01 April 2006

Happy April Fool's day, y'all.

I went to TC, again. For once, I did not actually enjoy myself here. I went for a friend's birthday thingy, but it was not really fun. There were too many people I didn't know, and too few of them that I found interesting.

I did have a certain amount to drink though, and there were some pretty girls, but that's not what this post is about.

For the record, by 1.oo am, i'd drunk about 4 vodkas, and a beer. Then, the birthday boy decided he wanted to leave. Always a bad idea, cos the best music starts at 1, when the DJ is done with the neo-rock things. I wanted to go home, cos i live down the road from TC, but the Birthday boy didn't let me. ``We have to go to last chance, in Gurgaon, and you're coming.'' So i went. I had So driving in the car with me... 2 minutes into the drive, she wanted to be dropped home, so i dropped her home, then i was driving alone to gurgaon, slightly drunk.

*** This is where the zen part of the story begins ***

I though I would drive badly, but I really wasnt. I was driving really well. I was shifting perfectly, always at the same RPMs, (even though i don't have a tachometre, i knew), I was dropping a gear at just the right moment before every turn. I was hitting the turns exactly at the apex, and powering out really well. At a few points, i could feel the rear wheel drive slide out just that little bit, and then find traction again. I saw the police barricades (you know, to stop speeding drunk drivers) and went past them at the perfect angle, so i didn't have to turn at all.

And i wasn't unsafe, I saw red lights, traffic intersections, breaks in the median, all coming, and slowed down the safe amount for them all.

Halfway through the drive, i realised i was going to blog about this. And i've been thinking about what to say since then.

The stereo was playing, but i wasn't hearing it. I was just driving. I know that just 3 songs played the whole way, the last was a live version of `Black Magic Woman'.

Just as i was about the enter gurgaon, i had one of those moments of clarity. I used to have them all the time as a mountain biker zipping down the side of a rocky hill, but this is the first time I've had one driving. I knew i was driving well. I knew i wasn't high anymore. I knew i should be home. ``What,'' I thought, ``am I doing?'' ``Why am going to a place i know i will not like to meet people i have already not liked? I think I began thinking too much, though, cos my moment of clarity went away, and I thought, sheesh, i'm here, in gurgaon, already.

***Zen part ends here, only to continue later***
Then I went to this place, which is on the top floor of a mall. As soon as I entered (i had to pay, more than my haircut), in my leftover-zen state, the first thing I realised, was that everyone at this place was incredibly ugly. (no offence to all the people there, but you all were, except me) The music was bad. The people were pushy. (no excuse me, smile, hello, just push, leave sweat on other person). I bought a drink for Rs. 300. I didn't drink it. I didn't want to, because I wanted to do the zen drive again. I left the drink, gave my leftover coupons to the birthday boy, and left.

As I walked to the parking lot, i knew i wouldnt drive like that again. I knew that was a once in a lifetime drive. It couldn't, nay - shouldn't- happen again.

***Zen part 2 starts here ***

But I was wrong.

This time, I drove back, doing the same things i did earlier. Except, this time, I did them out of instinct. I didn't have to look for the line at the turn, I just found it. I was constantly at 120 (which is a fair amount for a top-heavy 4X4), but at the corners, i was suddenly at 70. It was perfect. I felt like one with the universe. If i were driving to Jaipur, i'd be enlightened by now.

***Zen part 2 ends here***

Also in today's bulletin.
# I think i will drink less. Its part of my new fitness thing, even though i've never been a big-time drinker.
# A chick at TC asked me, ``If a person who loves bikes is a biker, whats a person who loves cars?'' (in my head, i'm still a biker, by the way)
# I have 2 days off. But my moms coming in for a sudden business trip, so i'm going to have to clean the house, get rid of the alcohol and my flat-mate's condoms.

-4

10 comments:

Mosilager said...

somebody who loves cars would be a car-er? driver? 4x4-er? normal? Anyway, nice blog. I like your brand of humour.

Mosilager

Rohini said...

I last lived in Delhi almost 10 years ago (yes, I am old) so will someone please tell me what this TC place is...

Madame Mahima said...

i dont think ive heard anyone talk like that about driving..(im one to talk..if i can get from point A to point B in an airconditioned vehicle, im one happy trooper)

and dont drink and drive! zen-like state or not..u never know mate..dont risk it!

Sphinx said...

I can't drive. drove once and crashed up my dad's corsa royale. Haven't touched a car since.

twip said...

Drinking and driving...and feeling zen et al....arghhhh....been in the same boat several times...

Did I say that out loud?

*hasty exit*

Anonymous said...

hi...
maybe the one who drives a car is car-e-taker??
And about your zen state driving- care-ful!

Shivangi Misra said...

Flatmates condoms...!!! Sorry but I cant stop feeling amused! ;)

ugly duckling said...

hey rohini...n 4wd can i be impertinent enough to answer queries on ur blog?..well i guess i m gonna b-
so...TC is turquoise cottage,at Adhchini. it's a bar,n for some ppl i know its home/heaven.
USP- very good music and intersting enough crowd.
good deed for the day!! lol

Anonymous said...

unless i have a MPD that i dont know about, you are definitely another person. which is strange, cos i could swear i wrote all those posts myself.

no i am not alleging copyright violations. I dont blog - if i was borrowing a page it pen my thoughts, it would mostly be empty - but if i did, the topics wouldn't be too different from yours.

love 4X4 wheel drives and my motorbikes. love married/attached women and lesbian scenes. yeah, i and half the earth's population, but its worth showing solidarity nonetheless. love my boots, tanned leather, old, fading, shaoed to fir, can be trusted over a furnace.

Picture this: a green 1991 4X4 classic, with chrome riggings, with me on it, in small square shades - perfect!

yeahI know u are not gay, but just picture it.

now the sad part: its my dad's baby. Now (woe is me) i am in delhi, so i can't use it- i make do with a second-hand M-800 - but soon, soon.

Not all my pleasures are family heirlooms - my enfield is my own. yeah baby, picture this, a silver and chrome 1995 bullet,thumping engine, with me...well you get the picture.

loved your blog on haircuts too. never spent so much money on as i do in delhi. its very sad. i have to get two haircuts a month - it takes about a fornight for my hair to grow from very short to short (it grows fast, like those plants in creepers)- so i have no money to buy leather saddlebags for my bike...

by the way, appropos your fitness walk, i think that gait is called the "bucket carrier walk" - its quite well known - cos of the lattismus dorsi (wings for you). its quite gross actually. especially since ppl who walk like that usually wear black strech Tees and veeery tight jeans, whcih well, are just gross (i am not going to get graphic).

Sorry for the long post. keep writing.

4wD said...

TC also has media nights on wednesdays, so its always happy hours if you're from the press. Its a nice place, but i think its made a million times better by the lack of any other place that plays good music and has decent crowd in delhi. Thank you duckling :)

Sphinx ~ Corsa royales NEED to crashed. All of them. We should make a pike of all the corsa royales in the world, and drive a big Mack Truck/ Ashok Leyland into it.. repeatedly, till all their gearboxes mesh into each other.

Deep. Dude, a bull rocks. Keep it for a few years, then buy a car and sell me the bull.