Friday, September 25, 2015

Vehophobia (Applicable for India Only)

My skills to drive on Indian roads degenerated disproportionately faster then my years off the Indian roads. My latest vacation underlined my alarming loss of skills to even confidently sit along side papa or sis when they drove me around. Papa gets mad when he looks the my white, blood drained face ,notices my fingers clutching the sides of the seat and hear a lot of involuntary exclamations leaking from my lips; he thinks its a verdict against his driving skills. And I lie to my sis every time when she asks me how she drove,because my clinched shut eyes and exploding heart does not allow me to observe her skills, with the sincerity, her bravado deserves.

I believe my intelligence has finally realized that all the crazy activities like sky diving and roller coaster rides, for which i am vehemently opposed are not very different then Indian driving.

Even though I do not (and will never) get overwhelmed by the presence of cattle in on the road, a so called NRI trait. Still, there is so much on the roads that is not for the weak-hearted. There was a time while driving, there were cars overtaking us from both sides. It was unusual because it was a single lane road.

Another time, we actually jumped red light under peer pressure. We stopped behind another car at red light on a prominent road but other vehicles continue to pass. When the only other stopped car at the light in front of us decided to follow the illegally moving traffic, papa followed. When i protested he said Beta, how can i stop in moving traffic, except that the traffic light was still red.

my sister on the other hand, drove like Laura Croft, creating ways where none existed. (In reference to Laura Croft  made entrance in castles by plucking jasmines) my sister maneuvered the car somewhere between people legally and illegally driving, walking,parked and crossing. At times i forced my eyes to stay open for few seconds just to marvel at her courage. Though i had to soon shut them, lest my screams would distract her.

The time on the roads was an adrenaline rush, gratitude for the cheap taxis in case i need to move without my trusted drivers, a pang of sandness at loss of an instinct we, all Indians are born with and a little more awe for a country whose workings can never be explained.