to purchase.” Owner

“I asked my friends. Some were saying Rajtoot is good, someone Honda, Yamaha, or Suzuki…” I

“Five fingers are not same.” Owner

“and some of them had reject the Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki..” I

“Five fingers are not same,sir.”Owner

 “that mean you won’t understand which bike is good unless you purchase it and you won’t allow us to use it before purchasing.” I

“We are helpless.” Owner

“you should give each bike on three days trial.”

“this is India. People will take three days trial and no one will purchase the motor bike in their entire life.” Owner

“Let me know only one thing, motor bikes look different because they are having different identities or they have their own identities so they look different!!” I

He becomes confused. Even I was in dilemma that what I said. For a moment I was stunned. Motor bikes look resemble so they do have different identity!! If I arrange these five motor bikes in a line will they look different? Or these are seems different because these are belong to same brand and same company?   ?

Owner has escaped himself from this question. He went near the counter. He stopped for a moment to think. He has opened one drawer and takes out some number plates. With a winning joy he came near to me. He put on those five number plates on five different bikes. Now each motor bike has a different number.

“Sir, See, now these motor bikes are different from one another.”

I really appreciated his idea. Government came closer to the bike with his idea. After getting the number plate from the government my motor bike would being different. It would get its different identity. I am supposed to pay a tax to the government for offering identity to my motor bike.

“I really appreciate you. I will purchase a bike from your showroom.” I

His commercial smile has turned into a friendly smile. He becomes carefree because I am purchasing a motor bike from his showroom though we had a fight in the beer bar.

“Which model would you like to purchase?” Owner

“I will decide it when I will come to purchase the bike” I

“oh, so you didn’t select the model yet?” Owner

“but I have selected a shop” I smiled

      

He wants to offer a tea but we thankfully refused. We came out of the showroom. Vivek has seated on the front seat and I seated on the back seat of his bike. He started the bike. We came near Deepa hotel. It is our regular hotel.

“Have you decided that you will purchase a bike?”  he said in a tapping tone

“Yes” I firmly replied

“That means it is fixed that you will take a loan.” Vivek

“yes” I answered without any irritation.

“Bank will provide 75% loan and you have to manage 25% “ He

“You haven’t told me this before.” I

“Listen. I will adjust this 25% amount if you will do one favor.” he

“What kind of favor ….hmm… will you tell me to kill somebody?” I teased

“No dude, it’s very easy job. Magnum Publication has given me some work. They are working on the compilation of the filmy love stories i.e. affairs of Bollywood film actors and actress & your work will be writing a stories.” He

“True affairs or fake?” I

“Of course true, 100% true. You have to tape the interview.”

“Do this film industry people will speak?”

“It is your skill to make them speak.”

“Whose name will appear as an editor?”

“Of course, your name!! And if my friend’s name who has brought this proposal. It is totally up to your wish.’’

“Do they offer me this work?”

“Yes, they will. My friend had already spoken to them.”

“What’s the name of your friend?”

“K. Shyamsundar”

“Is he South Indian?”

“Yes, he is.”

“Being a south Indian he does such jobs!” I asked him surprisingly

“Why? South Indians doesn’t do such jobs?”

“Generally not”

“But he does. Now you will be a part of it. So stop arguing.’

“Okay. I have to do some work to purchase a bike. This work is better than construction.’’

Truly, I am not interest to meet the filmy heroes and heroines. Only two persons are creative in the film industry. One is Writer and another is director. But public is crazy. Actor and actress are great for the common public. Book will be publishing on their affairs and I am going to write it and edit it. Wow!! What am I doing for the motor bike!!

There is no other option. I wanted to purchase the bike with my own money.

I accepted the proposal of executing the book. Shyamsunder would give me the designs for the book. Book will be publishing by Hot Cake magazine. I got up.