Behind the wheel…again!

I took full advantage of the fact that it is festival week and told my driver, well meaning though he may be, to take a holiday. So for two days, two whole gloriously independent days, I will be driving myself to work. Which means that I do not have to sit through the man’s sighs and his wiggles in his seat, and his furtive glances at the clock and his glowers at other drivers who may have violated his personal code of driving conduct or even his be-thou-ever-so-’umble mien with me, especially after I have told him to watch how he navigates through the every-increasing and temperamental traffic. I do not have to sit through an hour-long journey feeling like I could have driven it better. And I do not have to, at the end of it, feel terribly guilty at having kept the man longer than the hours that he has become used to with me.

So today, after many warnings from my fond parent and a tiny twinge of trepidation (after all, I had never driven this stretch alone and had not driven anything for too long), I set out. First off, a stop at the gas station to tank up the little chariot. While there, I beamed happily at the attendants, who all lined up to wish me Happy Diwali and clean various parts of my car without expecting more than another smile in return (they said so when I offered), and watched the metre ticking upwards as the boosted petrol filled in. Sitting under the cash counter was a small black and white striped cat, dozing in a little catly bundle in the warmth and fume-laden air. We exchanged a couple of polite comments and I tickled the kitten’s ears and it looked up sleepily and purred gently.

I coasted out of the place and on to the main road, dodging a large, dirty and very battered bus. It growled its horn at me and I hooted derisively back, knowing that I was well out of range. There was little traffic, and most of it was going slowly enough for me to zip past – well within speed and safety limits, Papa! – and make it to work at my usual time, even though I had left half an hour later and did a pit stop for the car en route. Now I wait for a good stopping point so that I can leave the office and head homewards. Perhaps there will be more people driving along on the way there; maybe the journey will take longer; maybe I will be tired enough to sleep the sleep of the clear conscience when I finally get to bed tonight. And maybe, just maybe, I will enjoy the freedom of another day by myself on the road again tomorrow with the same lightness and joy that I felt today.