My uncle and his family's long awaited visit to our place has finally turned into reality. And it has made a kinda reunion here, at least for me. From the day they(my uncle and his family) landed here I've deserted my previous house and shifted at my cousin's place. So it's kinda picnic for me, and of course, I came across, a lot of new experiences which I'll hereby narrate :) ...
First thing I came across is it takes 95 bucks to reach Majestic railway station from my place. And came to know that the traffic is not the only nuisance in the city; there are "autowallahs". The more I try to befriend them, more they try to cheat me.... Reached railway station half-dead, criss-crossing the traffic with myriad vehicles and the fare-meter read 93, but I dint get my change back from this so called auto-driver after I handed him bill of 100, and wen asked about the return, he simply said "No Change". Felt like hitting one "sucker-punch" in his face. After baptizing him with choicest of swear words, I entered inside the station.(Swear words were in my mother-tongue so I'm sure he must have thought them as substitution for a thank you and must have wondered how long, multi-syllable a thank you in my mother-tongue is! As he rode away smiling, I thought whether he really thought a "Thank you" can be that long, or was it because of the extra 7 bucks he earned....???? well... god knows)
Met uncles inside and came back with them in a hired cab, destination; cousin's place. When we had finished with our dinner, the day had grown old enough to take us to bed.
The next day; now the actual adventure starts, navigating the bangalore traffic in a two wheeler. No no, it's not me who does the navigation, it's my traffic-dexterous friend, Ashu, who gives me a pillion ride, and I get ample time for the observation.
It exactly takes 30 mins to reach office from home, whatever route we take, it's always the same, 30 mins. And these 30 minutes.. ummm... makes me feel like I'm a performer, though nobody watches us performing and it's not something like I'm live on some TV, but still the way we overtake and by-pass the plethora of human-carrying machines on a black labyrinth of bangalore's road-way, it really surges the adrenaline to rush across every single cell of my body. The way bus-drivers drive, sometimes I feel like they are the highest road-tax payers, and as if they own the road. And I cannot stop comparing the autos(autowallahs included) with the monkeys, yes you read it correct, monkeys. Their indifference, the way they trouble a person who is late for work by asking double the actual charge, the way they drive, everything reminds me of monkeys. Sometimes I find them sadistic, especially when it rains. When it does(rains) most of them wont ask where one wants to go, they will stop the auto near you, but wont ask you where you want to go, instead, they'll simply stop it there and wait, wait for you to ask them... and when you do, they wont say "double" or some exorbitant amount of money, they'll simply say "no", a firm no. I wonder what kinda pleasure they get, seeing others suffer....!!!
oh I drifted away from the main topic.... the performer... so I was saying I feel like a performer when I get a pillion ride... many two wheeler riders WILL laugh at me and my haughtiness but this is just my way of interpreting things, one of the beautiful things that this city has to offer. The skills my rider, Ashu has, I sure feel like I'm in safe hands(legs included, otherwise who'll change gears... :) ) The way he manipulates the tiny spaces between two four-wheelers, the shortest and less congested path from point A to point B, you ask it and he knows it all, and I like that, really like that. I'm sure most of you have seen a tight-rope walker walking across on the rope. When he does that he's very careful, every moment, every second. A small mistake can cost him worth lot more than the pain.... so, alert all the time... my friend here too, is as alert as a tight-rope walker, and add the skill of smooth-riding in bangalore's traffic, wow!!! One hell of a rider. And we perform at bangalore traffic during the mornings and evenings, weekdays. Death defying manoeuvres between the four-wheelers, whizzing past a slower vehicle, navigating the shorter but tiny "gully's", managing the 4-way intersections and passing through them, you name it and we do it all.
My days are still being spent at cousin's place, I still perform in the bangalore traffic everyday, sans Saturdays and Sundays. Come ride along with me and be a performer... cheers...
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