Yesterday, A Fateful Weekend

      Still can't get it off my mind. How could it happen? Why did it happen? I still can't believe that it happened with me. I still lay sulking over that incident. It gives me the chills when I think about. That what happened yesterday. Another stepping stone or maybe a limiter.

       Yesterday was such a day, that shall not be forgotten in time or rather it shouldn't be forgotten. It was a lesson to me which exposed my flaws and weaknesses. It should that I still have ways to go before I become a good driver. The over booming confidence within me was reduced to ashes in a few seconds. I was turned to a mere child on seeing the damage that was left on the car.

 April 28 :
               It was evening, I was sitting there playing FIFA '12 on my PC. Dad was ironing clothes, and then he told, take an extra pair of clothes today. I was like, " What???", asked him "Why should I?". He told, "Then we can go directly in the morning after you work is over". Oh it was that, he thought I had to go to work that night, but then it was a fourth Saturday, which is an off day. I told, "No work today". Then it was decided, we will go that night after 12am.

          We were going to a temple far up north in the state. I never get a proper leave or time off from office cause its night shift and also have to work on first and third Saturdays as well. But fortunately it was a fourth Saturday and I was free that night. So the plan was to go at night, reach there in the morning, pray and come back by evening.

April 29 :
          It was 12 am , Dad told me to get ready, even at that time I was playing Fifa. I got ready in some time, took the stuff I needed, the phones and the iPod and a spare set of clothes. While taking the clothes, Dad saw something in the cupboard and asked me what it was. I have been seeing that thing in the cupboard for months but still had no clue what it was. It had the shape of a gold biscuit and it was gold colored as well, so never bothered to find out what exactly it was. But then he kept asking curiously, so I took it up and checked, there was a black pushable part, and nothing happened when I pushed it thou. It had a lens like aperture on one side and nearby it was written peel off the sticker. I pulled it a bit and still nothing. Then I pushed the button again, the trigger worked this time, it was perfume indeed as dad suspected,but I sprayed it into my eyes and a little bit into my mouth aswell. Then started the burning sensation, I washed eyes for then and lips started burning, perfumes sure taste bitter. That incident sure led me to think something bad was coming for me that day. The way the new day began was pretty bad to expect anything good of it.
               It was 1 am when we started. I said I'll drive. The empty roads sure lured me to drive and it was fun. Kept the little buggy cruising at 80 - 100 kmph on the clean and good empty roads. It was full of curves and turns though. I flew over a few bumps aswell in the process. I wasn't pretty sure of the road anyway so at one point, I went straight and I saw a 90 degree turn board, and I jammed the brakes to end up in the middle of the road with only option to turn left or right. I had pretty much enough of driving then. The next turn was also freaky and confusing and after that I switched places with the driver thinking I'll sleep then on the back seat. It wasn't quite a sleep, he kept throwing me back and forth with his driving, that I barely slept.

           Woke up when we reached there, or rather I rose up when dad called, I was semi conscious thou. It was 5 am. Got a room in a lodge, took one with a bathroom. What an untidy room, the bed was so stained that you wouldn't even feel like sitting down on it. Had a quick bath and went to temple. There was a long queue of devotees waiting to enter the main temple. Waited and waited and finally got in, prayed well and went back.

          Dad and driver had some breakfast, I skipped as there was nothing to my liking there. Had a glass of coffee. Since I never drink anything hot, cooled down the coffee and slowly sipped it in. It was a good coffee after all. Then went back to car. Dad asked me if I were driving, I felt pretty strained on my eyes , and the lack of sleep and the perfume were showing its effects, I told no thinking I'll try to sleep. And Dad drove for a bit, and even he felt sleepy, asked me if I want to drive? I was pretty unsure but then thought I'll drive. It was not a good decision after all.

       I was driving pretty much like how I was driving at night. A bit too fast even for me. And to avoid the rolling I barely missed hitting a tempo as I was in the centre of the road taking in the curve. But luck soon ran out for me. I was following a Bolero and thought I will not overtake it, and will keep following it. Unfortunately in a small town it overtook an auto and went, I was following it and while I was overtaking I saw an Ace come up from the other side. But there was enough space for me to go through, so I din't care and kept going ahead. But suddenly the auto turned right, I couldn't do a thing. The rear view mirror hit the auto and folded in. I thought I'll not stop there thinking its only the mirror and went ahead. But dad told me to stop further ahead and I did, the left side was pretty much gone. I had enough of driving then. I felt too bad to continue driving then. Still din't know how. Maybe I missed the auto slowing down. Maybe I was not focusing much to see it slowing down in the centre of the road. I never expected it to turn seeing the vehicle coming from the opposite direction. But maybe it was my fault for not anticipating this from a typical auto driver in my state. All of the turn without looking left or right.

      Now I'm condemned with this accident which i could've avoided if I were a bit more careful. And Dad told, its cause I don't drive regularly , "When you drive after a long time, you tend to drive faster". Guess he is right on that, I wasn't driving slow at all, and that too on unknown roads. How stupid of me. And I should have seen the auto slowing and stopped behind it. Thats what he felt. But actually I never saw the auto slowing or my senses never grasped it. Nevertheless  it was my mistake and dad has to pay for it by fixing up the car. And that leaves me with no way to go to work than by bus, which is so unpredictable and tiring.

      Well in the end , another day , another experience. Though left in a sulky mood, I have to get over it soon and start driving on a regular basis to be a better driver. Thank God that none got hurt and it was just a minor hit and run type of accident. So yesterday was left a fateful weekend indeed.