60 Days...

Knocking the door frantically, carrying million things that two hands can possibly not hold and almost pleading in despair for someone to open the door, hoping the good soul on the other side provides me some shelter and water to quench my thirst (read cozy couch and yummy evening snacks). Well, that’s jus over dramatizing my entry back home on a casual weekday after work!

Jan 23^rd Thursday evening 8:00 wasn’t any different. That good soul called mum, opened the door provided me the cozy couch and hmm not so yummy snacks though ;). Dad, the lion of the house gloating not so gloriously in the living room, showing off his dark skinned bare hairy chest that goes in absolute contrast with his while lungi… and on the dhiwan, my older sis, yes.. my sister who was born 4.5 years after me but looks older to me (ha the joy of gleaming pride wen old aunties in weddings come up to me and ask if I am the younger of the two daughters!). Digressing. Yes, my sister on the dhiwan working on her final year architecture project (so not!), her hands busy shuttling between fast whatsapping on her Galaxy Grand and styling her brunette locks. Amidst the koo kooing of birds from Nat Geo channel and the ever buzz of the grinding machine from the kitchen, I could hear my dad say “60 days”. While it made no sense to me as I left the room, living with the man for 26 years I should have known his subtlety behind every passing remark. And I did!

That leaves me to 60 days… back.

Nov 23^rd Saturday morning 9:30 - When the highway roads were pretty empty, lazy men in lungi puffing their way to glory with unbrushed teeth and responsible women clumsily clad in nighties with mouths overflowing Colgate foam, I was enjoying the sight, the music and the loneness of driving at 100kmph. Gleaming with a sense of ownership of the road and million thoughts getting to rest with every swishing past vehicle, with the noise of air pressure trying to engulf my face… every nerve rushing in adrenaline, this is all I want… like a King! Only that I ain’t a King!

Taking a right turn, still at awe with my control over everything, my thoughts, my driving (given my track road of aggressive driving)… I see green at distance. Growing green targeted towards me… and faint bleats and frantically stamping hooves! The green of the government bus grew nearer. Him, the god behind the wheels, putting his driving skills to test and gloat in glory, overtook past the bleating goat herd whose hooves were panicking to the other side of the road. Towards me, my pleasant dew colored not so new highly overused hatch back, the green giant impelling… my mind, ever so clear as a crystal mind, ever so uncomplicated, pressed on to one thought in clarity and compelled the pressure to the bakes! I am not dying today, today is not the day!

And I remember everything, me and my dew beauty traversed off road, nose diving to the 3 feet low lands… scraping off some unkempt, overgrown bushes… starting a whirl spin my hands up the hood over me, as though that would help if the hood gives way into… contents of my bag strewn all over… the bottle of vanilla mist bumping my head… car indicators wary… wiper frenzy… the pirouette came to a halt successfully completing 360^o… left door ajar, my hands dutifully freed me from the seat belt... tearing the aux cable connected to my hand phone... I set myself free… running out! The sinking fear of a car blow, I’m out safe!

Jan 23^rd Thursday – 60 days later…
After cries of ‘god’s grace’, ‘miracle, you were meant to do something extraordinary’…
After strangers feeding water, dropping me to a safe point, taking care…
After tens of calls to road patrol, insurance company, service center…
After angry gestures, declaring words of my stupidity, blankness from mother…
After undying mild attacks of panic, gasping for air, introspecting life…
The only person who is completely agitated by the very thought of the incident is the Father of the aggressive, stupid yet steady daughter behind the wheels of her dewy Santro.