Bumper to bumper

Have you noticed big city cars closely? Almost all of them are scratched or bumped into. When I was new to Delhi, I was amazed to see swanky cars with their ‘wounds’ and used to wonder at the carelessness of the drivers. The bewilderment was resolved when I started driving myself.
Bumper-to-bumper drive is what is the cause of each vehicle’s misery. Bikers too always look for the little gaps in between two stationed cars in traffic jams to zoom past and hence the scratches. The famous parking woes in big cities too lend a bump or two to each car.
Hence, it seems impossible that a new car will remain dent-free once it starts its run on big city roads. Quite strangely, Mercedes and BMWs seldom have scratches on their bodies. Reasons can be many, but I feel people try and drive a few cars away from such cars, for they epitomise power and wealth, and running into them could be ‘memorable’.
But the question is when will we witness a cultural change in how we drive? On roads, even the most polite turns into a bully. On every scratch their vehicles suffer, people halt their cars right in the middle and tantalisingly come close to engaging in a bull fight. Honking is an acquired deficiency that most of us are proud of.
Traffic rules are there but then who follows them? I have seen many times cops flouting driving rules with impunity. I have seen as many as four cops on bike –all without helmets – zoom past me. I would have understood had they been on a mission, but no. They stopped at a chai shop to sip hot tea and gossip.
The need of the hour is not only stricter traffic rules, but also inculcating driving ethics. And about scratches on our cars, well I guess a big red ‘L’ sign – even if you aren’t a learner anymore – might solve some problem, as rash drivers will stay away. Just may be!

Eureka, eureka!

As a child, I used to think Kumbh is a place where people are lost and found. But this conception changed when I decided, much against my parents’ will, to visit the congregation at Haridwar, and meet the mysterious nagas. There were zillions of questions on my mind, the most burning being - why do nagas stay naked?
Since I was travelling with fellow journalists, I felt secure. My quest for knowledge began early morning just before the nagas were to take out a procession before the holy dip. After my first-ever shahi snan, I set out to explore. Soon, I came across an ash-smeared naga with long, braided, unwashed hair. I said, “May I…” Surprisingly, before I could continue, he handed out his visiting card and said, “Come child, come get your questions answered like these souls who have come to meet us from across the seven seas.”
It was still February and I was cold even after the layers of clothing I draped myself into. I hesitated, but asked, “Don’t you feel cold?”
“It’s all in our minds. If you think you are cold, no volcano can make you warm enough. But if you try, Earth has a solution to everything,” he said, while setting alight a bunch of dry wood for me. I found that the nagas were much more attached with Earth than we could ever imagine. Their food, energy and even clothes – all that is needed to lead life is provided for by Earth.
While he was speaking, I mustered enough courage to ask ‘THE’ question.
“It’s our way to show people that if you can keep your desires under control nothing in the world is impossible,” he said. But even while they claimed to be naked, I found a certain nagas peculiarly stylish in the way they smear their bodies with ash. Stripes, polkas, and other designs – I found that the nagas definitely knew how to strike a balance between staying green and stylish. I picked up my camera and he posed for me with a burning chillam.