Saturday, October 17th, 2009
Diwali Weekend. To do or not to do. On Friday morning trainer suddenly says ‘ Do it’. Surprised i asked, ‘Are you serious?’ He says, Yes do it now, drive really slow, worst it will take you 3 hours.” I ask Much Ado. She as usual, tells me to just go ahead. Evening AS calls. He thinks i am already home in Gurgaon. I inform him about my plans. He trashes it immediately. He thinks i am being foolish. My confidence plummets. Suddenly as i am tending my farm (FarmvilleJ ) my colleague suddenly pops up on gchat. We begin to chat. He has overheard me telling someone in office about my plans. He asks whether I am all set. He senses my dejection and gives me a pep talk. Explains some basics and tells me “I Can do it.”
Father gives me a wake up call at 5:30 on October 17th 2009. i get dressed and reach office where my car is parked. i start at 6:30 as i want to avoid traffic. As i settle into a rhythm i begin to enjoy it. i take a wrong turn , i get lost, i find my way again. But i reach home. It takes me 2 hours but i reach home without a scratch. Parents are sitting at the balcony. They cant believe it’s me. They give me loud applause. Lesson learnt: I can drive! I can drive! i need to learn how to read that Eicher map.
Monday, October 18th, 2009
I returned today. I had decided to start again very early. i started at 5:50 .a.m. i managed to turn the car around outside the house quite smoothly i thought. My take off was good. I wanted to avoid coming out from the Omaxe Plaza side where i am still not very sure whether i can hold the car on the incline when i pause for the traffic before crossing over to the other side. I took the road through South City. However something went wrong. It took me 45 minutes and almost 13 kms to reach Rajiv Chowk. But i did fairly well on the highway and as i gained confidence i settled into a 40km/hr rhythm. i reached Dhaula Kuan. After that everything again went wrong. I wanted to go towards Moti Bagh but found myself going towards India Gate. i went round and round at teen murti. i saw places i had never seen. i detoured several times. i got lost. i stopped several times to ask for directions. i finally reached home in 3 hours. The distance i travelled, i could have touched Delhi and returned to Gurgaon. I was getting terribly late so i decided to park near my house. I thought no one should mind if i parked outside their house as i would leave in 10 minutes after dropping by bags home. i found an empty space and i parked. Suddenly out popped a wrinkled old sardani. She wanted me to park elsewhere. Then out popped a wrinkled old sardar from the next house who said i should park right there. Sardarni and sardar started fighting. Suddenly sardar did an about turn and screamed at me to move the car and do as i was being told. Left with no choice i decided to move it. i found a place on the other side. i reversed. i changed the gear back to first and drove into the small space. i thought i should push it in some more. i pressed the accelerator too hard and Crash! i hit the pavement. i knew i had done it. My brand new car! Yes i have dented the bumper! No scratches thankfully and i am assured that it can be mended easily after which it should look as good as new. But there is a lump in my throat and i want to cry. Not even a month since i brought it home! The feeling will last a few days i know. Until the knowledge that i managed to drive the car at peak time through dense traffic taking several detours on busy roads, takes over. Lesson learnt: I am sorted. I can drive! But i need to drive more and begin to understand my car. And never to accelerate when parking if not sure. To get out of car, if needed a hundred times and measure the available distance before accelerating. My poor car. But writing this sure helped. :)
2 comments:
Woman - try and look at the half full glass. Last week you were depressed because you had a new car but you did not have the confidence to drive it. You could not even take it for a joyride alone. And then suddenly one morning, you took it out and drove all the way to Gurgaon. Without accident! Your brought it back two days later as well - without accident. Though you did not have any idea of directions - you got lost - had to stop innumerable times to ask for directions - but still you managed to reach your destinations. And at the end, because of two rude people - you ended up getting a dent on your bumper.
Okay, that was not a very nice thing to happen - but why cant you take pride in your accomplishments instead of getting depressed over a dent? Look at all those dents - as symbols of what you have managed to overcome.
Driving on Delhi roads is not an easy task. I have only watched the traffic as a backseat passenger - but that itself is scary.
so STOP crying. And be proud of what you have managed to do.
I agree with KD, Mukta - be proud of yourself! I'm so proud of you - and seriously, I've seen very few Delhi cars WITHOUT dents or scratches. Consider yours a badge of honour as a Delhi driver!
As someone too chicken to drive, I deeply admire people who do, especially in chaotic, crazy roads like those of Delhi and Cal. So congratulations - and as you keep driving, your confidence will keep growing, till the time when you find yourself driving effortlessly, without giving it any thought.
And when I next visit Delhi, I want a ride! :D
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