नविन शाक्य

It was rush hour and I had a flight to catch. Knowing the traffic around Kathmandu at that time of day, I decided not to book a taxi. I booked a two-wheeler instead, hoping the bike would help me get through the traffic and save some precious time.

A rider accepted the trip, and I was already waiting by the roadside when, to my surprise, a lady rider arrived on a smaller Pulsar bike.

Some names are shared by both men and women, so there had been a little confusion about who would actually arrive.

She had an average build, and I noticed that both her feet could barely reach the ground when the bike was stationary. Naturally, I wondered whether the bike was really the right size for her.

I asked her, as respectfully as I could, “Sister, I’m an 84 kg human being. Will you be able to balance me on this bike? Or, if you want, I can ride your bike and you can be my passenger.”

She smiled and replied, “Give me a chance! If you ever feel uncomfortable, then you can ride.”

Fair enough. I agreed.

I must admit, I remained a little nervous whenever she had to put her feet down at intersections or stop-and-go traffic. But apart from that, the ride was absolutely smooth. She handled the traffic confidently, accelerated and braked naturally, and navigated through the usual chaos without giving me a single reason to complain.

I usually don’t talk much to riders during a journey, and she was no exception. We travelled mostly in silence.

As we were nearing the airport, she finally asked, in a muffled voice through her helmet, “Domestic or International?”

“Domestic,” I replied.

A couple of minutes later, the journey was over.

I got off the bike, thanked her, and walked towards the terminal with a slightly different thought than the one I had when she first arrived.

Sometimes our first impression is based on what we see but competence isn’t always visible at first glance.

And just to be clear, I wasn’t worried because she was a woman nor because I thought she was weak. I was worried because I know how difficult it can be to balance a motorcycle when your pillion rider is significantly heavier than you, particularly on a bike that doesn’t seem perfectly suited to your height.