Driving

From a young age I had a fascination for vehicles. When I was about 8-9 years old, I used to ask my grandfather to overtake the car which was ahead of us. Well, you can say I was also fond of speed.

14^th December 2016 I had my first accident riding a bike. Till that date I used to drive fast. I was only 16 years old when it took place. The story behind it is funny as my friend who jumped from the pillion seat got away with lesser injuries. He stayed in the hospital with me. Since I did not have my driving license, I had a lot to explain my parents about it. I learnt my lesson the hard way as the time which I was taking to recover helped me to think a lot.

 Months passed by and still I had the determination towards it. The only difference is just in the past I used to enjoy thrill and speed but now I enjoy the drive and the environment around me.

I turned 17 and asked my parents to teach me to drive car. At first, they denied and asked me to wait for another year so I could have my licence. But I was always good at convincing them. So, in few weeks me and my mom hit the empty roads and big grounds where it was easy to learn driving.

 Since beginning I used to believe that it is difficult to drive a car than a bike. But you know, you can never tell before driving one. It was easy for me in the beginning to hear my mom telling the nitty-gritty about driving while sitting beside me but as the weeks passed, I did not want any disturbances or taunts. It distracted me and interfered with my focus. A time came when I could go up to the 5^th gear and hit 70km/h on roads and could reverse park the car properly.

Driving taught me how one could actually also manage time and situations too. How not to get angry whenever someone is honking from behind and not to let go one’s anger on a machine.

In the beginning of my lessons these things used to make me angry. The more I realized the situations the easier it became to handle them.

The day came, 19^th December 2018 when I had to give my driving test. I was nervous and conscious. This anxiety was subsiding as the feeling of calmness was overtook when I saw the test paper. The more questions I solved easier it was for me to be confident. Well, I got over with the paper and it was the time for the driving test, and the good thing was the instructor, who told me that he feels I was already ready for it. It actually made me more comfortable and calmed my nerves.

After 1 hour of drills he asked me only one question,” Since when you are driving and who taught you?” I said,’ couple of weeks only and my parents taught me’. I never wanted to tell that I have been driving since last many months. He believed and gave me 19 out of 20.

 After a week I got my licence and was very happy and excited about it.

 * * * * * 

Chapter -2

So, you had a glimpse of my past but let me take you on a ride to the present. I have a young cousin and he is the way I was back then but the generation he is in is actually different than the generation I was part of.

He used to ask me couple of things about my childhood and I used to tell him everything. He asked a question which made me think a lot. It made me felt that is he going through something or anything he isn’t sure of or perhaps it was just another question. He asked that, “Is it good or bad to experience things in young age?”. I asked him what kind of experience or state just to get the question more specific. He said, “the things we like the most.” I told him experiencing anything which you like for the first time whether it is in young or old age doesn’t determine whether it is good or bad.

I told him my accident case and then he said he could relate some of it but still he wasn’t able to tell me the exact experience he faced. 2 Days passed by and the thought still stuck in my mind.

It was evening around 7, the sky was turning darker and he was sitting in the balcony of his room listening songs. Just for the fun I stood behind him and put my palms on his eyes so that he could not figure out who it was. I didn’t know that his eyes were already shut but still he smiled and said my name out loud. I grabbed a chair and sat beside him. Few minutes went by in chit chatting and then I asked him the experience he was talking about. He said ‘I love someone’ and then I said, ‘well, why did you relate it with the accident?’ He smiled and said “did I?”. He told me how it started and now how the so call love was falling apart.

 For a moment I thought how serious a kid can be in the name of love? He asked me for advises to save his relationship. We talked for a while but soon he said, “I do not want to talk on this topic anymore.” and walked out of the balcony.

I went for a walk after dinner. I saw some youngsters driving motorcycle fast without any safety on. For some reason it reminded me of my young days. It made me smile and happy knowing that my little brother was not into bikes but totally into love. I think love is safer and more joyful than material things around.

I took some ice creams thinking it would make him feel better. I stopped in my tracks, as a dog in middle of the road was staring at me and the pack of ice cream rather menacingly. For once I thought I’d give it one until it started running towards me barking continuously. I knew it was not a friendly chat but an attack by a four legged upon a two legged!  What else could I do than climbing on a nearby car as running would not have saved me. A panting dog looking at me while I balance myself on the roof of the car.

Keeping aside the ice creams and having the neighbours coming out of their balcony distracted the dog little bit. I somehow called my cousin. He came rushing with a stick to shoo away the dog. It wasn’t that easy as my cousin isn’t scared of dogs, he actually wanted to have fun out of it so he recorded the whole scene on his mobile phone. After the dog ran off, we did not say anything to each other and all the way he kept laughing silently. I was glad he helped me.

Reached home, kept the ice cream in the freezer as it was already melting. I was about to sleep until he came and said, “Do you think I deserve a “thank you”?”.  I said switch off the light and shut the door. He did and I said “thank you and goodnight.”

The next morning, the first thought that strike me is knowing my debacle in field that my brother is in. Called “love”. I found myself rather an inadequate person to offer any help. I went downstairs, wished everyone and then I saw my brother. He kept staring at me like that dog but in a suspicious way. Thinking he’s about to do something. Few hours later after having breakfast with family I am sitting in my room reading a Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s novel called “Crime and Punishment”. What a good time to read his books. Inspires me to write epigrams and stories. I forgot to tell you my brother’s name. His name is Sam. He comes, lays on the bed and starts to play games with such noises that would disturb me to read. I got the feeling that he needs some attention or say some scolding from me. I thought why not help him in a way in which I am good at?

I asked him, “You up for a ride now? But don’t ask why and where.” He said, “Yeah! It’s a sunny day so why not !” For a moment I did not expected this answer but never mind let’s go a ride.

My motive was to scare him to hell but also some moments he could enjoy and recall. Like I used to do it with my school friends back in time. When they used to sit in the pillion seat and start crying like a  baby. But things are different now because we are in a car now and he is sitting beside me. I told him 3 rules and promised him one thing which were: a) Do not yell or shout, b) no music and c) seat belt on. After hearing the last rule, he looked at me and said, “do you know how to drive properly?” I replied, “I am going to give you best ride in your life and I promise you that”.

He knew he was now in a real video game. We started off and made to the outskirts of the city. We entered into an abandoned parking. I said, “this is the place where I had come with my friends to do silly things on wheels.” He looked at me quizzingly. No sooner we were in the lot, car took a sweep. I drifted the car in the empty parking and the first thing, he did was yell. He broke the rule no. 1 and he knew he got himself in trouble. We drifted merely for 30 minutes and I haven’t seen him so much shocked and surprised in his life till then. I said, “the punishment for rule no. 1 is that we go for the long roads.” He exclaimed and said,” Don’t tell me! I know we will go at a high speed”. While we were in the car doing 200 km per hr.

I asked him had he ever seen that much speed limit in his life except in a video game to which he replied, “no and not even in a video game.” I said I knew.

We stopped by and picked up some food for the way back. He hugged me when we stepped out of the car and said, “this is the best day of my life.”