Don't Stop Riding

Last December, I was in my village during the wheat season. My grandfather used to sleep in the fields at night to guard the crops. I had to deliver dinner to him, and the fields were about 4 kilometers away, so I took my Platina motorcycle.

I hung the lunchbox on the handlebar and started riding. After about 2 kilometers, the rear wheel suddenly began behaving as if the tyre had gone flat. The bike started swaying, and even in third gear it felt like I was riding a bicycle with a punctured tyre.

I was convinced the rear tyre had burst, so I shifted my weight forward by sitting closer to the fuel tank to put more weight on the front wheel. Somehow, I managed to reach the field safely.

There was a small hut there where my grandfather and a few neighboring farmers were sitting around a bonfire. I gave him the food and immediately checked the motorcycle. To my surprise, the tyre was completely fine. There was no puncture, no damage to the rim, and the bike was in perfect condition.

At that moment, I was genuinely terrified.

When I told my grandfather what had happened, he calmly said, "Just sit quietly. The best thing you did was that you didn't stop the bike. You should never respond to a chhalawa—not with your words, and not by changing what you're doing.