CASUALTY ::: TIME AND LIMBS !!!!

I notice a guy from the corner of my eye every morning when I go for a jog. He always looks confident with a great gymming outfit. He looks ready to take a leap of faith, catch the airborne basketball and score for his team. I can almost feel the hunger in his eyes. 

However, with my mundane office routine that follows I completely forget about how's and what's of the visuals with which my day had begun. Day long exhaustive meetings, never-ending tasks with modifiable deadlines and other corporate lobbying or "politically correct" activities eat away a larger chunk of my time. Not only does my employer in Delhi/NCR pay me for my precious minutes in meetings in the office premises but also for the formidable minutes spent on road and in public transport in order to reach my home in cosmopolitan space from my office conveniently ensconced in remote suburbs. Though spending 4-5 hours daily on travel to be in my comfort zone, i.e., home, itches me on a regular basis but not in a way it did one day, in a bare minimum fraction of seconds.

Due to snail paced traffic and paucity of movement space in Delhi/NCR, I had decided to ride an UBER bike in order to reach Delhi metro station timely and carry forth my journey towards my abode. Riding pillion on a bike is quite an adventure in NCR. But on 10th Oct'17, it turned out to be an unfortunate mischance. Just around NH-8, a car hit the bike I was riding on as the pillion, owing to miscalculation of time (which anyhow we always fall short of), speed and distance by the respective drivers. I don't have any memories of the impact of the collision but the impact of time. My leg got stuck in between the bike's silencer and the car in front. For an instant, I was there but then my sporty instinct urged me to go for a hop on the flip side. Neither was there any traffic on B-Side nor did anyone stop to help.

Thankfully, I was able to walk up to the pavement and the image of the guy's hungry eyes from the park flashed in front of me in the blink of an eye. Hunger because he couldn't. He couldn't jump off from his wheelchair. Period!

The thought sent a chill in my heart. However, I cleared the images from my mind as I regained composure, I saw a biker passer by, advising my motorcycle driver to quell the anger as he was too vulnerable to abuse the sturdy car owner.

I rode the same motorbike to the Metro Station afterwards, safely though. But mistakenly requested a seat in Metro only to be told to demand off from someone occupying seats reserved for differently-abled. Disgraceful indeed!

Well what followed were a series of hospital visits and heavy medicine dosage. I was relieved to escape the nasty fractures but the ruptures. They do pain. Like a lot!

Courtesy : Google Images

An accident was never on my contemplative list until my own personal experience. I felt as if the culprit is not only killing/hurting the victim but also reducing or terminating (in some scenarios) those minutes which the victim might have spent simply smiling. I generally used to empathize with those who were hurt but now I have sympathies from my family and friends. Icing on the cake, my sister and co-blogger fell off the running Mumbai Local due to both time miscalculation and paucity of de-boarding space. Strange co-incidence or something waiting to happen. Who knows!

Well, everything is fine now with no more surgeons in our lives. And I would like to rest my itchy fingers on the note :

In reality, time can't be purchased or sold ,
My time can be controlled only by me or sometimes by bullish souls.

Please share your comments and experiences.

EVEN OUTS ALL ODDS IN 2016!!!

I was watching Bob the builder : an animated children show last evening and as always anthropomorphized vehicles left me mesmerized. The ongoing Odd-Even rule discussions for plying of cars on road to combat the pollution in Delhi and this animation series together played a game with my sub-conscious mind. So here I pen down my unpleasant fantasy.

DREAM.......

Many dented and painted vehicles are parked around and engaged in a pensive discussion.

Untattooed Sparkling Hatchback : Hey Automobiles! Good News! I will be on rest on alternate days this fortnight of 2016. A great respite to my ailing engine which bears the pressure of winter chill and fog (smog) each January.

"VVIP'" tattooed Convertible : Alas! God is really kind to you. All blessings seem to have been bestowed on you and your siblings. I am not that lucky even though government boasts of a No-VIP culture!

Pink Sedan : Have you all noticed the conduct of rowdy juveniles these days. No wonder, I have been licensed to be on the run too.

"Red cross" tattooed Mini-Van : Oh dear! Don't worry! I'll too be on wheels 24*7 to accompany you all.

Apt came the unanimous response from CNG and electric cars, Fire brigade tattooed vehicles, Police SUVs, scooter and its bulkier and metallic cousins, i.e., the bikes. All of them were sounding envious of being exempted from Odd-Even rule as they had some indelible patterns.

An old and dilapidated bicycle parked nearby in a shady corner was listening to all the conversation patiently. Her hollowed eyes had seen them taking her place in recent times. Her rusted and parched metallic skin had been over-shined by these newbies who now longed for an interlude. Moreover, she had gained wisdom during this long period of hibernation. And when asked about her opinion, she spoke : Neither of you will be spared. My sisters and I have been listening to a lot of humans. They are a crafty and an insightful lot and have the capability to even out all the odds. They have multiple inexpensive quickfix plans in retaliation to this rule like,

Plan A : Usage of fake number plates

Plan B : Utilizing stickers to change the last digit of the number plate

Plan C : Usage of reversible number plates with original/customized number

Plan D : Deployment of embossed number plates where the last digit can be changed using a sticking tape or a magnet

I am not saying this out of anger but I feel you all are cursed to be clogged on roads forever and ever.

...................

I don't know what could have come up next since I woke up with a sigh!

On a serious note, I agree that homo sapiens are the most intelligent of all the beings present on earth with immense cognitive adroitness. But considering the present circumstances, in my perspective people are really mentally sick since they are scheming alternatives even for 15 days to counter the Odd-Even rule in Delhi. But as the law of Physics states that “Every action has an equal and opposite reaction”, it's high time we offer bounties to nature.

Courtesy: Google Images

I hope this New Year, I would be a non-smoker in real sense! Huh!

As my lungs crave for PM2.5/PM10 free, non-toxic air I rest my itchy fingers as I already feel choked of the 'jugaad' attribute of my brethren.

DISPATCHED GRACEFULLY!!!

Commuting between places would never have been as adventurous and soothing at the same instant,  if there wouldn’t have been disparate flavours of conveyance. Moreover, being a native of Delhi – the capital city provides a lot of options to travel. As my father states: Move an inch out of Delhi (towards the NCR) and you’ll be pinched by the paucity of public conveyance.

Today, I point my itchy fingers towards the various modes of transportation that have made my not so very punctual life somewhat easier!

 

Yellow-green vehicle – the Auto rickshaw is my first choice. Presently it comes in various colours, styles and has transformed into a chic carriage. Pink coloured- specifically for women can be seen manned by male drivers along with the Tuktuk (Radio auto rickshaw service-just a phone call away). Then there are meterless auto in coherence with the standard metered ones running all over with jocund quotations, traffic instructions and important phone no.s (like eye care, baldness reduction, women helpline, victimized husband’s cell etc.). Let me describe the interesting interiors too. Morphed Bollywood majors’ posters stuck inside stare at you from all the corners eye to eye and if you’re lured by them, Maa-kali glancing from the front mirror is there to keep an eye on you. Gramin-Sewa, alias shared auto is the essence these days. Wheelman is such a benign and munificent person that he welcomes all. You can either sit on the door if there’s a space crunch or even stand on conductor’s request whose skillful foreknowledge about the co-passengers and management skills can give an IIM-ite a run for his money. 

Courtesy : Google Images

There are certain auto shaped “Dhodas”, as I like to call them. Do tell me if you have a better word for them!. They are omnipresent with goats/cows/oxen/hens in abundance peeping out and their tardy pace bringing the hell out of you.

Rick shorthand for rickshaw - manual or the eco friendly battery operated ones are the saviour for short distances. Though these battery-run rickshaws are in vogue yet the older hand-pulled or naturally air-conditioned cycle rickshaws can never be a passé. I remember travelling with my friend to our college daily by those and giving final touch ups to our maquillage on-board!!! CRAZY!!!

Then we have our venerable, loyal, wallet-friendly buses racing the tarmac with a certain fatherly air about the old drivers. Though Blue/Red killer variants are now defunct, the green DTC buses are a rage among passengers. Feeders are a recent addition to the category, a subset of this juggernaut. Driver ferrying the people fools them about the movement by simply moving the bus hence and forth, repeating the exercise probably for half an hour. And the conductor is a budding dude with lots of tattoos and gelled up hair. He would forcefully push people inside stating that “No photo-shoot is happening for those hanging about the door!!” Nomenclature of various stoppages shows their mindfulness too. For instance a bus-stop near White House Apartment, has been popularly named as “Obama ka ghar (Obama’s Residence)”!!!!

And yes, who can forget the splendid “Metro-DMRC”. But I think it should add more coaches or should be made into a double-deck. (No! Seriously). I mean you can catch people of all ages, genders, shapes and sizes 17*7*365 at the metros ready to get past through you. 

Yesss! I just grabbed a seat and before letting it slip away to someone else I’ll just doze off.

You too have a safe journey and keep in mind : “Pappu te gudiya di gaddi hun Keep Dishtanche ! Warna buri nazar wale tera muuh kala!! Ok! Tataa! Bye- Bye!!” ;)

Courtesy : Google Images