2nd February 1690
The release of Chetak was a big deal not only because it was inspired by a fictional element in a novel of Her Majesty the Empress, but also because it came with the first-ever miniature steam engine the Empire had ever seen, which caught everyone by surprise.
The Chetak was naturally sold out within a week, with all 500 units being gobbled up by the southern states alone. Only a businessman from the northern part of the Empire who happened to be in Cuttack was able to get a power cycle for himself. However, for the normal people, it did not matter since Chetak was simply too expensive. 22,800 might not sound like a lot, but converting it to gold, it's over 247 grammes. In Vijay's past life, that is roughly ₹30,00,000 or 34,000 US dollars. It was only the elites, the 1.2% of the Empire, that bought the bike.
