This afternoon after having a delicious meal comprising of Chicken Tandoori and Chicken Biryani, the best you can imagine is a solid nap, but duty calls first and no napping or sleeping coz I am sure my nap would not be for a hour our so, it would have lasted from afternoon till night. So nothing doing, I decided to leave for Bhopal from indore Indore
I keep moving at a snail’s pace, with speeds of around 40-60 kmph, I am rarely into such small speeds, it is as if a cyclist would overtake me anytime. But the mind and the stomach are so very full that all the thought process is in vain. Driving at this pace I observe the beauty of the nature in more detail, since the road is full of greenary everywhere. At this small pace I see lush green lands, tall trees, few drizzles of rain, small squirells wandering, roads turning themselves, cattles feeding on the crops, farmers engrossed in the fields, and not to forget a special watch of a person attending the nature’s call ( don’t worry it was not that close … J)
After covering about half the journey, I decide to take a break but my body is not even permitting me to move, my body was behaving not less than a phtyon who had swallowed a big animal and it needed rest for months together, though acutally I had just swallowed a small little chicken. Time passed by and I had covered almost 3/4th of the distance and now I had to move out of the highway and enter into a bypass road to reach my house in Bhopal. As I entered the bypass it was around 7.30pm and now I decided to speed up so that I could reach home early.
As I entered the bypass road, rain started pouring in heavily, and I could hardly see anything even in the fog lights. But still I tried to maintain a decent speed of around 80kmph so that I could get in fast. Already trying to reach home at the earliest, the least you can expect is a closed railway crossing, and the same happens. I need to cross the railway track and the barricades are on. And to my disguise I am the first person to be there, no vehicles ahead or behind me. I switch off my car and turn off the headlights and my sight disappears into something even blacker than the darkness. I immediately turn on the lights and start praying, and God listen’s to my prayers and I see a truck behind me and that gets me into the normal heart beat.
After about 5mins a goods carrier train crosses the track, I imagine why the goods train can’t wait and leave only when there are no people on the track. But then I realize that I am not the railway minister of India
The clouds which were almost bursting initially have now started weeping and it’s a light drizzle but still it affects visibility. I was cruzing now at a speed of almost 120 kmph, when there is a sudden “ Bang … “ and my car is into a big pothole which skipped my sight coz it was filled with water. My speed is suddendly killed. As all car manufacturers say 0 to 120kmph in 5 sec, I set a new record 120kmph to 0kmph in less than a second. Can any car manufacturer do this ???
Somehow I move my car out of the pothole and realize that the car is bending on one side. I pray that it should not be a puncture or else I am gone, and as I moved out to watch, my wicked sense had got it right and it was a puncture… Oh Godness Gracious, I screamed in despair resembling the Daya Bhabhi scream in Tarak Mehta ka oltha chasma. I looked around, it was utter darkness all around, with rains pouring in and leave aside a puncture maker I could not even observe traces of human life around. Only I could hear was weird noises of animals in the dark, maybe the noise would be of mice, but it was not less than a lion roar for me at that point.
After seeing a lot of horror flicks, I could hardly imagine changing the tyre by myself and that too at that point. I boarded the car and started dragging the car at a speed of 10kmph, even at this speed the tyre was not able to move and somehow I tried to move so that I could atleast see someone on this dreadful alien land. After travelling for about 15 min at a speed of 10kmph. I saw Edison ’s invention a house laden with a bulb. Positive vibes moved across my body and I decided to move faster. Faster from a speed of 10kmph to 15kmph. As I came near the bulb I observed a hoarding “ Deshi Daru Dukan ( Country Liquor Shop) “…. My mind now again started thinking like what if I go to the liquor shop and the drunkers take undue advantage of me and rob me coz I was with my luggage and a laptop. But then no other way buddy, and I decided to go into the shop and ask for help. I parked my car on the road and came near the shop. Any liquor shop which would normally be queued at any point of time and normally at nights, wore a deserted look this time. I moved ahead to see if anyone could be seen. I still moved ahead and was at the counter of the liquor shop, I peeped inside and no one was there. I started getting more scared. I immediately turned around to see if my car was there and it was there standing with an injured leg.
I looked around the shop but still no one could be observed.
I shouted “ Is anyone there, Is anyone there “…. still no response.
I started to wonder is it like this liquour shop is for the so called bhoots and then suddenly someone touches my shoulders. At that instance I was almost on the verge to pee and I turn around to see a “Big beard person, slim, dark and hardly visible in the rain and the darkness, and smelling of huge levels of country liquor.” “ Kya hua Sahab ( What happened Sir) …. “
Stammering I answer him “ My car is punctured, can I get help “
The person stares at me and says “ Sir, the puncture station is 2kms away”
I thank him and have the run of my life and run into the car, start it and drive away with sweat all over my body. All forms of evil thoughts motivated by the bollywood and the hollywood flicks start occuping my mind. Again at a speed of 10kmph after I have travelled for 10min, I now see a bunglow with a car parked outside and no one being seen there. The bunglow is illuminated with lights and is at a walking distance from the road. The bunglow stands in the middle of the dark fields and a muddy road. I stop there for an instance and think; should I go there to seek help, but then looking at the bunglow for a second, I realize that it satisfies all the conditions ideal for a horror flick. So then instead of slowing down I speed up and move ahead. The car at this point is making fancy noises which make me more and more scared.
Somehow after almost a period of 45min from the time the puncture happened and undergoing all these unexpected experiences I reach a puncture shop. I feel so happy, not less that when a thristy man sees a well of water. Half wet I march to the puncture stall and demand with pride to the guy there
“ Bhaiya, puncture nikalo ( Dude, Please remove the puncture)“… as if I am the king of his state.
“ Sahab, tyre le ke aao.( Sir, Please get the tyre) “ …. “
I tell him “ Bhai, tyre to gaadi pe laga hai … ( The tyre is on the vehicle)“
And the next sentence sends shivers around me.
“ Sahab, tyre nikal ke dena padega … Barish mein hum tyre nahi nikalte ( Sir, you need to get the tyre... we dont remove the tyre in rains) “
I start to bargain with him and even offered him the price of a new tyre to only remove the existing tyre, but all in vain.
So finally I decide to remove the tyre myself. Rain finding me and pouring on me all around. I open my dicci and try to first find the jack and then see if I have a stepney. Fortunaltely all exists at its place. So I place the jack below the car and try to lift the car. It had started raining heavily and I was totally wet and then I recollect that first I have to loosen the tyres before lifting the car. I try to loose the nut’s using my engineering skills but all in vain. I tried with my full strength but to no avail, and I concluded that I require the power of the great bhim to do this. finally losing hope I go again to the puncture guy to have his tips on this, I knew that I had to apply a good amount of torque , but bloody hell HOW ??
So then that puncture guy gives me a weapon, a hammer which he says would satisfy my purpose. Taking a deep breath and lifting the hammer I give a shot with all my might and strength and the nut moves… that moment was as if a person finds a police when surrounded by dacoits. Almost a few litres of rain already around me and still finding me and trying to melt me more, the rain gods showers on me higher and higher. Finally after a few minutes I remove the tyre and then ask the puncture guy to atleast pick the damaged tyre and repair it until I fit the stepney.
He comes running, and takes the tyre along with him. I somehow fit the stepney and realize that after extreme levels of hardwork and unexpected torture from all ends, I was able to do it. Cursing the tyre , the vehicle and my stars at that moment I travel to the puncture guy along with a Rs100 note, coz I believe that he would really charge me a hefty amount in this state of despair.
I approach him “ Kitna bada puncture tha, aur kitna paisa deneka ( How big was the puncture and how much to pay )“
The guy smiles back and says “ Sahab, aapka tyre tubeless hai. Puncture toh tha hi nahi. hawa nikal gayi thi bas … “( Sir, you have tubeless tyres. There was no puncture , only the air was out )“
To this I sit down and hold my head.
………. Sachin
