A flat tyre ...

I started out at 2 pm , it was hot outside and the sun was bright but my task could not be delayed , I was'nt sure how far my bike would reach .. it had a flat tyre , I saw it yesterday while I had started back from univ , but I was too happy to be able to reach home soon that day .. I decided to ride home with the damaged tube , wibbly wobbly all the way , hoping it would be good enough for repair today ...

I remembered a small shack near my home with some tyres hanging by a tree that I saw while crossing the industrial sector sometimes .. I was inclined to go there as I dreaded the crowd at the fuel stations , the last time I got my bike tyre repaired at a fuel station it took more than an hour ..

I found the place , but there was'nt quite much there .. there was a cycle repair shop next to it and I wondered if the cycle repairman had hung some tyres just like that ....then a man came running and asked me to park my bike nearby

As he was trying to get the tube out of the tyre , I studied the place .. the place had nothing but sand , a pile of tools covered by a cloth , kept in an old wooden box , a broken canister containing water and the shade of a small tree with tyres hanging on it .. it was next to the road

A group of 4 - 5 muslims suddenly gathered a few meters away , one seemed to be there from before , he was the oldest..around 70, one came in a motorbike with a big container welded at its back seat and parked it just next to my bike , another was riding a bicycle .. they laughed about something and continued chatting

A few coins suddenly fell on the road and caused a clinking noise that attracted my attention .. a man shouted "ruko bhaiya" (stop) .. he was with another man in a cycle-rickshaw and both of them seemed in their late twenties with good jobs .. I was surprised to see the man actually get off and run back to collect those coins .. it was only a few rupees ( 2 - 3 maybe ) .... I thought I would'nt have stopped to collect the coins if I was in the rickshaw ..

While he continued checking the tube for punctures by putting it inside water , I decided to give my friend a call , who was expecting me ( I had forgot to tell him that I had a flat tyre to repair before reaching univ ) .. I moved over to the muslim group while talking on the phone .. just as I finished , a man from the group suddenly reached for my hand .. I was a little shocked at first but he just wanted to know the time ..

I checked the progress of the repair .. the man was now in the sun working diligently at the tyre on the sand near my feet , trying to put the tube back inside it .. I saw his setup again and wondered how he could live off it ... I remembered the times when I was depressed about something and I wondered if anything was comparable to living a life like this .. where u don't have the luxury to aspire and improve .. most teenagers are depressed often .. I wondered if any of those reasons would justify itself , I looked at the man again .. he had a serene and peaceful expression , full of satisfaction .. one like I have never seen on the face largely 'successful' people or most people for that matter ..

"He sits here in the sun all day and the only work he does is help people with bike problems back on their way" I thought to myself " Is that the source of his satisfaction ?" A screeching noise tore through my contemplation .. it came from the crossing nearby , a call-center pickup van was speeding away ...

Two young men crossed the road from the other side and came towards me .. they wanted to know the time too . As he screwed the tyre back on my bike , a desire of helping him someway or the other overcame me , although his face said that he didnt need any .. maybe it was related to the guilt of something unclear and evasive coming all over me ..

I ended up asking him how much I needed to pay him .. "paitees rupye saab" (35 Rs) he replied , it was half the price of the lowest priced food item at any good resturant .. the amount of physical labor he put in deserved a lot more, and that was for two punctures ...

I really wanted to give a warm smile and a big thank-you to him , but he never looked up ... I sat on my bike and tried to push it backwards , but it was on a slope and it was quite difficult ... suddenly it became easier and I looked back to find him pulling it from behind .. I had my big chance and I gave him the big smile and the thank-you eagerly, he responded with a smile that made me feel good finally , a smile on his face was all I wanted to see at that time , I felt satisfied too .. I understood then

I'd say a flat tyre got me farther than a good tyre ever has ...