Pathbreakers

Both Deepali and I were early bikers. Vaishutai taught Deepali how to bike and Deepali taught me how to bike. I started biking, in Junior KG. I remember, because Vaishutai would always remind me the timeline. She started biking after 5th grade, so Deepali was in 1st grade, and pretty much after Deepali started biking, I insisted that Deepali teach me to bike as well. 

I clearly remember how I didn't know how to start on the bike, and so Deepali told me to use a curbside "Otlo" to help me start. Also, how I would stop by just flinging myself in a pile of sand. My feet would not touch the ground, and so this is how I learnt.

So when I got to 1st grade, I insisted that I too should bike to school like my sisters. I remember how apprehensive my mom was. I was given lots of instructions at home, and when we left the society, Vaishutai took over. I was to be in the middle, Deepali was to be towards the curb and Vaishutai was to be closer to the traffic. Early 80s we could bike like this in Ahmedabad. It was all cool, till we crossed Ambawadi circle and saw an accident on the other side of the road. I remember few people had gathered. Vaishutai told me, "don't worry about it, and DO NOT mention this to Aai Baba if you want to continue biking to school". 

And thus we biked for a few years, together all 3 of us. We were called the Holankar sisters in school. We were the ones who biked. Everyone of Vaishutai's age biked to school, but Deepali and I were path breakers, and we were so b'coz we had Vaishutai with us.

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