In the previous blog, I shared how a tea shop owner’s kindness turned a challenging start to my solo ride from Kathmandu into a memorable experience. Now, let’s continue the story from where we left off.
After departing from the tea shop, I headed towards the puncture repair shop the owner had directed me to. Fortunately, the shop was only about 500 meters away, and the slope of the road worked to my advantage, allowing me to push my 218 kg bike with ease. I reached the shop around 8:15am, but it was not a typical puncture shop but was actually a mechanic’s workshop that handled both bikes and cars.
The tiny shop was run by an owner and a young assistant who looked quite small, though his age was hard to determine. While the owner was busy washing a bike and the kid worked on another vehicle, I waited patiently. Sensing my urgency and the fact that I was a traveler, the owner quickly reassessed the situation. Despite me never having expressed my hurry, he understood my situation and instructed the kid to stop his work and start on my bike.
I was deeply moved by this gesture, as such attentiveness and consideration were rare experiences for me. Slowly, I pushed the bike into the workshop, feeling doubtful about the kid’s skills. Even in India, mechanics often hesitate to work on my bike due to its complexity, especially when it comes to punctures. However, once the bike was on the center stand, the kid swiftly got to work. His precision and confidence left me stunned as he removed the tire with impressive speed and skill.
As I observed, I struck up a conversation with the owner. Despite the language barrier, we managed with some broken Hindi. I learned that the kid spoke Bhojpuri, a language from Bihar, and had run away from home. The owner had taken him in, taught him the work, and provided him with a new start. I was fascinated by this backstory.
Our conversation shifted to my bike. To my surprise, the owner referred to it as a "superbike" and revealed that Royal Enfield also sells the Interceptor in Nepal, where it’s considered a high-end model costing over 10 lakh Nepalese Rupees which is over 7 lakh Indian Rupees. I was astonished, as I had purchased it for around 3 lakh Rupees in India. The price difference was staggering, and the owner’s expertise in handling such a bike was impressive.
Meanwhile, the kid worked on the tire, revealing that the puncture was caused by a nail and had resulted in three separate punctures. Despite my initial Unwillingness, the owner recommended replacing the tube for safety. Though I was skeptical, thinking it might be an attempt to charge more, he explained that riding with three punctures was risky. His concern was genuine, and he advised me to change the tube as soon as I reached India. His honesty made me reconsider my assumptions about people chasing money.
After the repair, the kid put the wheel back on and assured me with a smile that everything was good to go. When it came time to pay, the owner asked for only 150 Nepalese Rupees which is equivalent to about 93 Indian Rupees. He explained that while they usually charge more for superbikes, he was giving me a special rate as a guest. Touched by their generosity, I offered 200 Rupees, but he refused the extra money. With heartfelt smiles, both the owner and the kid wished me well and invited me to visit again if I ever returned to Nepal.
I invited the owner to visit Tamil Nadu, hoping to show him some of the hospitality I had experienced. He declined, mentioning that he believed many Indians are money-minded and dishonest. His words struck a deep chord, making me feel a sense of shame. I wanted to defend my country, to express that not everyone is like that, but I stayed silent. The silence between us was heavy, filled with the weight of his judgment and my own conflicted emotions.
As I departed from Kathmandu around 9:15am, heading towards the Raxaul border, I carried with me not just a repaired bike but a deep and emotional appreciation for the incredible kindness I had experienced. The genuine care of the tea shop owner, who went out of his way to help a stranger, and the mechanic’s selfless dedication to ensuring my bike was safe despite minimal compensation, left me profoundly moved. Their acts of kindness were a powerful reminder of the goodness that exists in the world, often found in the most unexpected places. Their compassion and humanity offered a refreshing contrast to the often harsh realities of life and reaffirmed the beauty of genuine, selfless acts. As I rode away, I felt a sense of hope and a heart full of gratitude, touched deeply by the kindness of those who had shown me that even in moments of vulnerability, there are extraordinary people willing to make a difference.
Stay tuned for the next chapter of my journey, where I’ll share another remarkable experience from the road.
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