Caliber

It was a time when I was single. It was a time when Bajaj & Kawasaki were still a couple though. Bajaj & Kawasaki decided to make out. And they gave birth to a beauty called Caliber. Man, what a celebration she had when she came out. With a brilliant advertisement, of swiveling and tilted wheeling of the ‘green’ one. The slow motion of the visuals and the easy background score made sure I fall into the temptation. I had very recently started earning. And had promised myself, no more pocket money from parents, anymore. But,”kambakht ishq hai jo, sara jahaan hai vo….”  

Till the month I received my first salary, my parents would send me my pocket money, without ever being reminded of it. I would get a call from my father, every month, without fail, informing me that he had transferred money into my bank account & I should continue enjoying life, non-stop & without any worry. And I did, without fail. Incidentally and fortunately, the year my father retired from his 37 years’ service with the Indian Railways, I got a job. My first salary was four times the measly monthly pocket money my father would send me. I was ecstatic just by the thought of having four times the fun I was having till now. And not for moment till that time, had I imagined, I need to repay my parents. In fact, I had fallen in love now. And I could not afford this love life style. So, the only people I could think of, were my poor & now retired parents. My parents had come to Chennai to watch me walk into office on my first day to work. (People from my Chennai days would remember ‘that first day to work’ is another story to share, but some other time). I had stayed in a company sponsored accommodation for the first week, but my parents knew I would not stay too far from office. But, now, within the first six months of my joining my first job, I had fallen in love, as expected of a man, with a machine. And I needed my parents’ support, yet again. More specifically, monetary support.

I am the only son. And I had been a good son, so far. I had never asked anything that was out of means, ever in life. Or at least, I believed so. I mean, after attending a boarding school in the hills, graduating from another city and post-graduation from yet another city, all taken care of by my parents, I actually didn’t have much to ask for. Until today. When I had fallen in love & had to have her in my possession. The best part was, it name. It was K-Bajaj Caliber. I mean, it was just made for me! Although, I had fallen for the ‘green’ one which would come in the advertisements, the moment I walked into the showroom for my test ride, I knew I would not look good on it. So, i opted for the more professional, black model with a golden & maroon swoosh on the petrol tank. And what a ride it was. “ekdam makkhan”.  And it was mine, forever.

But I had to pay a price for it. Well, actually, my parents had to pay for it. My father, to be more precise. I mean, not that my mother did not work. She probably worked more than my father. Just that she was never paid any salary. Much like most “house makers”. So, it was my father’s responsibility to ensure I am well off, monetarily. I think, it was my mother’s responsibility to ensure my father complied to his responsibilities. Anyhow, my only ask was, you pay the down payment & I will manage the monthly EMI for the 2-wheeler. Simple no? Now, my father had just retired. He had plans. Which he unraveled to me much later, during the time I was trying to buy my parents a 4-wheeler, using the same logic – I will pay the down payment, you manage the monthly EMI! That is when he had given me one of his usual Oxford English dialogues - You invest on horses. You invest in jockeys. I had not invested on the bike. I had invested in you.

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