I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship. - Louisa May Alcott.
Post - heavy lunch, sipping on a hot cup of tea, I was standing at the door of my house astonishingly glaring at that windstorm speeding away which is so uncommon in this part of the world. Minutes later, skies roared, letting go of humongous amount of rainfall accompanied by hailstones in sizes upto a ping pong ball.. The sight of the storm trio - Wind, rain and hailstones - was worth a view. I had just started enjoying this form of the weather, when there was a loud beep. Standing with the now empty tea cup, inside the cosy warm veranda of the house, I glanced across the portico blinded by the stormin rain and in a blurred vision I realised that the beep was from my cab waiting to pick me up and drop me to office. A quick glance at my watch, it was 4:05 pm. I put on my shoes and jacket and dashed my way to the cab. I got in, but drenched, drenched in just a few seconds.
"Lets wait for the weather to calm down"
"No" said the cab driver, "We will be late"
"The city is flooded, roads will be blocked and trees will be uprooted. Its better we wait for some time", I insisted.
Turning a deaf ear, he started the cab, and less than a mile, we were witnessing the havoc. The main road was flooded with knee deep water. Vehicles hesitating to drive through, we turned around and took another way, a few miles and the sights of trees uprooted, branches fallen on the roads, was quite expected. We were somewhere in Fraser town, all roads were inaccessible. Thirty minutes of driving around we finally found a way out, a small gulli leading to the other end of the flooded roads, though it was difficult driving through the narrow, congested lane we were releived that atleast we got through one part of the blocked city but that was shortlived too. We reached near Ulsoor Lake at the junction just before NAGA cinema and to our dismay the traffic snarls and road blocks were more atrocious than before.
We had just travelled about 4 miles from home, and the clock read 5:00 pm. One hour and only 4 miles done, this was the start of exhaustion. The driver now a little experienced, opted not to get packed in the traffic jam, and drove straight to the road adjacent of the lake which leads to RBANMS college, assuming it would be clear of traffic. Yes it was indeed, but just a small stretch as the vehicles before us were returning back, and one of the passengers in them was courteous enough to inform us that a huge tree has been completely uprooted blocking the road. Ardously, my driver, turned the cab and was just about to move, when a crackin noise alarmed all of us. This time it was a huge branch that fell across, trapping us in between. A tree behind, a branch in front, the lake on the right, and buildings to the left, we surely were sandwiched.
No worries, this is a city of lanes. There was a lone lane, between those buildings which opened its arms like a saviour.With no choice left, we drove into it, along the curvy lane and protruding houses, we finally came to the main road.At this moment, I couldnt help but laugh. We were back at the same junction before NAGA cinema with the traffic jam now even larger and still growing.Though the rain had stopped, and weather calmed down, it left the city in complete chaos with the havoc it created. Now we had no choce but to move at snail speed in the jam. I turned up the stereo volume, expecting some soothing music to the rescue.
"Enjoy the beautiful Bangalore weather !", echoed Darius, the RJ. Yea right !
"Its exactly 5:45, this is radio city time check and you are listening to Darius" .
Woah ! Its been almost a couple of hours and just 4 miles !!! It was frustrating and I had a serious thought to walk up the rest of the way, when the driver gave a helpless look at me.
"Well, I thought we wouldn't be late" I thought sarcastically at the back of my mind while returning his look.
"We should've waited for some time, atleast we wouldnt have spent time stuck in traffic.", he told me with a 'I shouldve listened to you' kinda tone.
I lit a smoke up, and relaxed as we inched through the jam-packed city, enjoying the svelte, gratifying music. At this moment I had indeed started enjoying the weather. We moved on slowly, passing through the hub of Bangalore city, namely the brigades and MGs. This was one of the rare occasions were brigade road was very less crowded of pedestrians and window shoppers. How i wished it would be the same on all weekends. Just recovering from previous traffic jams, we bump into another near shoolay circle, and another on richmond road. Overheard that a heavy branch had fallen on a transformer nearby, damaging it and blacking out the area.
We had just had enough when a kinda bumping noise from behind prompted the driver to stop the cab, put on the handbrake, and get out. Seconds later, a verbally abusive argument was on between the autorickshaw driver and my cab driver, causing another jam and more of noisy, ear-aching beeps of vehicles behind. For once our cab was the cause of another jam. Once being satisfied at throwing verbal insults, the cab driver moved on, still cribbing.
It was 7 p.m, we still had 5 miles to go and many more blocks. At this point the city seemed a complete choc-a-block. We reached KH road, to greet the next jam, when one of the pedestrians informed us that a car was crushed under a tree, injuring a lady, prompting the cops to divert all traffic away. We crawled through the diversion and took a whole circle of Lalbagh gardens, till we finally neared Jayanagar. A couple more miles, and a burning pungent smell attracting our noses emerged, it stayed with us fo a long while, confirming that it was from our cab. Tried our best to find out the source of it, but in vain.
"It could be the tyres", I said to the driver.
"Maybe some rubber is burning in the heated engine", he replied.
"Could be", I shuddered. We moved on and atlast reached office at JP nagar, with the fallen branches and flooded roads sight still before our eyes around the office building. I got out, and stretched my tired body and bones, which were in a similiar position for four and a half hours. Yes, it was half past eight in the night. A journey that usually takes 45 minutes, took four and half hours. Phew !
Most of you may have experienced the same sort of situation today, but somehow I felt I got to blog this as I have never been in a vehicle continously for four hours without getting out to even stretch my legs even on a long journey out of city, and this was within city limits in the middle of the chaotic, insensible traffic of loving Bangalore.
Its nearing dawn of next day and I need to get back in the cab in a few minutes as i close work for the day, though I did work an extra four hours to make up for the loss, im happy it gave time for me to blog my experience in between work. (Well yes, I do this between work and if u need to know how, then that would need another post, and Im tired )
Goodnight !
I say no to drugs, but they just don't listen !
