"...oh boy! It's gonna be difficult to jog today..."

"...oh boy! It's gonna be difficult to jog today..."

...I told myself, the moment I parked my bike & entered the beach this morning.

It was a high tide. The sea had gobbled up most of the beach. Usually there is a nice & hard strip a few feet away from where the waves terminate. It is perfect for jogging as you get a decent grip. The area closer to the walls is laden with dry sand that's difficult to walk in, forget jogging. 

I started jogging just besides where the waves were terminating, skirting them. About 2kms later, I reached the point where I usually turn back. I patted my pockets to ensure the bike keys & phone were still there. To my horror, the keys weren't. I pulled the pockets inside out, still hoping like a kid that they would somehow magically appear even when I knew what had happened. 

For probably the 72nd time since my wife gifted me this bike, I had left the keys hanging on the side of the bike after placing my helmet in the storage. I felt a huge lump in my throat. The beach parking is notorious for thefts. So I knew the chances of finding the bike were negligible. I kicked my self.

[𝗔] But hope floats. I remembered that the guy I buy salad from is situated near the exit. I could just call him & ask him to check. But there was a little problem. [𝗕] I had never bothered to take his phone number. I kicked my self for a second time & started running towards the spot.

[𝗖] The high tide wasn't helping & I was getting annoyed with the frequent need to skirt the waves, so I crossed over to the dry sand area. My feet kept sinking in the sand, so it was difficult to continue running. I took pauses but eventually reached the exit.

To my delight, I saw the bike and keys still there. [𝗗] However, I saw a guy sitting on the bike. It was one of the blokes with a camera who works at the beach clicking snaps. "I am sure this dude was just waiting to run away with my bike at the right moment" I told myself and started pacing towards the bike. As I was about to reach, my sane mind said "..or maybe, he is sitting on the bike to protect it from possible thieves". The moment I reached, he said "You forgot your keys" and started walking away. "Thank you" I said, took the keys out and went straight to the soup vendor. The first thing I said was "Dubeyji, please share your phone number."

[𝗔] Can't stop hoping. Had I given up hope and not run back, maybe it would have been stolen.

[𝗕] Contacts are important. But knowing the right person is not enough. Knowing a way to reach them when you need them is also important.

[𝗖] Something which seems difficult (and we are reluctant to try) becomes our best option sometimes.

[𝗗] Depending on our mindset/situation/phase in life, the first line of thought can be positive or negative. Choosing the positive one though, helps spread positive vibes within for sure.

For the sake of bhullakads [forgetful people] like me, I hope the makers of such bikes come up with a solution to tackle this issue.