At 9.30 pm on a Friday, South Delhi’s Qutub Institutional Area is shrouded in eerie darkness. An untimely downpour has driven away passersby, leaving the roads deserted with barely-there street lights. There is, however, a slim light of hope at a humble café, Angels and Roadsters, where there is, like on every weekend, a congregation of bikers; they have gathered to unburden themselves. “After their week’s work, they come here to de-stress, and talk about many problems, from joblessness, childlessness, divorce battles, office pressures, breakups, health issues…the list is endless. I listen patiently and one-on-one, if need be,” says Sujay Gupta, 42, an entrepreneur and founder of the community.
A troupe of 10-12 bikers arrives on Royal Enfields, Yamahas, Hondas, and Triumphs half an hour later. “We are a family of 280 riders. The women are called ‘Angels’ and the men, ‘Roadsters’. Whenever someone from the community faces a crisis, each member tries to work all their connections and references to help them,” says Gupta, popularly known as SG Bhaiya. He cites the case of a group member’s father, a dementia patient, who left home at 6 pm and did not return till 12am. “Instead of calling the cops, the member called us. On my way, I called the cops to help us look for him and we found his father! In another instance, a group member who was struggling with a divorce case for six years, had lawyers from our group fight his case without charging any fee,” he adds.
A cold drink and steamy pakoras arrive at our table prepared by the cafe’s caretaker, Prabhdeep Singh aka Garry.
“Until two months back, Garry was running Sher-E-Punjab Dhaba. Due to financial losses, he was on the verge of ending his life. Someone tipped me about it. We all sat together to help him out, and now that dhaba is Angels and Roadsters,” SG says with a smile as a couple greets him. “Would you believe that this couple had a miscarriage four months ago and were devastated? We all have a social circle but have hardly anyone to help when we need them the most. Group members really stood with them. Sometimes that’s enough,” SG says, while going on to talk of other cases from the community that are now “healed”.
Biking for adventure
SG began Angels and Roadsters in 2022 when he had hit rock bottom. He was “deeply hurting” at the time so to keep his mind off it and find a recreational activity, he decided to solo motorcycle across India. “While riding, I shouted, screamed, and thought about what I was doing wrong with my life. On my way back to Delhi, I crossed Chitrakoot, Ayodhya, and finally reached Varanasi. In the spiritual realm of Varanasi, I felt I got all the answers,” he says.
As biking healed him, he thought it could work for others too. “When you ride for a long distance, the helmet knows your stories. You can introspect. It can clear your head, unlike a car road trip where you can get distracted by music, the outside surroundings, the company. I want to give people a thrilling avocation and a feeling of belongingness! This is why we do biking in groups,” SG adds.
Joining a biking community has, indeed, healed many. Gaurav Chopra, 26, who has a trucking business, was popping high blood pressure tablets to deal with work pressures. “But since joining the group, I’ve been happy! I take no tablets. I feel no matter what, my community will be with me even if friends or family abandon me during trying times,” says Gaurav, a marshall of the community who is tasked to ensure that rides reach their destinations safely.
For a better society
The 280-member group has accountants, lawyers, artistes, chartered accountants, architects, and others from different walks of life. “We are living in times when religious harmony is rare. But in our group, Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims and Christians, embrace each other. All of us know our boundaries,” says Kulpreet Singh, a founding member.
Another member, Jaskaran Arora, adds how the group is like a free therapy session for people. “Today’s society is very alienating, where loneliness grips and depresses people easily, especially youngsters. We urge people to open up and discuss their problems rather than keep it in their hearts. Sometimes we know the solution but we need to hear it from someone else,” he says, adding that a lot of groups in Delhi start with philanthropy but end up charging a fee. “At Angels and Roadsters, ‘the fee’ is to heal another individual after you are healed,” says Arora.
Besides raising awareness about mental health, the group uses rides to spread awareness about environmental issues. It recently hosted an Earth Day Ride where 400-plus riders pledged for a zero-waste planet. A plantation drive ahead of World Environment Day in June is the next plan. SG says: “My target is to have 28,000 members in the next two years. The goal is to turn people into good human beings.”