The Rider from India

On a busy Monday morning, people in Kochi were rushing to the office after spending their weekend in distant towns. Traffic were pouring into the city and it was only 9:00 AM when almost all traffic signals had added responsibility of not getting abused. Quite a site in automated traffic signals. There was hardly any space in already disoriented lanes. Road that were spacious enough for two cars at a time had three of them beautifully co-ordinated and arranged next to each other. This was not just it. There were four bikes next to a car, two in one row and two behind them fitting within the length of that car which stood beside. A crazy scene for any outsider. But everything happened like in a flow. Observing this traffic signal through areal cameras, once, a member of the team analysing traffic patterns for implementing better regulation and system came out in his article leaving a joking mention, Commuters in Kochi has telepathic abilities that helped them synchronise their movement. This surreal site was not a merit of just this city. Multiple Indian cities had these beautifully connected people on road synchronising their movement. With minimal mishaps, these areal videos and the members reference made to news multiple times.

Big needled clock in heart of city ticked 10:00 AM and towards the junction from an arm-road a 150-cc hero impulse roared in as it drifted with a 45^o lean. Honking never stopped and lights were still yellow turning red in a second. Extra bored engine gave it's thumping sound and increased throttle. Teens on the road clinging behind their parent jaw-dropped looking at this. Young crowd who were around never took their eyes off that drift, while a few of them were already scanning through the rider’s accessories and the motor machine. It was definitely a guy in his early 20’s, a young commuter who considers irresponsible driving a menace murmured to his wife who had her palms rested on his shoulders. Cops were alerted with this gathered attention and control rooms were on their job trying to stop that rider causing anything unfortunate. A few old people among that crowd panicked at the sound and drift while few of them sure had a smile. Probably remembering their daring past.

With half-faced mask and a frowning face, he cut through the traffic never loosening his gloved grip on accelerator. Those were his only accessories in this public certified death ride other than a kneecap which looked for namesake. He donned a graphic t-shirt that convincingly read “never stop, race to win”.  

Ah, first checkpoint. Cops ready with a hand signal trying to persuade him stop. The young boy shows no reverence. He is just 200 meters away from that blockade and unusually, the busy traffic sided for him. There was no way he’s negotiating that block and there he took a surprise slide to the left. Hopped on over the footpath and wheelied through those cops. It sure hurt their ego and there was going to be no remorse. They stopped looking at it like another young teen satisfying his adrenaline rush and passed on the communication of possible threat or smuggling that was happening. He continued on that footpath and jumped over a broken slab to make another perfect stunt landing.

Three minutes past, he was never in a mood to slow down. The biggest signal was near approaching and there was not enough space for him to make through it without getting caught. Crazy to be explained, he cut through 5 motorbikes in alternate positions and steadied through the extreme right. There was every possibility of him slipping in the opposite direction. Police set their trap very well. Another minute passed and he for once looked at his watch and the never stopping seconds needle. Nothing incites human-like time. The character he maintained all this while began fading and started making irregular advances.

Oh! That was a near miss, his first uncalculated slide happened a kilometre before the signal. A car sided to its right and with a little gap for him to forward, he was getting forced on to the edges of a median. Rider knows his job like no one. He scratched his footrest through the edges letting out a spark before escaping the narrowing gap. Delay of a second could have toppled him to the pit dug for erecting a transformer. With nowhere to go, police had sought the assistance of extra force and like something like this was never precedented in the city. A dramatic encounter unfolded in the signal as he did a stoppie dragging his bike to the cops on his front wheel and thumping his back wheel to the ground, finally to rest.

Alex, a documentary filmmaker from USA who had come to film a documentary about Kochi had already sought permissions for flying an areal camera and that luckily coincided with this day. The riders 45^o manoeuvre caught this mini flight with camera flying through the skies of Kochi and kept track of it until the race ended. A lot of questions remained, what happened at the signal took everyone by surprise and journalists had also taken up the coverage already. None had these visuals that Alex had. With the help of his assistant, they got to that police station to find out what all of this was about.

A 21-year-old lean physique teen was standing next to an officer as Alex walked into Kasaba Police station. Little known about regulations and rules in India he requested the officer to explain him, the procedures for bailing out. To establish his relationship with the teen, Alex blurted saying he was here to document a film on Kochi and this teen was selected to be a part of the project. He further explained seeing no reaction from the station house officer that the project would be stalled without him and his visa expires in a month. Assistant to Alex was surprised at this statement having known none of what he said was true. SHO finally gave in and agreed to let him go, but with a hefty fine for disturbing the traffic. He was finally let off after giving it in writing with a warning. Alex borne the cost and he walked out with that teen. As Alex introduced himself, the teen shook hands and smiled introducing him as Nivedh.  

A well-behaved young man is how Alex referred to Nivedh after talking to him briefly over a dining night in the luxurious five-star hotel restaurant. He was familiar with the hotel complex as he had interned there as a Bell boy. Something that struck positively between them was their passion for racing. Alex had already influenced Nivedh with his stories of being a racer prior to venturing with direction in an ad company. Nivedh was asked his time for an elaborate meeting as Alex had something in store for him. He was just hinted. You might race as the world watches you If that is what gives you pleasure.

8:00 AM: 50 minutes more for the race to begin.

Nivedh stood in a gallery looking at the cheering crowd. He had seen International cricket and Indian Superleague in JLN stadium back in Kochi. But to feel that tens in thousands were there to cheer for people including him, gave him the same rush that he got while chasing down streets of Kochi. There were no hoardings of him except the one having photos of all racers in it. He was known very little. Alex walked towards him from behind and stood next to him with folded hands.

Racing in Kochi risking your life and career for a Riding Jacket was all worth, Right? Alex asked in his American dialect. He was smiling all the time and was proud of where Nivedh has reached but never waited for an answer.

Nivedh looked to the next gallery where there were five people waving at him and celebrating in their folkway. He smiled at them and remembered the day when these five people put a bet on Nivedh to race a full 7 km in heavy traffic without getting caught in between but surrendering at the last with a stoppie, all for a branded Riding Jacket.  

He was so determined of having all his friends, around him when he raced in front of the world for the first time. Nothing of this would have happened if they did not bet him for a crazy task.

Only curious journalist among the lot approached Alex for a news bite about his rider. Even though Alex was still a popular name in Restricted Racing circuit no other journalist bothered to approach him as his rider was far less prominent. Alex was asked to elaborate on what he wanted from Nivedh to win this race. This was just a passing question for namesake coverage and not so intimidated with the question Alex responded, “If he has unlearned his techniques, he will win today”.  Indian rider in the USA mentored by founding member of that very Sport saying this was unusual. Finding essence in the plot with 40 minutes left for the race to start. The journalist requested Alex for a little interview not more than twenty minutes to tell Nivedh’s story

Alex sat down for a beer in the lounge to reminiscence and for the first time, he showed the 5-minute video he had shot in Kochi two years before featuring a daring race that once shook up an entire police force in the city. In awe, the reporter looked at the rider’s grip over his vehicle and speed he maintained throughout the video. He was mesmerised by the manoeuvre. But as the video ended, they glanced at each other for a brief ten seconds. The Journalist now completely understood why it was important for him to unlearn all the skills with no further explanation needed. They sipped a gulp from a large beer mug and curious about what transpired post the video journalist waited for Alex to narrate.

In Alex’s words:

I did not exactly expect him to turn up the next day post conversation we had in a restaurant after bailing him out. But, with his half face helmet and riding gloves, he surprised me in my hotel lobby the next day. I asked him if he is ready to believe me because the race I meant would have its own rules sometimes unconventional may it sound for a road rasher like him. He wasn’t that ambitious, just a boy with a passion for bikes but gifted with the best handling skills I’ve seen for a non-professional. He asked me just one thing then, and he asked me the same as this race was announced. I had to accommodate his friends during the discussion then, and now facilitate them to watch him race. That was all. Not at all an unreasonable demand. His persistence and respect for words that mattered, and I soon took him out.

We sat across a bench in marine walkway of Kochi, every third guy there knew him, and I noticed them calling him “Rider”. Well, so people know him and he’s talented. I began to brief, and I swear he understood only half of it.  I cut short and simply explained.

“You would have to race with riders across the world, the format needs you to be fast. It would need you to drift, slide and accelerate with obstacles all the way. Something you are used to. It must be simple for you if trained.”

He was excited and was about to agree with a yes. I stopped him there and continued

“But no traffic rules can be violated. You have designated areas to use your techniques. And that means, you would race under traffic guidelines of state that hosts the circuit. No overtaking, no speeding, no signal jumping and they all will be set dynamic”

I was busy shooting for a documentary and made sure he was by my side. Time after work, we would discuss and try to familiarize him with the race format. He was a quick learner and I was proud of him every single day. It was time for me to leave Kochi and I took him along. I promised his friends that I would make their Nivedh a racer and they would be called to see him race.

Niv was all mine now. I went back to racing after years just to train him. We trained for a record 2300 hours in the last 2 years doing 5 hours of track in a session. Rest of the days were us struggling to unlearn the chaotic driving he had trained himself with. He’d drift in junctions with open signals and lean in the curves. Our rules had it the opposite way. Traffic signals seldom bothered him, and we once ended up undoing our ties. I was about to send him back and one day I found him all alone in practice circuit trying to drift in the curves. I decided to take a second chance.

It was over 150 days into the training and we had quite developed a bond. Challenge remained. To be fast in a race is no big task. But to be slow when circuit demanded was an undying procedure. There were rubbles in track, and he cannot speed more than 15 kmph even if he has the good talent to negotiate them. There would be dummy traffic and even a single accident would remark for their disqualification. He struggled in slowing down. He has not let anyone slow him down ever in a race or a challenge unless he wanted to. Whenever there is a vehicle in the front with an indicator to divert, he had to follow them until they turn and can never overtake. This is something he never could do. It was more of his mental agility that I had to work upon. He sure enjoyed wheeling and stopping on the front tyre at designated areas but that challenged him was the necessity to maintain lap time.

They finished their beer mug and soon realised it was over 45 minutes since they started talking. The race had begun. Alex who wrote an episode in life of Nivedh-the rider from India was never there in stands when Niv accelerated for the first time through a waving checkered flag. They were ready for this since a long time and Niv heard his mentor for first time since the race began in his headphones.

Niv never wanted any guidance, he just needed to remember rules matter. The race was conducted in laps with recorded time. A rider who completes 5 laps in the shortest time with minimum violations wins. It was all a 7 days affair. There were 51 participants from Twenty-five countries and Niv being a sole representative of India. 

His manoeuvre in drifts attracted global attention while his untimely wheelie irked Alex. Niv was acting to crowd support and he was becoming himself back again. Alex did not interfere and as timings coincided, they shared glance while crossing a lap. Thanks to rubbles near the finish line. He had to slow, and could they meet. There was nothing much to be told, Niv got back in track. He had this luck of being the last contender and he knew exactly how much time he should beat.

Final Leg of race began, he had earned a comfortable lead over time. Results were certain, Niv- the amateur rider from India was winning that edition. Commentators were high on their pitch and spectators high on their toes. Dynamic decisions were made to open signals and traffic were to increase in the final lap. Any distraction could cost him his high-handedness on the race.

A car that was to take a left turn had its indicator on and there is nothing other than trailing that vehicle, Niv could do. He cannot accelerate more than 60 kmph leaving the signal. Rules were restricted with his thirst for victory on his head. Every other moment thought of deviating from rules to reach victory point flashed in his mind. He persisted and put extra effort for it all. 3 violations would make him disqualified and he already had his first. His lead time was closing in with 14^th Rider on the scoreboard. A wheelie on the rubbles was permitted, giving a buffer of 40+ seconds if opted for. Last hundred meters went on to be the greatest sporting moment in the history of Restricted Racing.

Niv was closing at 1:21:00, hundred meters away from finishing line and the leader board had a Serbian rider who finished the whole race in 1:21:37. Tension in the air was evident. Commentary box had gone silent. Alex and those 5 friends who knew he’d go for a wheelie kept their hope while few among the rest were already disappointed. Fifty meters more and as Niv touched the first rubble at 1:21:32 he went on to pop a wheelie. +40 seconds triggered, and the rider from India had who was considered irrelevant in this circuit had tens of thousands standing and cheering for him. He wheeled through the finishing line and took a full lap clocking his maximum speed before ending his first victory parade in a circuit.

Victory celebrations that followed were unprecedented and, in the corner, Alex gestured his thankfulness to the almighty looking above his head. A flock of migrating cranes that crossed the circuit brought smile and happiness to him.

Alex went on to be his mentor until he retired from sporting arena and Restricted Racing now had a champion in Niv.