Rat Chase!!!!!!

(Advisory : This Blog is best read while listening to the song - Johnny B.Goode)

A sunday morning, and a splittling headache. Oh God! I don't even drink and I have such hangovers!! :) And I lay quietly listening to Keane and Pink Floyd. But there is a lay that says that a still body can't stay still for a long time. And thats it, I was called on my our cleaning maid - Sonia. Her name, is a source of constant taunting my cousin, whose girlfriend's name is the same. But this is not her story.

So with bleary eyes I went to see what this was about. She pointed out that a mouse was dead. She was pointing towards something, but I cudnt make out any mouse down there. Sure! I wasnt wearing my glasses. But I bent down to see, and indeed a mouse lay still there. Oh God! Why does this have to happen when I am alone at home. So unwillingly I went to get a broom (Jhadu). And so the plan was to move the mouse into the dustpan, and I throw it out. Ewwww.

As I tapped the still mouse with the broom, she said that it's still alive. But I am sure I didnt see it move. Sure! I wasnt wearing glasses!!! But still I went ahead with my plan, and the mouse zipped to a nearby corner. OK! It's a live mouse! She suggested why dont I pick up the mouse and throw it out. I looked at her as if she was speaking in some other language. Me! Hold a mouse!! I guess she understood what was going inside my head by the look in my face.

And then she tried to do something that I thought even she was incapable to do. She tried to grab the mouse by the tail! Hehehe! That was funny. The mouse just jumped and ran into the bathroom. And she darted into the bathroom to chase it out. I looked on eagerly! Hehe! And there was the mouse! And lo presto, our big dinosaur friend, the lizard, was on the wall near it. Oh-oh! I hoped the lizard wudnt gulp down the mouse. That would be a bad sight to see, early morning. But she shooed away the lizard. And then this crazy rat chase began. From the bathroom to the kitchen, and then even though the doors of the living room was closed, it slipped into the main room. And then, as we tried to search it out with torch and brooms, the mouse had seemingly vanished.

And then I suggested that we give up the hunt. I didnt have my glasses put on, and I was sure I wasnt gonna be able to stop the mouse in a dark corner. And then just as I sat reading the newspaper, the mouse limped out, and was going straight towards the door. He just needed to be pushed along his way out. And yayyyy! He's gone! Thank God for that! Hehehe! Mice are really funny. And when we have see these two mice running around in our home, chasing each other in almost in cartoon fashion, skidding as the turn while running, it always makes me wonder why they are chasing each other. Maybe I will catch one, and divulge this out of him one day. But that's for another day. Phew!

Behind the Wheel!

The time had come to face my nightmares. I had dreaded this for weeks now. And last week when I dreamt about me driving a truck and smashing every possible car in the vicinity, I realised that I had Driving Phobia!

So I decided a week before that I needed to take the car out on my own. Lets go to class!! Well I thought that was an absurd idea too cos if I got stuck there then that would have been humiliating infront of 600 kids. Anyhow, I announced my plans 3 days back to my brother, who had been constantly pestering me to take it out on my own.

D-day arrived. And I was really anxious. Butterflies in the stomach. I asked my brother if he could escort the car, on his motorcycle to the class, which he expectedly refused. The previous night I had dreamt about leaving the keys in the car, adn locking myself out. That would really be amusing (not!).

So I asked him if he could atleast watch me take the car out of the parking, and if I felt nice till then I would go on, or else I would back off. And so we started. Not a good start, I grazed the bumper while taking it out of the packed parking. And then on my own we go. I was sweating.......oh yes I was.

And then we come to that dreaded slope that has to be overcome each time we have to go somewhere. And why does one have a red light on that slope. And why is it always red when I arrive there!! Some really cosmic secrets that cannot be discerned. Waiting waiting waiting...and its green....cars behind me honks....and I press the accelerator hard. Yayyyyyy, I didnt get stuck.....thats one obstacle out of the way.

And next up ITO. The Bus Junction.....another slope....not as steep though. But its a red light!!! I stop...and a motorcycle behind me....and the car is going back...and it nudges him a bit I think.....I glance back.....he is smiling somehow....maybe my kiddish face makes him smile....whatever!

At this time I realised that my whole shirt was drenched in sweat......Nervousness sweat.....And it almost seemed someone had poured water on me. And then I safely arrive at the class location....quite an isolated location this.....I had come half an hour early to avoid parking blushes. Yes! I find the best and easiest spot available. This would be easy to get out of too! And then I park and get out and thats that.

8.30pm....I am getting nervous again...Its almost time to go home. I have never driven at night before....atleast not side by side with BUSES! What have I got myself into? Shud I plead with someone to drive this machine home......

I ask my friend rajat, if I can drop him off till the bus stand....I warn him I am not a good driver....This would ease off my nerves...having someone in the cockpit! And yayyyyy I do really well....I back well and then I turn well....and then I drop him....and then I go steady and handle the buses well....and then we're almost home....

And this is where everything went wrong! I enter the parking area....its unusually crowded at this time....ofcourse it is, I arrived 20 minutes earlies....sir left the class early today!! Whatda... Ok ....lets go slow....and then it was CRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.... I hit something....multiple objects and scraped metal.....Its those autos lined up....diagonally....whatda....

Awwww! there goes my Order of the Merlin first class!!! I was sooo happy till then having made it safely home. And then I wasnt even able to park well. The parking attendant got frustrated with me. "Aapko Back leni nahi aati kya"

I am trying you moron. Ok finally I backed, not before I hit two cars, one from the front and one from the back. And the guy is making them look ok. I get off and assess the damage....at first everything seems fine.....and then!!!!! Oh!

The left fender (as I am informed today what its called), had been badly damaged.....wayda go kiddo! With sighs allround I walk back home.....Only 10 minutes ago I was sooooo happy! But thats life for you! But I think I did ok really.....atleast I didnt kill anyone!

But driving a car as one is a great responsibility...and me being scared is reflected in that. I owe it to other people on the road and ofcourse the car owner (my brother), and maybe to myself as well.....so its not bad to be scared....its actually quite ok to be apprehensive.....