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Riding safe is the call, are you listening?

When I died some 20years ago, I didn’t realize would ever be worshipped for something I could have actually tried to avoid. I tried to re-write it, tried to erase the mistake I did; but, it’s not always the way one wishes!

I am Om Singh; they fondly call me Om Bana or more lovingly Bullet Baba. Chotila is the village where I was born and brought up into a Bulleteer. It was 1991, month I don’t remember – for it never mattered to me; it was just another pleasant night in the hot sands of Rajasthan when I died. Time stopped that day, at least for me!

Om Bana's Bullet - Riding towards Sunshine, Riding towards Sanity

Like any other young youth of there times, I too had an ambitious heart raving high on his Bullet through the yet-to-be metalled roads of Rajasthan. I brought up in a family, affluent to most of the resources, if not like rajahs. Chotila was my kingdom, friends my life and Bullet – the mighty machine I ride. Alcohol was another special friend, who dragged me to this tale of fortunes and, yes for certain, misfortunes. You know, it’s a different story riding the bull high on alcohol.
Nothing much was significant about my life; if any, nothing mattered after I lost it. Anyways, I know there is a hint of dark sadness in my story, but this is what I’ve inherited from that fateful night. The night, I died.
After having a grand party with friends and the special friend, I talked about, I was returning back to my home.
Dead souls are those who say shit is to drink and drive”, I said to myself, smiling the way I was liked by my family, my nieces and the girl, I loved so much, “when you’re high, you’re on the right track to ride high”.
Moon too was high, high on the sky, sky was clear and the air had that thrill of pleasure that once I felt I was hallucinating.
Huh! Just a few pegs, 2, naah….3 or so, forget it – if you’ve counted it, you haven’t drink it mann! Main kahin kavi na bann jaun…” the wind was so amusing, I was living it! Have you ever tried revving your bullet after revving yourself with pegs and pegs of the rum you love? I tried it so many times, that I lost count. It was just another night in my life, when I was drunk and still on ride. Dark as hell the night was tearing apart by the roar of my bull and the headlight. Stars clipped on the carpet of sky with that bright moon were smiling at me! I gave a look to them, attitude the dudes say it these days, we said it bhaav! I reached my moustache, caressing it before I could dress my hair with a sigh of relief that the riding brought to me! Oh, have I told you, I never wore helmet? Helmet is for kids, Men do it bare-head!
80-90 was the speed, dug-dug-dug was the music, and high was the life, when she came in front of me. I loved her so much! Not a single moment was spent without recalling her, the way she looks at me, in fact peeks at me; the way she dries her long black hair on her roof; the way she shyly caresses my moustaches when allowed to! Wow, such a damn lover I was, and here I got her in front of me on that lonely road. Just she and me, me and her, we – the two, together, “Main kahin kavi na bann jaun…
Wolves cried somewhere far and similar was the scream of my brakes. I still don’t remember what happened except that intense pain and the warmth of blood. Few minutes spent, I had no pain, but just a question, “if it’s me standing here, who’s that fella laying in pool of blood with a bullet like mine near that tree?
Who the hell is he? And, why is nobody here to help him” I talked to myself running towards him, “what the hell, why ain’t I reaching to save his life”, struggling to reach him but unable after all the efforts I could put into. Harassed I started walking towards the village, when I saw a few passers-by running towards the guy from the other side of the road.
He’s Om Bana!” someone said
Is he okay?” I asked, though I felt none felt me, they acted as if I wasn’t there. “Just a minute, he said the guy is Om. Then who am I?” I was puzzeled!
As the sun rose in the east, and my family, my sweet nieces and my girl too gathered there, the dew of confusion was melted away, “I am dead” I said to myself.
I left that place, I couldn’t bear seeing my baapu sa, ma sa, laadli and my girl managing with the situation they had. I could never forget that scene, never. I asked the God, “Why me?” a million times and it went unanswered. Stranded by Him, I brought back my bullet next night from the police station and tried to re-write the events. Failed, I attempted it again and again. Even when they chained my bull, I brought it back to the road but failed again to re-write the destiny I have already met. I tried to re-write it, but poor villagers took it as if am a God myself! What a joke on me!
Don’t worship me, I am just like you, I have sinned and am not God” I cried, but the people established the shrine for me and my Bullet, all I could do was to watch. Left on the earth without a body has a got a purpose which is kept defying by the people who go by legends and not their instinct. They visit, they worship, they blog, they tweet, but only a few try to calm my agony of being worshiped for drinking and driving imprudently, for treating helmet as kiddy stuff! I have been left here by Him, to tell people that it’s not just about your own life but a number of others dependent solely on you, their wishes, their emotions and above all but not the least - their love! If I be given just one chance to atonement, I would tell them all not to offer me any liquor, don't praise me, just keep safety your first priority while riding. You may drink and enjoy riding a number of times, but it would be just one miscalculation that would drag you and your lovable ones into suffering even after you die!
I died and now I’m preaching, but the question is “you are Live but are you hearing? Riding safe is the call, are you listening?



(This is a highly imaginative story based on known and rumoured facts about the Bullet diety, Bullet baba. In my first attempt to write a story as a first person, I may have gone over-dramatic and have shown the struggle to express my feelings. This is purely a work of imagination and should be treated like that. I visited the famous Bullet Baba's temple near Pali this January only. Confused what to wish from a man who actually died because he was drunk and riding, something knocked me from inside to view the faith (or the belief) that local people had in an ordinary man through his eyes. I would have taken more time to write down this story, thanks to my procrastination-dharma, if the Indiblogger.in wouldn't have invited to write for Mahindra XUV500 Incredible Stories! Thanks! Fellow Indibloggers may show some love here <3)

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Comments

  1. Thanks a lot Prabhat! Its too encouraging that you liked it so much :)
    keep visiting....

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  2. Wooo. I liked it rather I enjoyed it. If my knowelde is correct than this bullet baba is something based in Rajasthan where a bike is placed in middle of road and people worship it.
    (correct me if I am wrong)

    About the post, it was good. I liked the idea of a dead-man writing. I've always thought to write such a thing but failed.

    The concern raised by you is also very important. (Thankfully I always wear a helmet).

    The bullet-youth generation need to understand need of safety not only.for their own sake but for people around them.


    I wish you great success ahead. Also, thanks for sharing th link with me, otherwise, I would have missed a goo piece of writing.


    Love,
    Aditya Bhasin

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  3. writing on an imaginary story is the toughest work. atleast for me, i feel it would be the toughest task. Yu not only imagined it gud but portrayed it as well.

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  4. Thanks for the visit Aditya...my comment section is back to work.
    Yes, this Bullet Baba's temple is situated near Pali, on Jodhpur Highway. Just wish ppl be ready to get rid of these orthodox and rather accept the safe riding/driving...

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  5. Thanks for stopping by Komathi. I did some homework before attempting this story in first-person narration... Glad that you liked it :)

    Keep visiting...

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  6. I liked the line "wolves cried somewhere far..." 
    I would have love to read some more narration
    however, good imagination.. ..
    and thank you (you know why :))
    -Sophie

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks for the visit Sophie :)
    Well, it's my very first attempt in first-person story writing. Would sure read more and learn more before attempting next :))

    Keep visiting...

    ReplyDelete
  8. Loved the way you started..
    Yes, fiction is difficult, you make it sound easy! :) 
    It feels good to see the message you wanted to convey with such a generalized way!

    P.S : Liked the entire look of the blog, the title pic says it all :D 
    Regards :) 

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  9. Thanks Kinara @KinaraShah   :)
    It's always so encouraging to be liked critically...thank you so much for the visit and spending some time...keep visiting :)

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  10. This is a genuine message to every rider. I am writing a long comment here, because of the recent fatal accidents occurred in Delhi due to unsafe riding in the cars or on the bikes.and I think this blog post is the right place to share my views. I also have a similar story. In April, 2011 I was on a solo ride on my bike "Blue Bird" Avenger 220 in Eastern Rajasthan.It was the second last day of my trip and I started from Udaipur towards Delhi. In day time, I visited Haldighati, Eklingji, Kumbhalgarh Fort and Ranakpur. My initial plan was to stop somewhere before the sunset for night stay, but then I changed the plan to reach Ajmer as soon as possible. It was around 8.00 PM. Before 30 kms from Ajmer, there was construction work on NH8. I made a mistake at the speed of 80 kmph. I neither saw the speed breaker, nor the road diversion in the dark night. My bike dragged to 50 meters approx. in the loose pebbles on the road and my body dragged below the bike. Luckily, I had a good quality helmet and hand gloves. Still, I had a hairline fracture in the collar bone (clavicle) and there were a lot of scratches everywhere in the legs, in the hands and lot of holes in the T-shirts and the jeans. Nobody was around to help me. There were lot of trucks plying, but none stopped. Somehow, I took my broken bike 2 kms away to a tyre puncture shop. Shop Owner helped me a lot and informed that many fatal accidents occurred there in the past due to the breaker. 2-3 riders already lost their lives there. I thanked god for my life and spent that night in a roadside guesthouse. On the next day morning, the local mechanics made my bike rideable upto Ajmer, but still with broken bike and broken shoulder somehow I managed to reach Jaipur by evening. From there, my friend took me back home to Delhi. After that day, I made some rules of safe riding for myself and always try to follow them. I urge all the fellow riders to make some safety rules for yourself and try to follow them, because this life is very precious.You must be alive to ride and to follow your dreams. Always think about your family, your parents, your well-wishers before trying any non-sense while riding.  Thanks Punit for conveying a strong message to the fellow-riders.

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  11. Thanks Bwl123...keepp visiting...

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thanks Avinash, for the visit and for sharing your personal experience with us. Attitude to take it for granted needs to be replaced by Safety first at least for the riders and then the city-dwellers. Nothing would happen is the worst mind setup that most people have while on road. On road when somebody other's fault, like in your case the pebbles, can drag one to death; it's always advisable to be well geared at one's own end!

    It would be surely great for the readers too read and learn from your experience. We must follow our dreams to ride and travel, but for that we need to be alive :)

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  13. What a fantastic presentation...i like the way  you have structured it ....i live in Raj but i did not know about this temple...wish you all the best for the contest.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Very good post Punit.
    This teaches us to always take necessary precaution on the roads..
    The way you weaved the story was really nice, from the point of view of the man himself.
    All the best Punit.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Thank you so much Indu ji! :)
    You may like to visit the Temple, it  is on NH65 some 20kms from Pali towards Jodhpur, you may get it on Google Maps here.. http://maps.google.com/maps?q=bullet+baba,+near+pali,+rajasthan&hl=en&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=37.052328,67.412109&t=h&hq=bullet+baba,&hnear=Pali,+Rajasthan,+India&z=11

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  16. Thanks for the visit and for liking the post DS! It's too encouraging that you liked the post and my attempt to write it that way :) Do visit again...

    ReplyDelete
  17. Awesome article puneet bhai... I am (@prabhateinstein ) from twitter...
    This was really a good stuff...
    Take a bow with hats off... :)

    ReplyDelete

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