Journey to the end... Destinations are few...

I have started taking driving classes, I chose Hyundai – Santro as the car I wanted to learn driving with. Till date I have taken some 5-6 each half an hour driving classes and I already feel like I can drive a truck, at max 10km/hr speed though

We took NH 37 today morning for one of our client visit. We were mesmerized with the green paddy fields, green mountains surrounded by all green tress. It seems the barks of the trees are so shy that they have also turned green due to constant social burden. Yeah absolutely baptized, that’s what they are doing. The whole state of Meghalaya celebrates Christmas more than any other festival. It is such a wonderful part of India. Assam the Green Land with The Giant Brahmaputra, Arunachal the Himalayan foothills and Meghalaya the mix of both. That is what I have been able to witness till now and I am engrossed in the mystery of its history. There is so much more to it than what it seems on face… so much more!

Well! I am diverting from the actual topic and adrenalin rush that I wanted to share!

So, I couldn’t resist but ask Jisku (The cab driver) that I wanted to drive. Yeah I know Highway, only 5-6 driving classes that too Santro, this was Tata Sumo. I tried resisting me, but I have done that through out my life… So many times I have felt to break out… and this was one of those moments… It was just for driving anyways. Jisku showed a lot of confidence in me more than I was feeling inside for me. As I got up on the Power Seat, I felt tall, I could control, only a couple of minutes and I was hitting 60km/hr. I did look at the speedometer and felt proud of myself. It has been my dream – long drive to countryside, with my life beside me, romantic music. As far as I could see it was all green. Jisku had an assorted song compilation of AR Rehman’s composition in a CD. This time it was playing – “Radha Kaise na Jale” from “Lagaan”

As the road started becoming more and more curvy, slanting, I managed really well to keep the speed and swing with it until we exited Assam border and approached Meghalaya border. The security forces had barricaded the road with empty coal tar drums made of tins. While I tried to maintain discipline of the Zig-Zag and was half way between the barricade after swinging left and right as if I was on one of those video game’s power seats, a goat that was resting behind one of those drums, came out to appreciate my driving skills. It was so confidently applauding my full throttle swinging Sumo that it felt I would fly above it, while it will keep appreciating. The confidence in it motivated me to such extreme that I couldn’t pull my leg of the accelerator. As the car felt left alone, not appreciated of its power steering, broad muscular presence; reality stroked both of us (Me and the Goat), me in dismay, it in SHOCK, as the ears of the car kissed the goat. I came down from the pedestal of being M. Schumacher and the Goat suddenly proved my worst enemy. I was terribly shocked that I have killed a GOAT, who kills a goat?

A poor goat, I started cursing myself, why was I so childish to break out, I wish I haven’t broken its bones. I stopped my car went down to meet the goat in person, as the village people started gathering. I felt I am going to be hanged for taking life! The people are pretty serious in this part of the India. It reminded me of the museum, I visited in Shillong. They have displayed statues and pictures of the tribal people of North East. Their statues made in clay, I remember seeing only one or maximum two tribes without a weapon and a pose of killing someone. I could literally feel all the stories of our guide, in the museum, was going to come true today or otherwise there remains only way of survival, the way as explained by Brijesh (the other driver).

Two weeks back we went to Tejpur – North Assam, where brave Brijesh saved a chicken, it was trying to commit suicide by running under our car. Yeah they cross roads when they want to and they don’t like Zebras and so they don’t cross over them. It pretty much seemed like a plot by the local villagers, who keep their live stock tied on the main roads or leave them to roam freely. They train them to find nice car tyres and once they do, they all flock the killer in the car and demand like 3 times the price of the chicken. The idea of asking 3 times the original price. Well!! As it was not a cock it was a chicken, she would have given birth to another chicken that would have again given birth to another chicken and now they have lost all of them. Their logic is simple. Who would not agree to that?

I felt I will have to convince these people and all I know is English, Hindi or Bengali which is like half Assamese. They speak Garo, interacting with them would be like I asking in English for six inches Italian bread, baked, with mozzarella cheese, lettuce, olives, pineapple, cucumber, tomatoes, chillies, mayonnaise and a little bit of ketchup sprinkled with salt and pepper, to a girl serving at a sandwich place in Israel country side. The only option which looked like I had in my hands was to ask them how much? Just tell me how much? I didn’t even want to check if it was he or she. Just tell me how much.

As I walked towards the goat, I could hear it cry as I had destroyed the trust in it. I do not know if it was a miracle or it actually could forgive me. It got up and started walking. More than anything else I was thankful to it. I wanted to hug it but the place was crowded. Jisku suggested we should leave. I happily gave him the hot seat and came back to my original seat.

As we started cruising again, Jisku told us “Sir, if there is a cow crossing the road or strolling on the road one should pass from its behind at cows doesn’t turn back they walk past straight and crosses the road and if there is any goat they have a tendency of turning back and going to the original position so we should pass from its front and if there is a Sardar on the road we should just STOP”

This drive also ended with a lesson and more so ever with a question that why can’t our government starts to fence the highways. There are so many animals dying everyday on these roads all over India. Every one of us keeps seeing such accidents and crushed bodies of animals, who also deserve a life!!!