Impatience is the new life? Go pay for it!

It was just months back when the Gurgaon toll-bridge became operational. Owing to its vicinity from here I stay and the swanky mall, I usually used to cross this bridge. It was those early days when chaos prevailed with hundreds, perhaps thousands, of cars waited for their turns to cross the toll-bridge, I along with a friend of mine were going to Gurgaon for dinner.

He was driving. There was a very impatient driver behind us. He honked after every half a minute…so irritating.  As we neared the pay booth, my friend said, “Let’s play a frank on this stupid fellow behind us.” I was game for it to although I was not sure what my unpredictable friend would do. As he neared the window of the pay booth, the person popped out his head and said: “Eighteen rupees.”

“The car behind me is paying for two,” my friend said. “OK, sir,” and the green light came on and the barrier lifted. We were in Gurgaon. Although we don’t know if they had taken the toll from the impatient driver, the fact brings to fore the driving conditions in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR).

Invariably for every driver in the city, the car before you is going slow and the car behind you is always in hurry. If you can keep up with that, you can drive in the city. Lanes — what’s that? Got space, it’s yours that the mantra of every carizen of Delhi. And here’s at tip: if you know a couple of abuses, all the more better…use them. If you don’t, the other driver would anyways! And don’t be surprised if you see two, three wheelers, and other slow-moving vehicles on the expressway. The authorities don’t, so why should they.

Now my funda of life is: If in Delhi try not to drive. It’s better to hire a cab. If you are Delhiite…well there is no way out…SOS!

The night that the knight passed through…almost!

We had gone to a friend’s place for dinner. He had bought a new TV so we ensured that we got our dues. After several pints of beer and a sumptuous dinner, we sat to watch a movie. By the time it ended it was quite late in the night. One friend came running in to declare that it was going to rain. So in a huff, we left for our homes. We had two bikes and two pillions. I was pillion-riding with the friend who seemed less drunk.

We were riding parallelly singing and talking loudly amongst ourselves when we noticed a car coming from the opposite direction. My friend gave way and when they passed us we noticed that it was not a car, but two bikes going parellelly.

Seeing this, the friend who was riding the other bike felt offended…he felt cheated. Cursing them loudly we assumed our earlier formation and kept going. After some time two lights were first approaching us from our opposite direction.

“It’s a bus,” I said. “Don’t be stupid,” said another. “Can’t you make it out from the height of the lights, it’s a car.” The friend who was riding the other bike said nothing. He strained hard and declared that it was not a single vehicle but two bikes riding like us – parellely.

“This time I’m going to go past between them.” Lo, he is going to squeeze through between the two bikes, I thought. After so much of beer we thought it was a good idea. So our bike gave way for our knight.

My rider stopped the bike and we waited for the act to unfold. Soon we could see the silhouette of our knight and his pillion rider from a distance. At this time the urge for a smoke hit both of us and when we were engrossed in doing so, we missed all. The bus…damn a bus it was…passed us in great speed. We got on our bike and came to the area where we last saw our knight…nowhere to be seen. We shouted their names – silence. Suddenly there were voices of help from the water-filled drain besides the road.

The man, the machine and his pillion rider all in there. Not knowing the injury status, we thought it was best to help them out first. But before we could do that, we burst into laughter. Minutes later they along with the bike were on terra firma again. Except for a bruise here and there there was no major injuries. The bike too after a few kicks was ready to go.

Now my funda of life is: It’s not always that what you see is what it actually is.