Straight Drive

I had a day off.But so did pa’s driver.I volunteered to drive him all the way to his townside office.Now,mind you,it’s as far as an hours drive on a lucky day,an hour and a half’s on a normal day,and a two day long one on the 26th of july.N I’m not one of those who’d wake up early when there’s nothin to do.But then,I had my own selfish reason to drive him that far.I had to go shopping with my cousins.
        I was quite excited.I was driving into the city after a long gap.I carried my fav CD’s,hopped in my tank(qualis) n off we went.It was all goody goody until the first ‘rasta roko’.Half the road was dug.The other half was covered with the dugged material.”Ah,we’ve gotta use the diversion” I murmured.I got no response from behind.Pa was in conversation with the newspaper.Seems to be his daily routine.
     I weaved through the traffic.I’m too comfortable driving the tank.Infact the small cars are scared of getting hurt,so its an advantage.But then some small cars are exceptional.They not only test ur driving skill but also ur patience.I was trying really hard to forgive the indigo ahead.Just then I got a glimpse of the driver.And in a flash it sped away.I thought i saw a woman.I tried to keep up in vain.Then another glimpse of a burning cigarette.” Nah,cant be.I’m day dreaming.” I murmured again.Then,a flash of driving excellence cutting through lanes to overtake a truck.I was dead-sure this wasnt a female!!
       …then  finally a flash of the beauty.Hush… I gotta catch up man..So i put my driving skills in top gear.I was bang next to her in no time.N then when i was about to lose her, it turned red.The traffic signal.For the first time ever,i felt happy coz it turned red! N that gave me a good 90 seconds to have more than a glimpse of her.I wondered why Madhur Bhandarkar didnt turn’Traffic Signal’ into a love story.And yeah,she did give a stare back after all my antics… if you can call one fifth of a second a stare.She must’ve thought,i was the driver.Hell,i was the driver !
      The honking got me back to my senses.Green.Ok… i’m moving.She sped fast.So did my tank.Finally it took another woman to seperate us.The one in the uniform.Women seem to be occupying too much of road space… or was it that i couldnt see anything else.
“Eh,side la ghe.”  Was I supposed to call her mami??
“License daakhav.” I pulled the window on pa’s side down.
 License.
     “What happened?”
     “Dunno.Maybe she wanted to give me an award for driving too well.”
     “We’re closeby.Mind the lanes or there’d be another award waiting.”
     “Yes pa.”
I reached my cousins place after dropping pa and we did go shopping… in a cab.After that dreadful drive,i couldnt take it anymore.I began to wonder what people would be undergoing everyday… driving back n forth from their homes,into the town…especially the men !!!
   The evening drive back home was more comfortable than expected.There wasnt much traffic downtown fortunately.N then all of a sudden,an Indigo swirls by me.
“Nah,no way.I cant be twice lucky.” I murmured , n the chase began.