(1988): Being born in a middle class family has its own advantages and disadvantages. Bad part is that you don't get everything you dream off but the good part is - the feeling that you get, when your most cherished dream comes true. People born with those things can never feel that - I can guarantee you that. But I guess they will have their own set of dreams too, isn't it? Anyways, that brings us back to my dream. As a 12 year old, I always wanted my dad to buy a car but I think with a family of 6 and he being the sole earner - it was a distant dream even for him at that stage of our life. None of our relatives in the radius of 500 KMS owned a car.
Every new car company that launched its product in India would set me thinking whether we can have that in any near future. At that time the options were pretty limited. I almost read everything I could lay my hands on - about any new car launched. Maruti Suzuki had launched its small car couple of years back. It was criticized earlier for its size and power. People believed that it won't be able to drive for long with 4-5 people on board. But it turns out to be a grand success and sells pretty well and acquires a major market share in no time. Than there were Fiats, Ambassadors and Hindustan Motors with their classic Contessa's etc, they were the more expensive ones.
In between I got a great news that my cousin who lived in Delhi, up north was visiting us for summer vacations with his family. He happens to be one hell of a driver and goes every where driving his own car. Now that had me thinking and dreaming of what was in store for me in the upcoming weeks as they arrive. I had no idea what car he had and there was no way I could find out either. No option but to wait for them.
The day of their arrival comes soon and one fine day almost late in the evening - I hear the honking right in front of our house. As I sprint to the main door, what I see is a spanking brand new Premier 118NE that too Maroon in color. It was quite late and cause of hardly any street light - it almost looks like brownish in color. I instantly and automatically fell in love with its wide bonnet and those rectangular lights. Seeing it parked right outside our house - was a sight which remained etched in my memory for quite a long time. Every now and then - I would just walk out of the house and stand with the car, look here and there to make sure some of our neighbors should notice me with the car. My happiness had no boundaries that whole week.
One thing for sure confirmed that day, that I was surely going to Delhi - come what may on my way. This town isn't going to keep me interested for long where my dad bought his home and planned to settle permanently. Not that I wasn't happy or something. I had some best of friends too from whom I was inseparable. But when it comes to fulfilling a long term dream - I guess I was hell bent on doing anything for it.
Every new car company that launched its product in India would set me thinking whether we can have that in any near future. At that time the options were pretty limited. I almost read everything I could lay my hands on - about any new car launched. Maruti Suzuki had launched its small car couple of years back. It was criticized earlier for its size and power. People believed that it won't be able to drive for long with 4-5 people on board. But it turns out to be a grand success and sells pretty well and acquires a major market share in no time. Than there were Fiats, Ambassadors and Hindustan Motors with their classic Contessa's etc, they were the more expensive ones.
In between I got a great news that my cousin who lived in Delhi, up north was visiting us for summer vacations with his family. He happens to be one hell of a driver and goes every where driving his own car. Now that had me thinking and dreaming of what was in store for me in the upcoming weeks as they arrive. I had no idea what car he had and there was no way I could find out either. No option but to wait for them.
The day of their arrival comes soon and one fine day almost late in the evening - I hear the honking right in front of our house. As I sprint to the main door, what I see is a spanking brand new Premier 118NE that too Maroon in color. It was quite late and cause of hardly any street light - it almost looks like brownish in color. I instantly and automatically fell in love with its wide bonnet and those rectangular lights. Seeing it parked right outside our house - was a sight which remained etched in my memory for quite a long time. Every now and then - I would just walk out of the house and stand with the car, look here and there to make sure some of our neighbors should notice me with the car. My happiness had no boundaries that whole week.
Next day morning as we woke up, all I wanted to do was to jump in the car and go for a drive as soon as possible. I guess my cousin who recently got married and was quite young himself sensed that, obliged us with a quick short drive of the town as he needed to fill the tank too. That one short drive was good enough for me to visualize myself owning the same "one day" and go on a cross country drive all day long as long as I can. It was one of the greatest and happiest day of my life as we went on to drive around the town. I kept on showing him everything around, my school, the only swimming pool of our town, huge court building, a small zoo, couple of theaters, my friends houses which came in between. I Kept hoping that some of my friends would notice me but that did not happen.
I had no idea about the cars specifications and neither I was interested. I was way too happy to see him drive with an ease. The way he turned the steering with one hand and kept the other hand on the window all the time. He will use his right hand only when he needed to shift the gears with his left. It looked like such a breeze and easy thing to drive and to my surprise when I asked him "how long will it take for me to learn driving", he shockingly offered "why don't you finish your graduation and come over to delhi, you can do your post graduation from there, help me with the business and learn / drive cars too". I wish I graduated that day only so I could go along to delhi but my graduation was I guess 8 more years away.
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