Who was the least prepared???
Prelude:
Yours truly just landed at the Chennai Airport for a training at the Chennai BPCL Southern Regional office. He is supposed to stay at the transit flat in a place so called Anna Nagar in the BPCL SR Office compound.
Chennai city in yellow hue and water droplets on the rear window of the Ambassador were a real treat for the eyes. Chennai treated me with a drizzle which in no time “graduated” to a cloudburst in a matter of minutes.
Traffic was bare and the watch chimed 10.30 pm. The typical Black & Yellow Amby was cruising.
Yours truly just landed at the Chennai Airport for a training at the Chennai BPCL Southern Regional office. He is supposed to stay at the transit flat in a place so called Anna Nagar in the BPCL SR Office compound.
Chennai city in yellow hue and water droplets on the rear window of the Ambassador were a real treat for the eyes. Chennai treated me with a drizzle which in no time “graduated” to a cloudburst in a matter of minutes.
Traffic was bare and the watch chimed 10.30 pm. The typical Black & Yellow Amby was cruising.
Drains and roads merged up.
Some people were running, some walking merrily enjoying the showers and lots and lots of bikers and some even with lady pillions were riding on without a raincoat or any protective gears against the unexpected rain.
See yours’ truly lonely sitting snugly at the huge rear seat of the Amby with the summer of 69 on the headset. Lovely.
A thought struck me. Are these people on the road “ CRAZZYYYYYY”. Can’t they at least wait or can’t they prepare for the rains in advance???
Can’t they carry an umbrella?
Can’t they wait for the rain to stop? Huh.
11 pm and the Taxi reached Annanagar….
Driver: Where do you want to go?
Yours truly: Its 11 th street.
After a few minutes
Driver: Saar where???
YT: Watch for the BPCL board. But I am sure we have to turn right.
I said with an air
confidence.
. Okey….
Few minutes ticked by….
Driver: 11 th street….
Surprise surprise! No BPCL board. Am I losing the clench? Rain was ongoing like mad with full zest and vigor.
YT: Err anyway turn right.
Where the hell is the office? A sign stood there on the road and felt like clamouring at me : “ muhaahaa YOU ARE LOST!!!” The sign board said 12 th Street.
OMG… what’s happening did I slip out somewhere”
YT to a passer on the road: Annaaa intha BPCL office enge irukku (Where is the BPCL office?)
Annan: Petrol Pumpaaaa… Go straight… Its there only.
Oh divinity I am trapped… It was raining; the driver was showing dangerous symptoms of restlessness and was on verge of explosion.
My grey cells fused. Streak of defenselessness and loads of inexplicable emotions trickled down like the rain droplets on the window.
What the hell should I do? Should I get down from the taxi? I had to take a call… Time was ticking down. It was raining cats and dog outside. What if the merciless driver shoves me off onto the near ditch?
What happened to my guardian angel?
Taxi stopped………………………………………………..
Pin drop silence inside the taxi mixed with the sound of the rains was piercing my ears.
Driver was looking with an expression hard to define in lexis.
I still can’t fathom the stimulus that made take that “plucky” decision.
YT: Okey leave me here.
D: I need Rs 50 extra.( Yes he deserved it)
Took the wallet. The rudest of surprise was lurking inside the wallet. A crispy 1000 Rupees Note. Oh F****. As if all other notes in various colors and sizes just vanished away!!
YT: err…Annaa do you have change for 1000 Rs.
Was lucky to come out of the taxi in one piece…
See yours’ truly standing with a huge back pack and laptop bag on the road like a tired soldier… Oops forgot to tell you it was still raining.
It was just a matter of seconds for me to get fully soaked up. Was praying real hard that the HP laptop bags are water resistant.
Walk man walk. No other go. Walked back to the main road. I was real fortunate to find a hotel.
Was feeling really hungry. But I didn’t realize some one was busy turning my wheel of fortune in the opposite direction. “Sorry we are closing” was the answer.
Blame me. Blame me the real dumbo to refuse the dinner offered by the beautiful Airhostess at the Jet Airways. Suffer bloke.
But the burly looking restaurant owner was kind enough to tell me the way to the BPCL office compound.
What went wrong?
I should have turned right. Huh…
Luckily it was just drizzling then.
Alas here I am finally In front of the gleaming BPCL board.
YT: I am from Kerala, Officer from Cochin lubes.
Sec: In utter surprise. Looking me head to toe. OFFICER???
God this is too much. I was losing the temper at an alarming rate. Hold on Hold on. Was finding to control the emotions and composure at that monent.
What if this “Guardian” of the colony don’t allow me in.
Hmm, took out my id out and pressed it into his palms.
Guess the hefty black man was satisfied.
Security took me into the transit flat.
Alas… I am here. Yes I did it.
Finally settled down. Took a nice warm shower.
Was just unpacking the bags. Hand stuck on a doodad at the bottom.
What was that? Period… A cherry red umbrella!!!!
The question still remains. Who was the least prepared??????
Few minutes ticked by….
Driver: 11 th street….
Surprise surprise! No BPCL board. Am I losing the clench? Rain was ongoing like mad with full zest and vigor.
YT: Err anyway turn right.
Where the hell is the office? A sign stood there on the road and felt like clamouring at me : “ muhaahaa YOU ARE LOST!!!” The sign board said 12 th Street.
OMG… what’s happening did I slip out somewhere”
YT to a passer on the road: Annaaa intha BPCL office enge irukku (Where is the BPCL office?)
Annan: Petrol Pumpaaaa… Go straight… Its there only.
Oh divinity I am trapped… It was raining; the driver was showing dangerous symptoms of restlessness and was on verge of explosion.
My grey cells fused. Streak of defenselessness and loads of inexplicable emotions trickled down like the rain droplets on the window.
What the hell should I do? Should I get down from the taxi? I had to take a call… Time was ticking down. It was raining cats and dog outside. What if the merciless driver shoves me off onto the near ditch?
What happened to my guardian angel?
Taxi stopped………………………………………………..
Pin drop silence inside the taxi mixed with the sound of the rains was piercing my ears.
Driver was looking with an expression hard to define in lexis.
I still can’t fathom the stimulus that made take that “plucky” decision.
YT: Okey leave me here.
D: I need Rs 50 extra.( Yes he deserved it)
Took the wallet. The rudest of surprise was lurking inside the wallet. A crispy 1000 Rupees Note. Oh F****. As if all other notes in various colors and sizes just vanished away!!
YT: err…Annaa do you have change for 1000 Rs.
Was lucky to come out of the taxi in one piece…
See yours’ truly standing with a huge back pack and laptop bag on the road like a tired soldier… Oops forgot to tell you it was still raining.
It was just a matter of seconds for me to get fully soaked up. Was praying real hard that the HP laptop bags are water resistant.
Walk man walk. No other go. Walked back to the main road. I was real fortunate to find a hotel.
Was feeling really hungry. But I didn’t realize some one was busy turning my wheel of fortune in the opposite direction. “Sorry we are closing” was the answer.
Blame me. Blame me the real dumbo to refuse the dinner offered by the beautiful Airhostess at the Jet Airways. Suffer bloke.
But the burly looking restaurant owner was kind enough to tell me the way to the BPCL office compound.
What went wrong?
I should have turned right. Huh…
Luckily it was just drizzling then.
Alas here I am finally In front of the gleaming BPCL board.
YT: I am from Kerala, Officer from Cochin lubes.
Sec: In utter surprise. Looking me head to toe. OFFICER???
God this is too much. I was losing the temper at an alarming rate. Hold on Hold on. Was finding to control the emotions and composure at that monent.
What if this “Guardian” of the colony don’t allow me in.
Hmm, took out my id out and pressed it into his palms.
Guess the hefty black man was satisfied.
Security took me into the transit flat.
Alas… I am here. Yes I did it.
Finally settled down. Took a nice warm shower.
Was just unpacking the bags. Hand stuck on a doodad at the bottom.
What was that? Period… A cherry red umbrella!!!!
The question still remains. Who was the least prepared??????
