Rekindling the memories of middle class families ❤️

Manoj and I had some work today morning so we had stepped out.Friday being a holiday in this part of the world,kids were at home lazing.

It was a good 90 min drive.After having our normal conversation there was a long pause.Our conversations are generally related to our kids.

Like most of you know that I have a good,photographic memory and I fairly remember the minutest details about my childhood and growing up years.

I ended the pause by asking him if he remembered anything interesting about his childhood with his dad and he just took off from there.

Now you know how I get my topics 😉

For we Indians who are now in our 40’s would remember that in our growing up years two wheelers were no less than owning a luxury car.

Bajaj Super the two stroke 150cc was a prized possession then.Owning one was like having unsaid family member.It was sturdy and reliable.That was their first family possession.

In few years they upgraded themselves to Bajaj Chetak indeed a family scooter literally meant for the “hum do humare do” kind of a family. Robust vehicle with a perfect balance.If you owned one those days it was a sign of pride.Going down the memory lane and reliving the unforgettable journeys with Chetak.

Chetak was a big craze those times and also had a waiting period for purchase.

It was named after the famous horse of Maharana Pratap and truly made the rider feel the pride of a king while battling the daily struggles of life.

He told me how he progressed slowly from sitting behind to standing in the front.At first when he was a toddler he sat on his mother’s lap while his father rode the scooter.Then when he grew a little big he sat between his parents ,literally squeezed between them.Later when his younger sister made her debut it was a musical chair once again.She took the mother’s lap and there was no space for him in the middle and he got his final upgrade of standing in the front between his fathers knees.

I am sure you can visualize the enduring picture of an Indian middle class family.

How can one forget the most iconic jingle “Hamara Bajaj” though it’s now off air -“Buland Bharat ki buland tasveer'” (A strong India’s,strong picture).

Those days for a middle class,four wheelers were decidedly unaffordable and hence these scooters ruled.

Whether it was about taking short trips to the local vegetable vendors or a young couple going for a romantic spin, this scooter had seen it all.

This is one memory we all surely carry -if it ever ran out of fuel, all you had to do was put it on a stand, tilt it and then restart ,one of the best Indian jugaads (tricks).

Another interesting thing in those days was that marriages got postponed if there was a delay in the delivery of Chetak ,a standard “dowry”.

This was all we could recollect in the time we had 😊.

Bajaj Chetak is immortalized in our memories!