Chapter 9: Wheeles, Wrenches & Wonder

A few weeks later,

At Vajra Racing Circuit,

.

In the Mechanic Shed:

(The mechanic shed buzzed with the smell of grease and faint echoes of revving engines from the track.

Kiara crouched next to her motorcycle, her brows furrowed in concentration. Paarth sat beside her, holding a wrench, equally puzzled.)

Paarth: (twisting the wrench aimlessly) Lagta hai wiring ka problem hai, but kahaan se shuru karein, samajh nahi aa raha.

(Kiara let out a frustrated sigh, wiping her oily hands on a rag.)

Kiara: I don't know, Paarth! I have a race in 2 weeks.... aur yeh motorcycle start hone ka naam hi nahi le rahi.... (frustrated) Upar se aaj mechanic bhi nahi hai!

.

..

Just then,

(Naina walked into the shed, looking sharp in her casual trackside attire.)

Naina: Kiara!!! Kya kar rahi ho tum? Chhodo is bike ko, aur kisi aur pe practice kar lo.

Kiara: (stands up, shaking her head stubbornly) No, Mumma. Main isi pe practice karungi.... This is the one that I want to race on. I can't just switch bikes just like that!!!!

Naina: (crosses her arms) but beta....

Kiara: (sighs in exasperation) Aap samajh nahi rahi ho, mumma.... This is my bike. Mujhe iske saath hi practice karni hai!!!

Paarth: (tries to mediate) Nunu aunty, woh sahi keh rahi hai. Kiara ke liye doosri bike pe adjust karna mushkil hoga.

(Just then, Kiaan entered the shed, his energy lighting up the tense space.)

Kiaan: Kya scene hai yahaan??

Kiara: (irritably) Kuch nahi.... Yeh bike kaam nahi kar rahi, aur mujhe samajh nahi aa raha kya karoon.

(Kiaan tilted his head, inspecting the motorcycle like he knew what he was doing)

Kiaan: Main madad karoon?

Naina: (gives him a skeptical look, raising an eyebrow) Tumhe kuch pata bhi hai motorcycles ke baare mein? Kaise help karoge?

Kiaan: (grins, shrugging casually) Haan, mujhe zyada pata nahi hai. But I can give moral support! Kaafi useful hota hai, you know.

(Kiara and Paarth burst into laughter, the tension finally breaking. Even Naina couldn't help but smile.)

Naina: What seems to be the problem?

Kiara: (turned toward her mother, throwing up her hands) I'm not completely sure, to be honest. Maine motorcycle ko servicing ke liye di thi, chaar din pehle. Everything was running smoothly until this morning, jab woh back-fire kar gayi. Maine start karne ki bahut koshish ki... When I finally got her started, the engine made these weird noises and phir uske baad completely bandh padh gayi!

(Naina nodded, her expression thoughtful as she crouched to inspect the bike.)

Naina: When was the last time you charged the battery??

Kiara: (frowns, trying to recall) abhi.... Servicing ke time pe.

(Naina made a small sound of acknowledgment but didn't say anything further.

She stood up, took off her jacket, and rolled the sleeves of her T-shirt, her movements deliberate and confident.

Kiara, Kiaan and Paarth exchanged puzzled glances as Naina started gathering tools—wrenches, screwdrivers, Allen keys, and even an ohmmeter—with a level of ease and familiarity that left them stunned.)

(Naina worked with focus and precision. In short order she had removed the fuel tank and bike seat, turned off the engine ignition switch and disconnected the battery grounding wire.)

Paarth: (sounds unsure) Uhhhh, Nunu aunty? What are you doing?

Naina: I'm removing the plug cap so that it doesn't influence the readings I'm about to take.

(She spoke, ss if that statement made perfect sense to Paarth.

Paarth watched her in awe as, her fingers moved with precision as she located the CDI points, attached the ohmmeter, and began testing the ground, primary, and secondary wires.

Her frown deepened as she examined the digital display.)

Naina: Here's your problem. (She held up the digital display so Kiara could see) Beta, the readings are not within normal parameters for this make and model. In fact, they're way off.

Kiara: (leans closer, squinting at the numbers) Meaning??

Naina: Meaning that, tumhaari motorcycle ko ek naye ignition coil ki zaroorat hai. (turns towards Paarth) Paarth beta, can you check in the inventory if we have that?

Paarth: Haan aunty. Main pooch ke aata hoon!!!!

(He nods his head and dashed off)

.

.

A while later,

(Paarth returned with the ignition coil in hand.

Naina replaced the wire with the practiced speed of a seasoned mechanic, then ran another test.

This time, the engine came back to life with a satisfying roar.

Kiara and Kiaan, exchanged stunned glances before turning to their mother.

Naina, put the motorcycle parts back together again and wiped her hands on the towel kept on the floor and stood up.)

Naina: There you go... waise toh your problem is solved... and I don't think she will be giving you anymore problems. Go ahead, ek lap kar ke dekh lo. See if everything's running smoothly.

(Kiara nodded, her face a mixture of relief and gratitude.

Swinging onto the bike, she hesitated for just a moment before pressing the ignition.

The bike purred to life, smooth and steady.

A huge smile spread across her face as she revved the engine and took off for a test run.)

.

.

(On the track, She rode three laps, the bike performing flawlessly, before slowing to a stop in front of the shed.

Switching off the engine, she climbed off and ran straight to Naina, pulling her into a tight hug.)

Kiara: Mumma, you are amazing!!!! Yeh repair skills kahaan se seekhe??

Naina: (laughs, ruffling her daughter's hair) Beta, tumhaare paas toh poora entourage hota hai when you go for your races— coaches, technicians, mechanics, sab. Hamare time pe aisa nahi tha. Kabhi-kabhi toh khud hi sab theek karna padta tha. Bas wahi se seekh liya. (smiles proudly) Dekho, aaj kaam aa gaya na?

(Kiara grinned, her admiration for her mother shining in her eyes.)

Kiara: Definitely kaam aaya. Thank you, Mumma!

Kiaan: (claps dramatically, breaking the moment) Wow... you are really the definition of a Supermom, mumma!!!

(The shed filled with laughter, the earlier frustration melting away as everyone basked in the moment of shared triumph.)

___________________________________________

Author’s Note:

Wow, that is totally CRAZY, right?! 😱 Naina’s transformation is unreal—do you think she could totally rock as a part-time motorcycle mechanic?

I’m loving her strength and resilience. She’s seriously becoming such a role model, especially for Kiara. What are your thoughts on her newfound badass side?

If this chapter left you on the edge of your seat, hit that ⭐ vote button! Your votes help the story grow and keep me writing faster! And don’t forget to leave your comments—I want to hear all your thoughts, theories, and reactions! Can’t wait to dive into the next chapter with you all! 💥