Drive or not ?

I drive myself to office every day and it takes me around 30-35 minutes to cover a stretch of 15 kms. There are two routes that I can take – one, the old city road and two, the swanky highway. Every morning, before I start, I make my choice depending upon the traffic prediction, the weather condition and my mood in general.

Irrespective of the route that I take, I love this daily routine and sometimes it seems like the most enjoyable part of my otherwise mundane days. The thrill of driving, the feeling of being in control, the variety of music available thanks to the umpteen radio channels and the constant nonsensical chatting of the RJs , all add up to create that magical feeling that makes me look forward to getting up and getting ready for the work day ahead. I look up to the drive so much so that quite often I find myself thinking in my mind as to what songs I would play in the car the next day.Add to that , the freedom from daily saga of fighting (or coordinating as they say) with the sometimes extra-helpful and sometimes extra- irritating cabmates , really make me thankful for having the luxury of driving myself to work.

However, all is not as rosy as I just made it sound .There is a horrific side of this driving rigmarole and despite the above pleasures, I would actually be a fool to try selling driving on NCR roads to any sane minded person J.And in case you are wondering, I am referring to the mind-boggling, nerve- wracking, eye-popping NCR traffic and related human behaviour! Anyone who has ever driven on these roads would tell you that you have to have a really strong heart and a really cool head to brave through this traffic without swearing to leave the country and flee to Jupiter at the end of your trip. My boss does that every second day and reinforces my belief in the fact that I am perhaps, stronger and cooler than him J .And yes, if you are the type who has so far managed a expletive-free existence, be assured you would do well to by-heart the choicest ones in Hindi and Punjabi!The errant drivers(including yourself) and the innocent(not) pedestrians coupled with the potholed roads, all conjure up well to put a huge dent in what could otherwise be called a heavenly experience as I described above .

I don’t know how long I will be able to put the negatives behind and enjoy my early morning drive to office but I am sure the day I decide to chuck my car and take the office cab , my days would feel incomplete and I would be looking for getting that zing back in my life !