So many things in life we take for granted, don't we? Like you crank your key and car should start. If it doesn't crank again, it should buzz to life. Not yet?
He was in middle of a cross country drive, some where in the evening (almost night) at 2 deg temperature.Till few minutes back he was planning for a break after sunset in a comfortable hotel enjoying a well deserved dinner with his wife and 4 yr old daughter. They were already hungry but since he was almost near the destination, they snacked on some biscuits and chips. Enjoying music on a cool evening.
Then out of nowhere he hit a traffic jam, an endless line of trucks and trawlers. Normal, he thought. He was approaching a city and truckers are normally used to queue up as they are checked and re-checked.
So what to do? Simple, jump to opposite side and continue to the check post. He did as cars in front of him did so and soon few more followed. He drove for a km and hoped to see a toll plaza, but none was in sight? Strange, if not a toll plaza or check point, then why the hell so many trucks have lined up and stuck?
A quick glance at his watch and he was already 30 mins in the jam. Bad. He continued for another km and now he saw a line of truck built up on this side of lane too. Another 30 mins of waiting saw him crawling few meters ever so slowly.
It was dark, sun goes down early in winters, but it was not late. Around 7 PM. He must have been checked into a hotel by now, he reminded himself.
Then the truck in front of him moved ahead and he cranked up his engine. Ghuuup... Ghuuup.. Ghuppp. Engine seems to cough. Fuel gauge showed almost 75 % full. He had just tanked up an hour before the jam. One more try.. Ghuuup... Ghuuup.. Ghuppp.. same results. Truck in front had moved up considerably. Jam seems to have been cleared. Trucks on the left lane were also moving. Yes, Jam was infact over. But he was stuck on the wrong lane. Oncoming trucks blinding his vision. Trucks behind who also jumped the queue were honking. Desperate and not believing their bad luck at being stuck behind a broke down vehicle.
'Is our battery dead?' wifey asked.
'Can't be?' we have been driving continously for 5 hrs. And I had car serviced before the drive' He hoped he was dreaming. Anytime he will wake up now. But no he was there on the road, very much there.
'Look under the hood'.
'yes'. He rolled up his jacket and stepped out in 2 deg night. Car can't be heated up. Coolant temperature too was still 'cool'. He opened the boot and lighted his mobile's torch. Nothing loose connection. Nothing leaking. What the hell, so what is the problem?
'Take help from these drivers around' wifey suggested.
'Ok' He moved up to a truck driver and asked him to help. Jam was again building up and new faces were lining up on both sides. He doesn't seem to be interested.He started looking for car drivers. None were in sight. Trucks behind him had backed off and took the right lane and gone long ago.
Kid in the car was bored enough being stationery for so long and darkness outside and warm embrace of her mother made her sleep tight. She must be hungry, he thought. God, he wanted to be out of this and soon.
A cop came up to him and flashed his light too on him and then under the hood. 'Dekha bengal ka gadi hai or phasa hua hai toh socha ki dekhen koi problem to nahi hai'
' Problem to hai, par pata nai kya' he told looking at only a sillhoute.
'Aap log itna dur gadi lekar kaise aa jate hai, or wo bhi family ke saath?' silhoute spoke thinking road trips was a bad idea. Before he can answer, he was gone. His car was out of jam and they needed to go.
Jam was getting clear again. God, till when I will be stuck here, he prayed.
Just then a white fortuner rolled up to wrong lane and overtook his car. And then just stopped. Nobody got down and hence he didn't notice. It just stood there. Wifey noticed and shouted at him 'hey, you have help. Look they have come'
'who?' he looked all around, and even up. There he saw the white SUV.
'they? they are just stuck in jam, like us.' he told.
'just ask for help, please' she pleaded.
'OK' He walked up to waiting SUV. Driver rolled down window and there were 2 passengers too.
' boss, gadi band ho gayi hai, aap help kar sakte hai?' please help, he meant.
'kya hua?' driver was cool.
'pata nai, chabi se start nai ho raha.' He showed his keys.
'toh dhakka lagwa lo' driver adviced.
'hmm.. aap help kar sakte hai?'
As it were the magic words, 3 of them got down and surrounded around the car. Driver took the keys and cranked. Ghuuup... Ghuuup.. Ghuppp.. 'Hmm, self start khabarb ho gaya hai' he was so sure.
'aap bonnet band karo' one of the passenger growled. He was getting late, helping a starnger on a freezing highway.
driver took charge and he and other pushed hard. Few feets and the engine started.
He felt as he has just dropped a huge baggage. Relieved.
Driver jumped out and said 'Ab isse band hone na dena? Or subah self start thik karwa lena' and he handed the key back.
He looked at the key and by the time he looked up to thank, he saw 3 of them rushing to their SUV and driver was busy backing up and rversing to get to the correct lane. Jam had lifted again. He ran up to them and shouted 'thank you boss' around 4-5 times. Did they hear it, he thought? May be, may be not. Like a breeze they backed and reversed and were gone as quickly as they had arrived.
He jumped to the idling car and reversed too. He was now in the left lane and was driving towards the city. Another km and he was at the toll plaza. It was almost 11 PM. Kid still sleeping. Wifey still thanking god.
'Kaisa raha bhaiya?' toll plaza guy asked. A smile on his face.
'bahoot helpful, thank you' he told. He had noticed the SUV on the extreme left lane parked near the toll gate. 'Thank You' he couldn't have said it enough times.