An Emotive Episode

Delhi is a strange city. What astonishes me most is the co-existence of extremes in the city. Staying into the city for the last 8 years and almost in every corner, I have seen a greater part of it. And before writing any thing more I must specify that I love the city. The city is often considered having lot of discourteous junta. Be it a 'thulla' or the 'sabzi waale bhaiya’, most of them at times can be a bit surly. A most common incident which can be spotted every now and then is a scuffle happening in the roads between two accident prone car owners each blaming the other and threatening to show their power and 'pehchaan' in Delhi. The winner having more 'pehchaan' and higher degrees of profanity manages to extort money from the other for the damage.

It was a Thursday night, just a couple of days before I was shifting to Kolkata. My sister has come to my place for helping me with my packing ('Helping' here is an understatement, she accomplished it.). Post our dinner, I planned to go take my sister out for a drive. "Let’s have ‘chusk’ at India Gate!!" exclaimed Didi. Not having much of an option at night we went for it. The weather outside was amazing. I turned on my car stereo and started playing the song 'dhan ta nan' from a latest flick. I saw myself dancing in a club with pretty girls flocking around, just to get a chance to dance with me. "Pikuuuuuuuuuuuu"...Banggggggggg!!!!! I heard two sounds!! the former was my sister shouting and the latter was from a non symmetrical indica in front of me. I din’t take much time to figure out that I had crashed into an Indica. I hadn’t even got down of my car when I saw this sturdy looking guy coming out of that indica shouting at me." Baawla ho gya hai ke Behn #$%@@#$%”!!( Are you fuckin crazy) he shouted in a haryanvi accent. I got down thinking of various ways to handle him. "Ruk saale abhi Madam ko bulata hoon"(Wait till I call my mistress as in the owner and not the other one) he shouted. Next I saw was this middle aged, pretty looking, well dressed lady coming out of a Honda City which was standing just ahead of the Indica. " Saale ne peeche se thok di"!!(He hit from the Back) exclaimed the angry driver. The lady came and looked towards the boot of the car which was completely wrecked. Knowing Delhites I expected her to ask for damages and me and not having much to argue I apologized to her and said " Ma’am its my fault and am ready to pay whatever you demand" . She replied in very calm and composed manner “Son its Ok!! Just be careful when u drive in traffic". Then she sat in her car and drove away. I looked at the mangled bonnet of my car. The ladies benevolence overshadowed the probable excruciating pain of the disfigured new car.