"Hayabusa"

Yesterday evening, as the sun set, along with my friends I sat on a sofa, discussing about a road trip they were planning later this month. They were sure they're hitting the roads on a bike. I haven't learnt how to drive a bike but at the end of all these discussions, I remembered the particular tantrum I threw at my parents for one specific toy that I yearned for, a toy hayabusa.

This story too dates back to my childhood when education wasn't a burden and summers meant spending more time outside rather than inside.

I had a friend in the next street where I spent most of my summer afternoons. He had a box full of toys which eventually inspired me also to buy many toys.

For his birthday his dad got him a DIY Hayabusa bike from "Maisto" located on the third floor of Forum mall, Koramangala. His dad assembled it for him and it looked uber cool while he could detach various parts of it and re assemble them, making him the coolest kid in the neighborhood.

Obviously that made me jealous and I was an adamant kid who never gave up until I got what I wanted. If I picked an interest in a toy, even if the house burnt, I needed that toy, and thus began my strike for a toy Hayabusa.

I first told my parents that I wanted a similar one, and like any other parent they straightaway denied it. But I wasn't a kid who quit. I used to sit frown faced for hours and not talk to anyone until they agreed that they'll get it. But my parents still did not agree.

By now I upgraded my strike and decided to cry. I started crying for my toy and kept on telling that I wanted it.

My dad went to my friend's dad and enquired about the toy. Finding it too costly, the chances of me getting the Hayabusa reduced. Even though my dad didn't tell it was costly and that he can't get me one, I did not understand the situation as I was a kid.

The only way I could get that toy now was to go on a hunger strike until they promised me that they'll buy me that bike.

I stopped eating and continued crying. This was my third day into the bike strike. In the evening, my dad promised that he'd get me the toy the coming weekend and my cry stopped.

Saturday, we enter forum mall, find the store with difficulty, go in and ask for a Hayabusa bike. The shopkeeper asked us if we wanted the assembled one or the DIY Hayabusa. I asked my dad to get me the DIY Hayabusa. But my dad said he didn't have the time to assemble it nor can I do it, so we ended up buying an already assembled one.

The Hayabusa that I still treasure 

My joy that moment knew no bounds. I was the happiest kid in the mall. We drove back home and the next day I showed my bike to every kid in all the streets I played. My friend and I used to carry our bikes wherever we went and imitated the engine purring.

As I grew up, I lost interest in bikes and today I haven't even learnt how to drive one, the irony!

It's one of those only childhood toys I treasure until date.

I still make it a point to visit that store whenever I go there, to explore the kid who used to love bikes.

Whatever we aspire to have in our lives, we might receive it but at the same time, life might give us exactly the opposite.