Monday, October 13, 2008

Straight From The Saucer- 'Golden' Morning for the Sometimes Chauffeur

Yesterday evening, my brother, the hot-shot corporate honcho, informed he was requisitioning me for chauffeur duties early Monday morning. I couldn’t refuse because a) he is my elder brother and b) he drives a Honda City. I am terribly glad he works for the sort of company that can afford to give its Directors the latest Honda City cars. Not many people drive to Irani restaurants in a Honda City, but today morning I was one such customer. After dropping my brother near Keyes School I decided to have an Irani chai at Blue Sea.

At half past six after I parked the car I eagerly bounded out and walked to a newspaper vendor to pick up the day’s papers to read leisurely while sipping the Irani chai. I ordered the ‘Golden’ version, which is sort of milky tea and settled down. No sooner than the tea was placed before me I began to have anxious thoughts wondering whether I had remembered to put the parking brake on or not. Between nervous sips of the tea and hurried glances at the headlines I also looked out of the hotel to see if a driverless blue Honda City rolls past the hotel.

The road from Mother Teresa statue inclines downwards towards the Oliphant Bridge. Blue Sea is on this road where I parked the car to a side. Happily though, nothing of that sort happened. The car was exactly where I had parked it. Back inside the car I noticed that not only had I put on the parking brake, I had also put the car in gear before switching off the engine. If I could, I’d have put a rock or brick under the tyres but I couldn’t find any. But that would have been going too far even for a Hyderabadi. But then, it isn’t my car.

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