WAY V LIVE
BLUE PURPOSE
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Why a man works 16 hours a day, each day – what would he get by making
his country a strong nuclear power?
Why a woman chooses to work in slums all her life – what would she get
by bringing smile to millions?
Why a man donates each and every rupee he earned in his life – what
would he get by feeding the hungry?
Why a man works hard irrespective day and night for 20 years – what
would he get by building the richest business empire in the country, or perhaps
world?
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Finally, all the fog from the
World evaporated. The highway was shining jet black in 8 am sun. Tender grass
flowers gleamed merrily in warm south-west winds. Clear skies expanded across
horizons anticipating to be filled with something. Green fields, heavy with
harvest, appeared as getting their heads close and down gossiping and giggling
within themselves. Ignoring bright sun, gleaming flowers, clear skies, and shy
green fields the white Honda city was accelerating every second fueled by some
unknown high-energy combustible.
“How about a small tea break?”
Suresh announced turned towards back seats. Vinod nodded his head and said “am
in.” Gowri was still her thoughts about the corruption and could not decide “Am
not sure, not feeling like actually – but if you guys want, I don’t mind.”
Well, let’s have tea then” Suresh turned forward and as though remembered
suddenly turned back and “Vinod, I beg you, please do not look in to the eyes
of these chai people too.” There were
giggles in the car. Akhila interrupted without taking her eyes off road and
foot off the gas, “sorry boys, your chai
has to wait!!
The giggles suddenly ended and a
moment of silence popped up. Akhila said again, this time acknowledging the
silence, “Sorry boys, your chai has
to wait!!” The assertiveness in her voice ensured any question the rest three
had in their minds, if at all they had, had not even originated. All three of
them looked at Akhila and in a few minutes the situation, which seemed random
initially, become crystal clear once all the check points – toll booth, blue
car, long queue, and son-of-bitch were sequentially connected.
“Nah that’s all right” Suresh
managed few words as a sense of excitement started to build up inside the car.
“Do you remember the car number?” Gowri pitched as though sharing the same
amount of intensity since beginning. Akhila responded immediately “No, I don’t.
But I remember that idiots face very well – his mocking monkey face #@##$@#”
the last few words got dissolved in the intensity. Gowri nodded her head
agreeing to every letter of the dissolved words. “He could not have gone much
far” Suresh said thoughtfully, and then mumbled within himself, ‘what was he
driving?’
Vinod felt excitement too, but
was a little cautious expressing it. He was definitely with the group’s common
objective of overtaking the blue car, but was it just that? He was not entirely
sure.
Suresh Yelled with enthusiasm –
“Guys, its BMW.” Vinod yelled back
“which series?” The tone in either voice very close to kinder garden children
singing rhymes in chorus. Suresh turned back and looked at Vinod feeling guilty
– there was silence between them for a couple of minutes –a silent mourning for
a grave mistake “how could a BMWs model be missed?’
Watching these two Gowri shook
her head irritatingly ‘boys – hopeless creatures’ and then a doubt popped up in
her head and she put it out in open air loudly, “Is that a bigger and powerful
car than ours?” Before either of boys
could open their mouth, Akhila snapped in “Does that matter Gowri? It’s never
with the horse; it’s always with its rider.” The intensity in Akhila’s voice
convinced Gowri.
Vinod and Suresh denied Akhila’s
statement out rightly but did not dare to say it out. But both within
themselves thought that it’s better to focus on purpose than to get in to an
argument they can’t win. “He would not have gone far” Vinod brought out some
positivity, and then added thoughtfully, “but we have to have little more
speed.” Akhila stepped on gas a little further in agreement.
Akhila was managing high speed
with some professional smoothness. Though the car was zig zagging on the road
between trucks and squeezing between all kinds of vehicles to make way and race
ahead, there were never sudden brakes or random jerks. She kept her focus and
calculated her way well. The other three kept their eyes on road eagerly
searching. Every time a blue vehicle was seen excitement levels went up, only
to fall down when it was the right blue.
Twenty five minutes passed by in high speed
and high spirits and still there was no trace of blue car. Akhila started
feeling the strain of intense concentration. Gowri felt concerned for Akhila. Suresh
deep down felt that the blue car would have reached Bangalore already, given
the BHP of the car, but did not want to spoil the mood. Gowri kept her eyes on
the road searching determined to help Akhila. Vinod for a reason unknown felt
that this pursuit would not go wasted. He continued to search at the same time
trying to recollect the details of situation that triggered this sky fall.
Though he could well make out the
speed of their car, as they were zooming past multiple vehicles, Vinod peep
forward for a glimpse at altimeter – 120 KMPH not bad. Vinod thought even the
blue car might not be going beyond this speed, perhaps even could be 10 – 20 km
less as he might not be knowing that he is being chased, and Akhila had been at
this speed for over 30 minutes now – with all calculations in place, they
should be seeing the rear bumper of blue car anytime now.
“There!!” Akhila shouted as her
eyes gleamed at the sight of her prey. The air in the car warmed up by a couple of
degrees. Vinod watched the blue car
keenly his observation was right- it’s a big car but the driver is casual. But
he thought ‘we need to see how he reacts when a smaller car driven by girl is
trying to overtake him and also if we keep the current speed in another 4-5
minutes they should be able to conveniently get past this BMW. It’s just a
matter of time’
Suresh felt relieved when he saw
the blue car. Last 30 minutes have been intense and he could not take more than
that. Earlier that day its’ was Vinod’s philosophy and now its Akhila’s
intensity. He knows Akhila’s is not a girl who gives up easily especially when
provoked. But then is this much seriousness needed in life, that too on a
vacation? He knows that in Akhila’s current intensity he cannot say anything
against, as she expects him to support her the most. He looked forward at blue car and thought
given their current speed in another 4-5 minutes they should be able to
conveniently get past this BMW. It’s just a matter of time before the intensity
reduces and then he will try his best to get some laughter back in to the car.
Gowri felt relieved when she saw
the blue car. Now that the car is in sight, as soon as they overtake it, Akhila
can ease out of the stress, and as they making good speed, perhaps in another
4-5 minutes.
“Come on Akhila” Gowri said in haste,
she wants this intense episode to end quickly for Akhila’s sake. “Yes, am on
it, may be another 4-5 minutes” Akhila said.
Couple of fast minutes passed by
and BMW was well within reach. Akhila pushed gas a little down and the front
end of their car was just few feet away from back bumper of the blue car.
Akhila judged her position carefully, this is the final leap. No traffic coming
from front, not a car in sight behind them, and the blue car is still unmindful
of its predator.
Akhila made the move and
remaining 3 held their breath. At 140 kmph she turned the wheel fast as entire
car jerked and dragged right on black tar with a screeching sound. The blue car
seemed to be pulled towards its left as a reflex action to the screeching
sound. Taking the opportunity, Akhila straightened the car from the drag and leaped
forward unhesitantly.
As White Honda City’s engine
slowly started to creep over the Blue car from behind, a chill of excitement
crept up all 4 spines as their moment
came closer and closer. Just as their car was about to overtake the Blue car,
an utterly unexpected thing happened.
Akhila pressed the brake momentarily just to match speed of Blue car and
honked loudly to get the attention of that Blue car.
Blue car driver who was still
recovering from his reflex action of moving left was totally caught off-guard
by the loud honk and stared out of his window. His face was struggling with
expressions – he was surprised, astonished, and more importantly clueless.
Akhila locked her eyes with that blue car driver, who seemed to be in his early
thirties, stared at him coldly and slowly pushed the middle finger of her left
hand right across his face.
Suresh, Gowri, Vinod felt as clue
less as the blue car driver. Everything happened so suddenly and no one could
even slightly guess what was in Akhila’s mind. Vinod recovered first and looked
deeply in to Akhila’s face. She was as intense as she was from last 30 minutes
not a degree less or a degree more. Her eyes calm and cold staring in to Blue
driver face. There was not even momentary gush of anger in her face even during
her finger gesture – just cold vengeance.
A moment later, all the 4 in the
white car were pushed back in to their seats with tremendous force as Akhila
pushed the throttle as thought testing the very capacity of this machine. The
car leaped forward with a roar and shot out like an arrow on the black highway.
They could hear a screeching sound from behind – the shriek of rubber burning
over the road or more rather of a burning anger resulting when an humiliating insult
is rubbed over huge ego. The anger of a hurt ego was audible in the screech.
Gowri and Suresh had similar
questions in mind. ‘Why did you do this?’ but then what Akhila did seemed right
as well. If they had simply overtaken the blue car, they would have achieved
the result – but would that have solved the purpose? Both of them started to
settle down slowly in their minds and returned to ease gradually – without
asking a single question and more over in full support to Akhila.
Vinod was more occupied with Blue
car driver – ‘how would he react now?’ It’s obviously a great insult to his
inflated ego. He could see efforts of Blue car trying to stabilize back on road
and coming fast towards them from behind like a raging bull. Within moments the high power of that Blue
car ensured they are very close bumper to bumper. The blue car started honking
badly, rather impatiently as he too had a point to prove. There was no effort yet from the blue car to
overtake them, but seemed like his idea was to irritate everyone in ahead of
him for tickling his ego. Akhila continued to remain cold. She dint react,
budge or flutter.
The more the blue car was honking
the more enjoyable in seemed with in white car. Gowri said with laugh, “poor
fellow, he must be burning from inside.” Suresh said immediately corrected
Gowri, “aa aa, not inside, but below.” Laughter poured in from all corners.
Vinod somehow could guess Akhila’s next move. He saw that her intensity has not
come down at all despite the laughter. He said, “It’s not over yet is it
Akhila?” Akhila was pleasantly surprised, though remained focused, turned back
and said in smile, “No it’s not over, in fact the real torture starts now.”
Vinod nodded in consent with a reciprocating smile. Gowri and Suresh were
strangely surprised within themselves ‘It’s not over?’
Akhila did some calculations the
traffic on highway increased as they started passing small villages which
seemed to be dispersed randomly near the out skirts of big city. ‘So traffic is
going to be there, let it be for my advantage’ she thought and slowed down the
car.
The blue car behind noticed that
white car was slowing down. The driver
left out a satisfied grunt with a couple of incoherent words ‘how dare that
b****’. He did not wait for the white car to shift to left side of road to
allow him to overtake. Instead he skid is car towards extreme left of the road to
overtake the white car again. While he was trying to overtaking he looked
through the window to mock Akhila again. Akhila ignored this and smiled
wickedly as though expecting that.
There was some sporadic traffic
it was increasing, and the most immediate vehicle ahead was a long lazy truck
approximately 500 meters ahead. ‘Perfectly placed’ Akhila thought. Just as the
blue car was about to overtake theirs from left side, Akhila pressed the gas
and white car gained momentum in a matter of moments. Blue car tried had to
overtake but had to slow down due to the truck directly ahead of it in left
lane.
The blue car driver cursed again,
audile to the people in blue car in form of a screech, this time due to brake. A big laughter broke out in the white car.
For the next 20 – 25 minutes this
happened – sometimes blue car did over take them, but it was short lived as
Akhila over took him easily in the traffic. She definitely was more strategic
and using the speed of their car and speed of other vehicles beautifully, and
the earlier irritation gradually eased off, replaced by a satisfaction. Finally
mind is at peace and the blue car did not bother her anymore.
Soon after, the blue car over
took them with lot of frustration and anger, but Akhila brushed aside those
gestures and words very casually.
She finally declared, “need a tea
break badly, but only if Vinod promises not to lock eyes with the chai woman”!!
Vinod who was observing all the
changes in the car very keenly smiled intensely and deeply with in himself.
