(Written By, Suhaila )
I saw my heart
brimming with joy when I got selected to do my internship at an architectural
firm in Cochin. Overwhelmed to live amidst a lively city like Cochin, I was
eagerly looking forward for the internship to get started.
City life was
something I always wanted to have, for I believe even the setting sun amidst the
city lights is a beautiful scene to enjoy. As the internship is a 'break' from
the regular architecture course, I decided to make the most out of it. A bucketful
of activities were put on the list, like sight-seeing, yoga classes,
rediscovering of long lost hobbies and much more.
It is then the
opportunity to revive my cycling thrills dawned on me as my accommodation
place and my office are only a few meters
apart, which is more of a cycling distance than a walking distance. I began
owning a brand new ladybird bicycle the very same day I reached the city. My
heart raced and I flushed with joy when I peddled my new bicycle for the first
time.
The wind blew all over me when the wheels of my bicycle starts speeding.I had every reason to be nostalgic. It reminded me of my childhood days when I was the 'bicycle princess' of my village. There wasn’t a single place left in my village where this princess and her bicycle didn’t reach. But things have changed a lot when it comes to cycling in a 'to-be-metro' city.
The wind blew all over me when the wheels of my bicycle starts speeding.I had every reason to be nostalgic. It reminded me of my childhood days when I was the 'bicycle princess' of my village. There wasn’t a single place left in my village where this princess and her bicycle didn’t reach. But things have changed a lot when it comes to cycling in a 'to-be-metro' city.
Let me elicit a few
pieces of my thought which makes my nose
out of joint while enjoying the eco-friendly, self-efficient mode of transport
and I would like to convey these to all the road users .
One, I hold true knowledge about myself that I was not being insane or
juvenile when I use this zero-fuel vehicle
at this point of my life.
Two, age, gender, religion or profession has nothing to do
with the mode of transport you use and hence no laurels in the means of staring or
prejudices are required for a 21-year old hijabi-architect
on a bicycle.
Three, riding a
bicycle on heavy/non heavy traffic roads does not imply that I failed driving
tests and has a blind spot towards ' traffic etiquette' like most of the road
users. So all my dear engine -enabled drivers, I hereby request to stop
acknowledging me with your beautiful staccato horns and let’s hold hands in
reducing noise pollution.
Four, bicycles too require a small portion the road surface
to ride on like every other vehicle. I apologies for my inability to pretend to
be invisible while on the road or spread my wings and fly over the potholes or
the open drainage canals and make way for everyone.
I think all other cyclists on Indian roads experiences 'the
excerpts of my thought' in one kind or the other. I don’t want to call them
issues or racial discrimination to the cyclist section. I would rather be happy
thinking to myself about how healthy it is to ride a bicycle and burn out all
the unwanted calories and how proud would be our Prime Minister about me as I
tried to lend a hand in reducing fuel usage and environmental pollution in
India.
(Admin's note : A special apology to Suhaila for taking so much time in updating this article. PS : HAPPY BIRTHDAY! )
