Bumping Into Each Other, Literally!!

  Before I went to the United States for a short visit, I had never experienced difference in Indian way of driving and other ways. There, I learnt how to drive in lanes, when to apply the accelerator and when to apply brakes, how to let pedestrians pass first, then cycles, and then other forms of vehicles, the transformer like trucks being the last. Since the day I have been back to India, I think I have really tried to control myself driving in these conditions that are totally opposite to what I saw in New York. In India, we
1. don't know what are lanes,
2. have no idea what marks on the roads mean and
3. never knew rules of the road beyond textbooks because, ummm, because nobody follows them anyway

  Everyday, I pass through my favorite highway, The Gurgaon Faridabad road, that was once considered to be very very dangerous. To tell you the truth, it still is! For those who love speeds, its a heaven and for those who don't, its nothing less than a nightmare. Well, if you are slow, then be prepared to hear a sling of horns, overtaking cars, troubling Haryana Roadways buses and century old Tata trucks who even throw black smoke right down your neck (if you are a biker) and not to forget, it has got no lights for night driving when almost all vehicles run like mad, like really really mad. And as they say, SPEED THRILLS BUT KILLS and yes, I was almost about to meet and greet the so-called heaven/hell or whichever I am suitable for, had it not been for, luck? Yeah. Luck.

  So trying to be civilized on road due to United States influence as usual, I began my descend to the Sikanderpur Chowk which marks the end of the highway. I mentioned descend because it is indeed a not-so-steep descend until you come to a halt on the red light, then I am supposed to take a right turn and enter inside Gurgaon city. So as I was about to reach the end of this descend, I saw the light turn yellow from a distance and slowed down and gradually halted as it turned Red. Job's done. Now time to wait for a minute till I take my right turn.

  But somebody had another idea, and seconds later a car came screeching at my back. I couldn't even understand anything and THUD!!! It was bad. Another accident!!
 
  I was on the road with my bike lying a little away from me. There was no thought in my mind except looking here and there. It was like the sound of the heart-beat monitoring machine that they usually show in the movies, when the patient dies it becomes like teeeeeeeeeeeeeeee and shows a straight horizontal line. I was sitting on the road like a dumb beggar, got up and walked towards the pavement to take off my gloves, helmet and to examine what had happened to my darling lying with some pieces broken. I saw my finger bleed and knew that I had hurt my hip from one side. For a second, I turned to see what had hit me, it was a white Swift and the next thought that came right across was "Who is going to come out". Indians love their cars, a little scratch and they are ready to shoot you and I hate that.

She has been a fighter all these 15 years. See the damaged twisted exhaust pipe?

   I was surrounded by traffic policemen and some people who came rushing to pick up my bike and inquire about my well being. Some, habitual to give lectures, started the same rant "stop at the light" "people are always hurrying" blah blah until I heard this "बिल्लू तू ठीक तो है?" (Billu, are you alright?)

Wait, what???

  I turned and saw this young fair man in spectacles looking at me with his face totally pale. People around were still lecturing me on speed while I shouted on one, "आप मुझे क्यों बोल रहे हो मैं तो रुका हुआ था". Well, focusing back on this man who called me Billu. I realized this is the man who had hit me this hard. He was still trying to assure himself that I am alive and he missed inches. He is Suchet. He is my friend since a decade:-)

  Call it coming back to life, I instantly laughed and told everyone standing there in excitement ""ये तो मेरा ही दोस्त है" Everybody started smiling and more than that, both of us were wondering how did we come to meet. Plain luck. Absolutely plain luck. Suchet was still trying to arrange the jigsaw. "Bhai tujhe mere hi aage aana tha"

Suchet's swift had a twisted wheel, cracked bumper and a broken fog lamp cover

  And then, we had this little reunion sort of thing, while we talked about how we had been thinking about each other all this long while we met. I attended his marriage 3 years ago but never forgot his facebook status "Made it to FBD from GGN in 20 mins" because this is the road I take daily, while always used wondering just HOW FAST COULD HE GO? On his side, he mentioned he used to wonder that I work in Gurgaon but never came across him once. Well, we did. See how thoughts match on a collision course? See the connection? His 'highway' and my 'coming across.'

  Well, we had our shares of laughter but both of us I feel are still wondering what could have happened. His car actually hit my bike's exhaust which is bunch of hairs away from my feet. I could have been flying in the air, or dead on the road or anything. He on the other hand must have had a whole life repenting which fortunately is not the case with any of us as of now. I am glad I am alive and kicking and I am glad my friend is safe and sound too. And hoping that at least, he will slow down for much of his driving time now.

  Inside, its still very much unreal to me. For sometime I am going to enjoy this swollen right bum and the photograph below as I write this sitting on my bend while Shiva is still up and playing around. I am smiling. Bought some more (life)time, Yayyyyy!!!

This bike in middle marks our connection as old friends, rode the same and hit the same!!
Yes this is the aftermath click! Haha.

Life is indeed moments sewed together! These instances are good enough to keep giving you a wake up call. And then there's this dialogue from the Batman Begins
        "And why do we fall, Bruce? So we can learn to pick ourselves up"