Exactly five years back, on this day, at this time, I was sitting with my dad in his house in Durgapur and had a funny conversation which I had posted in my blog that day.
Here is the repost…
P.S. The best translation of the last line might be “It works. But you might have to slap and kick it a little at first”.
More P.S. Before he left Durgapur, he donated the scooter to the guy who used to tend to our garden. For all you know, this thing is still plying on the road of Durgapur…
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Repost from Jun 7, 2012:
In an apt display of how the previous generations valued things (when money was tight), my dad has stuck with his first and only vehicle he ever bought. In 1977!!! The manufacturer does not exist any more!!! There is only one mechanic in town who is even willing to fix it.
The value of the scooter literally doubles every time he fills in petrol 🙂 The ignition key, which comes out loose in all that rattle and ruckus during a ride is permanently chained to the scooter (see the photo carefully). Still, he refuses to give it up!!!
I actually took it out for a ride today. Before that, I asked him “Eta ekhono choley?” (does it still work?). He thought for a few moments and then reluctantly admitted “Choley. Kintu ektu maardhor korey chalatey hoy”. [i need some help from Bengali FB friends for the transliteration to do justice to his sense of humor]