From Bhadrakali Temple facing Singha Durbar, where the equestrian statue of King Prithivi Bir Bikram Shah Dev (frequently mistaken for a Rana prime minister) stands, I often revved up the engine of my new motorbike for a moment or two of glory and raced towards the statue of Prithivi's namesake ancestor. The year was 1971 and I had acquired a 90 c.c. Honda motorbike from Japan to take me to college. In that short stretch of road I always hit speeds of 110 kph and more before braking. I was no legend in motorbike antics like Uday Gurung, a Nepali Evel Knievel or another daredevil driver like Tri Bikram Singh, the local Schumacher of our time. Tri was peforming tricks in his Hillman Hunter like executing hairpin turns in crowded New Road. Those two had a cult following among some of my friends who had just passed from school and had started to live life on the fast track. Our normal conversations would not be complete wit...