It has been a while since I had wrote something, updated my blog, penned my thoughts. To be honest, nothing spectacular happened for me to muse, but for tonight.
The intervening night of 2nd and 3rd January 2011 should remain etched in my mind – as I met god again!
Let’s see – the original plan I had for the evening went haywire, so after a long day of continuous new year wishing (continued from 1st), I decided to take time off for myself. What better way than to drive!
So at around 23:30 Hrs, post a good dinner, I was all set for a fuel burning trail (which I had till then not decided to where). It would be a Monday morning next day, so I had to come back in five hours, but that was a drive good enough for me to rejuvenate.
As I entered the Airport Road, the fuel meter was dangerously drooping. The only Fuel Station that would be open at that time was the BP next to Leela’s where I was headed to. The Fuel Meter was warning me for the last few days – procrastination got better than me even here. As I neared the Foot Over Bridge near Kodihalli bus stop, my truck (as my Tata Safari DICOR 3.0 is usually referred to) switched off – the obvious reason was fuel. It was strange though. As per the meter, I still had a bit of life which would have been enough to reach the fuel station just half a kilometer away. Well, one of the things that a seasoned driver does not do is panic. After all, I thought I was one. So, capitalizing on the existing movement, I pulled over a bit, only to find myself bumping into parked auto rickshaws. Got off the car to be greeted by “Kya hua? Diesel?” and I replied in the affirmative.
The road was sparsely populated now – the last few shops to be open had dimmed their lights and the restaurant next to which I had stopped had downed its shutters. An Auto driver came to me and suggested that I pull over further as I was occupying almost half of the road (now that’s a truck, ~ 2M width). Agreed, but who will move it? Lo and behold, he summoned a few guys who pushed the > 2000 KG into a safe zone. Now the next task was to get fuel. After some innovative ideas to blow in air thru some pump under the bonnet did not take off, I decided to head towards the fuel station. With no can/bottles, I was still handicapped.
This is when (let us call our protagonist Reham, after the restaurant before which I stopped) he stepped in. Reham first gave me a couple of Pepsi Bottles. Looking at my reluctance, he went into the hotel’s generator room and got me a water can sans a lid. A lot more happier, reassuring that I would be right back, I started off. A passing by Auto with some passengers already in it asked me to hop in. That saved me a 500 M walk. Got the Diesel in a jiffy, grabbed a polythene lying around and wrapped it for a lid. Now it was not a very pleasant site to walk in front of Leela’s with a can of Diesel – but then, big deal!
So here I was, back huffing and puffing along with the Diesel. Reham was standing right there as if awaiting my arrival. He asked me if I could pour it directly in without a funnel. Inexperienced there, but not ready to take risk with the precious fuel, I answered in the negative. Reham ran in and bought out another Indian innovation – a 2 Liter Pepsi Bottle neatly cut in half. For those of you who can visualize it, the top part of this will very much resemble a funnel. Reham and I lifted the Can, poured the Diesel in. The Engine cranking was just eventual! There was some way I had to repay the assistance of Reham and his friends who helped me at an unearthly hour – the only way I could think of is monetary.
I dutifully got down and handed him an amount that I thought was significant – probably would have been a week’s pay for him. Reham refused to take it. Hypothetically speaking, if someone were to offer me my week’s pay for a few minutes of work, I would probably think for sure. All that he said was, “Dua Karna” (Pray for me). Reham did not look educated, nor did his friends who were standing next to him and smiling. But wherever he got those principles from, I would for sure like to get some morals from there.
I was about to go on a fuel guzzling trip – god in his own ingenious way made me work a bit for a drop of fuel. He reiterated that money cannot buy everything, and in the form of Reham – his kindness for sure.
