23rd July 2013... looked like a normal day... woke up at my usual time 8am... the climate was awesome; was raining the whole night and still no sign of the rains taking a break ;)
Things were all normal from Vidya (my wife) making breakfast and we having it together to me checking on the days schedule at work apart from thinking "4 more days to go for the weekend :("
After my start of the day with watching TV and checking my Facebook I got ready for work. But as soon as i stepped down my building, the rains stopped me from getting into my car. Here i give a shout to our watchman for an umbrella. He has one where only one person of my size could fit :D but we don't have any other option. He helped get me my car saving me from the rains and there I'm off to work.
I usually check Google maps on my cell before leaving to ensure the route is clear; if not take the alternate way. Looked like rains had flooded the roads and all roads that led me to work were jammed. I have 2 options for me to office - one using the highway where there are less pot holes and less damage to car; and second using the aarey road with no roads in the pot holes. The second option is where you can test your off-roading skills and torture your car.
Every time i use this road i wish i could have this...
or this...
or this... (not the girl)
But, what i have is this...
Well, I took the first option - though jammed, the roads are better and another day when my car can thank me for not torturing it ;). I know reaching office would take long so checked all my equipment's ensuring boring less travel - tyre pressure, checked; fuel, checked; cell phone on its stand in car mode (that's the function on my phone), checked; radio, checked; one of my favorite audio CD's in the player, checked.
So, the journey started and met with traffic even before i could get out of my area. "No worries, this is going to be the case till office" i told myself and continued with a bit of worried smile on my face :)
In Mumbai everyone driving faster than you is a bastard and slower than you is an idiot. There are many who raced down the road and so do I. It's a must as you don't want to be late for work and lust for your driving pleasure ;). This was the case with one of the drivers that banged my car from behind. "What the FUCK" i shouted; later realising no one heard me. Looked through the rear view mirror and it was a demo car of the same company that of my car. Stopped my car in the middle of the road ensuring the other guy don't run away; stepped out to check if anything was damaged. Luckily nothing happened. Went to the other driver for a shout "bhai, itna ghaai hai tho plane mein ja" i said. He apologized and we both continued the journey.
It usually takes an hour for me to reach office but it's been an hour driving and I haven't even reached half way.
Must have been just few kilometers from the incident that happened, another situation - the engine stopped :'(. "Oh God, now what?", I said to myself. I gave the car a minute and turned the key; it started as if nothing happened. Wow now that's what i call luck :)
Continuing further, i saw many trucks on the flyovers. I hate these guys - the trucks struggle climbing the flyovers and stops the other cars that could have zipped by easily.
The radio was on and at times these RJ's talk nonsense. They give you traffic updates and kept saying "there is very heavy traffic on the highway, aarey colony road, bla bla bla and you should avoid them." They told about every road going from up town to down town had heavy traffic and one should avoid them. "Dude, what are you talking about? How the hell do you think one should travel if they stay up town and have to drive to work in down town?", I was talking to myself.
Almost reached Andheri (where my office is) and still looked like another hour to go with the kind of traffic on road. It seemed everything bad that could happen to one was happening with me today. First it was and accident, then engine stopped and now one of the worst things while its raining along with traffic - i wanted to pee :'(. This was bad; i thought i would control that but with the rains, it was just getting worst. I even switched off the car's air condition to ease down the situation but could only buy few minutes from it.
Finally i gave up and stopped the car aside. There were few cops under the shade of an old building. Most of the cops in Mumbai speak Marathi; the same mother tongue that of mine and gives you a benefit to convince them. I walked to them asking if there was any place where i can... One of them understood my situation and asked me to go aside and empty myself. "God bless him". He must have been in this kind of situation and understood my feeling by looking at my face :)
Aaaaaahhhhhhh!!! what a relief. Or rather, i should say "Water relief" :D
Well then, I continue with a new smile on my face; situation under control, air condition was switched on, switch off the radio and played my favorite audio CD.
But the happiness didn't lasts long. Drove few hundred meters and there it was again - water logging on the road. Car's broken down in middle of the road and people walking with knee height water. With this level of water, it can easily get into my car, so was finding a way where the water level is low. Yes, there was one and just as i thought, everyone else was using or wanted to use that part of the road. I joined them too...
Wanted to use my photography skills so clicked few...
Things were all normal from Vidya (my wife) making breakfast and we having it together to me checking on the days schedule at work apart from thinking "4 more days to go for the weekend :("
After my start of the day with watching TV and checking my Facebook I got ready for work. But as soon as i stepped down my building, the rains stopped me from getting into my car. Here i give a shout to our watchman for an umbrella. He has one where only one person of my size could fit :D but we don't have any other option. He helped get me my car saving me from the rains and there I'm off to work.
I usually check Google maps on my cell before leaving to ensure the route is clear; if not take the alternate way. Looked like rains had flooded the roads and all roads that led me to work were jammed. I have 2 options for me to office - one using the highway where there are less pot holes and less damage to car; and second using the aarey road with no roads in the pot holes. The second option is where you can test your off-roading skills and torture your car.
Every time i use this road i wish i could have this...
Well, I took the first option - though jammed, the roads are better and another day when my car can thank me for not torturing it ;). I know reaching office would take long so checked all my equipment's ensuring boring less travel - tyre pressure, checked; fuel, checked; cell phone on its stand in car mode (that's the function on my phone), checked; radio, checked; one of my favorite audio CD's in the player, checked.
So, the journey started and met with traffic even before i could get out of my area. "No worries, this is going to be the case till office" i told myself and continued with a bit of worried smile on my face :)
In Mumbai everyone driving faster than you is a bastard and slower than you is an idiot. There are many who raced down the road and so do I. It's a must as you don't want to be late for work and lust for your driving pleasure ;). This was the case with one of the drivers that banged my car from behind. "What the FUCK" i shouted; later realising no one heard me. Looked through the rear view mirror and it was a demo car of the same company that of my car. Stopped my car in the middle of the road ensuring the other guy don't run away; stepped out to check if anything was damaged. Luckily nothing happened. Went to the other driver for a shout "bhai, itna ghaai hai tho plane mein ja" i said. He apologized and we both continued the journey.
It usually takes an hour for me to reach office but it's been an hour driving and I haven't even reached half way.
Must have been just few kilometers from the incident that happened, another situation - the engine stopped :'(. "Oh God, now what?", I said to myself. I gave the car a minute and turned the key; it started as if nothing happened. Wow now that's what i call luck :)
Continuing further, i saw many trucks on the flyovers. I hate these guys - the trucks struggle climbing the flyovers and stops the other cars that could have zipped by easily.
The radio was on and at times these RJ's talk nonsense. They give you traffic updates and kept saying "there is very heavy traffic on the highway, aarey colony road, bla bla bla and you should avoid them." They told about every road going from up town to down town had heavy traffic and one should avoid them. "Dude, what are you talking about? How the hell do you think one should travel if they stay up town and have to drive to work in down town?", I was talking to myself.
Almost reached Andheri (where my office is) and still looked like another hour to go with the kind of traffic on road. It seemed everything bad that could happen to one was happening with me today. First it was and accident, then engine stopped and now one of the worst things while its raining along with traffic - i wanted to pee :'(. This was bad; i thought i would control that but with the rains, it was just getting worst. I even switched off the car's air condition to ease down the situation but could only buy few minutes from it.
Finally i gave up and stopped the car aside. There were few cops under the shade of an old building. Most of the cops in Mumbai speak Marathi; the same mother tongue that of mine and gives you a benefit to convince them. I walked to them asking if there was any place where i can... One of them understood my situation and asked me to go aside and empty myself. "God bless him". He must have been in this kind of situation and understood my feeling by looking at my face :)
Aaaaaahhhhhhh!!! what a relief. Or rather, i should say "Water relief" :D
Well then, I continue with a new smile on my face; situation under control, air condition was switched on, switch off the radio and played my favorite audio CD.
But the happiness didn't lasts long. Drove few hundred meters and there it was again - water logging on the road. Car's broken down in middle of the road and people walking with knee height water. With this level of water, it can easily get into my car, so was finding a way where the water level is low. Yes, there was one and just as i thought, everyone else was using or wanted to use that part of the road. I joined them too...
Wanted to use my photography skills so clicked few...
I eventually had the roads memorised so knew where the pot holes and open man holes are. How worst can it be if your car ends up in one of these open man hole? Think of one if you don't have these signs.
After almost 2.5 hours of drive, battling all of this traffic and rains i finally reached office. Everyone who drove to work had almost the same story that of mine except for their car didn't met with an accident, the engine kept running and they didn't had to pee on the way :)
Today almost everyone in Mumbai is struggling with all of this and even worst but its the Mumbai spirit that keep things moving. I will not hope for this not happening to me again in future as it is part of life but will hope for keeping my spirit high no matter what the situation.
Happy Rains!!!
