conversation with a cycle repairing guy

I was cycling today, and suddenly I couldn't stop pedalling. I mean, I couldn't stop the pedals even if I wanted to. I was confused and stopped to check what had happened. And I found that rotating the rear wheel was rotating the pedals as well! It is the other way round normally - which is why you cannot go backwards in a cycle even if you pedal counter-clockwise (but that had become possible now on my bicycle).

Well, I happen to know some crazy people who cycle like anything -- and I called one such guy up and described the problem. He rightaway said that there was a problem with the freewheel. Now I have no idea about the parts of a cycle - but I understood it was something that helped the wheel to turn freely without bothering the pedals. I took the cycle to the shop from where I'd bought it - I had decided to get the problem fixed today itself! However, the shop was closed.

I asked the shopkeeper of the adjacent shop and he said that they had a half-day or something like that. But I was not going to tolerate this problem any longer. So I enquired about any other nearby bicycle repair shop, and he directed me to one. I went to the repair shop, and had to wait a couple of minutes.

Then the repair guy asked me "kya hua?".
I said, "freewheel mein problem hai".

He came and inspected the freewheel (which is something in the centre of the rear wheel) while turning the rear wheel.

"Yeh to change karna padega"

"Kitna lagega?"

"40 rupiya parts, 20 rupiya service charge, total 60 rupees lagega"

Then he said,
"Kab kharida tha?"

"6 mahine pehle"

"Phir tum isko dukan mein le jao jahaan se kharida tha."

"Par dukan to bandh ho gaya" (showing him the closed shop)

"To kya? Kal khulega, uske paas leke jao. Bill le jaake dikhana, sirk 6 mahine mein kaise kharaab hua. Faltu 60 rupees kyun doge?"

I wasn't prepared for such honesty. I still tried to get it repaired by him and said,
"Par aise chalaana to mushkil hai"

"Zyada mushkil nahi - kabhi kabhi thora problem hoga"

And after that I really found it was not such a big issue, and I am planning to take the bicycle to the shop owner and hold him accountable.