Happened to be on an interesting car rally last week end … …. May be just to realize that the roads teach you much more than the maps. I am no sophisticated to have believed in any sort of fashion statement of an event or have ever believed ever that a participation in an exclusive woman’s car rally is an act of “Empowerment” . I seeked pure pleasure and some change in life from the boring Delhi monotony … and had never imagined what all, the coming time is going to offer me .
It all started with a mail … a friend forwarded … the deal was simple , some exclusive Woman car rally Is happening .. a competitive event in a TDS rally format. A friend’s friend’s friend got herself registered and is looking for a partner . I had a chance to navigate a couple of rallies before in that format and had some vague understanding of the nuances. I thought it would be fun to sharpen my skills and get to know some good people in the new city. Subconscious takes a nano second to react than conscious .. before I could speculate any ifs and buts .. I had already hit the reply button on the mail .. and then the conscious did not stop ..
We planned a pre get to know each other meeting … Neha is a fine girl .. and the frequencies matched ! she is not the typical what I call an ‘Euee type’ .. she appeared to be pretty chilled out ! with a ‘ I don’t poke my nose in people’s private lives’ attitude .. The connect was instant. The idea to go for a 2 day madness was looking more fabulous all of a sudden , then just a couple of meetings more where we discussed the format, strategies, calculations, who will get what …
The real countdown started from the pre day when we met for a drivers briefing and the car was scrutinized .. Walkswagon POLO it was .. a brilliant little Red car. The vehicle has transformed it self into the rally avtar as the stickers were pasted on her skin . The beauty looked gorgeous … We both glared at the machine for quite some time .. and stepped into a coffee lounge for the final rounds of discussion around preparation for tomorrow morning .
The parc ferme was for 6 in morning .. to be flagged off by 6.30 … route was elaborate Delhi > Jaipur > Delhi … and the tulip charts in the road book looked all sorts of tracks … with jungles, muddy, slushy , dirty stony , rocky patched from inside of the numerous small villages to Highways . While in our discussions, I got to know that her granny is not doing well at her health and is in close observation of doctors under ICU. Asked her, if she is sure to continue with it .. the affirmation was strong ! The lady knew no looking back ….. In fact quite rightly, when u have assurances of treating doctors of a speedy recovery and well being of a patient …. the confidence comes in naturally .
The final deal was we meet 5.30 Am23rd sept 2011 at the Flag off area ….
I came back to office .. where I left the super boss surprised that day … when he was walking in the office and he spotted me at 8 am in the morning sitting still at my desk . Jaw dropped he wondered how come I am in so early … all this while I was never in office before office hours and some of the times … little later than the office in hours . The pre brief was early morning in hardrock café next door to office …and the original scheme was to go to the office park the stuff and attend that … then to resume back !
BY second half on 22nd, I was all up and prepared … then realized one most important thing is still not arranged for the lap timing is the stop watch. I wasted no time … and asked all the relevant departments who could possibly be having one and could may be lend me over weekend . Facilities checked, Admin check , HR checked … none L L just no one … I planned to wrap up the work early today eve to go searching for a good one with good intentions to purchase.
An HR fellow came smiling .. jovial guy rather a very honest one . He said he checked out with a friend who has one .. and he would be okay to make me use that for the event ! The gentle man friend of the good fellow offered him to hand over the piece at the office in the evening .. and he we further schemed that I will pick up early morning next day . My day was suddenly made… every thing fell in place ! 10 pm night I got a message that the stop watch is dropped at the office reception and I may collect it from the there in morning !
By 11.55 PM I was all excited .. bags packed , red bull stocked , chocolates and other instant energy bars stocked .. and not to forget and thank hubby darling who got all this … ( in fact post a lot of efforts and hunting for one … he could also fetch a china made .. mushi mushi pink stop watch strictly to be used as a back up just in case the stop watch plan dosent works) alarms set for 4 Am tomorrow …
Rushed to the office in the morning … My first 5 AM swipe for attendance that too on Saturday J J J .. some times the silly things become high points in life .. for effectively no reasons. I collected the pack from the security guard … and opened it to be hit by a surprise …
A Gift wrapped fast track watch … whatttttttttt ???? whyyy ???? how come ?????? the little tag read … all the best Champion !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was jumping outta my head … no reasons for an expensive gift like that .. and specially no justification absolutely !
The morning started with a surprise .. before I could give any expression or comment to the situation … the reality standing before me is that I have to be at the parc ferme .. and have to catch up with Neha .
She came in we made it on time.. for the parc ferme and flag off happened at the designated time . I told her about the story … and we decided to use the I phone for lap timings .. I really intended to return the expensive gift and thus avoided the usage. China instantly became a superpower in my surroundings … Vineet’s Plan B worked so it was also set to 0.00 with the Odometer .
Lesson learnt in life: No.45 : Once a China made is always a china made .. cheap plastic don’t last ! and in no time the buttons were coming out .. the i phone died the battery was out .. And Neha looked at me .. said Dude cant help take the stop watch out ! the need for the hour was to put that to good use … which we finally did .
The laps were on … and along side of our stupid chats the stop watch and calculator and odometer did a fantastic job.
Around 25 KM away form jaipur and after 9 hours of the rally … I received a text message from Nehas parents that her Granny passed away and not to tell her … just tell her that she is critical and make her board the next flight back to Delhi. I was zapped…had nothing to react . Reached the next Time check marshal and spoke to him … cooked up some wiered story even I don’t remember . Changed the driver with her … and drove to jaipur to leave her to the Airport. Nothing came to my numb head .. it was happening and we were just doing it … She got a spot on ticket luckily for a next to departure flight .
I came back to the hotel room … all I did was to take a quick shower and dropped almost dead in the bed don’t know where the time flew in those 3 hours … 7-10 . when I opened my eyes .. I realized that the feeling I was undergoing is called Hunger . I quickly landed for the dinner party at the pool side and informed the organizers about the drop out of Neha .
Organizers of the event were cool people .. though were hand tied by regulations . They had to inform me that I shall be disqualified and will not be allowed to be flagged off the next day if I don’t get a team partner either driver who essentially be a woman .. or a navigator who doesn’t have a gender code.
NO ..NO .. NO …. Not a good idea to think “ I QUIT” at 11 at night … the rally flags off 7.30 next day .. the fighter in me is just tired and not defeated . I strategized to go to all the people who were with pillions in there vehicles to request them to become my partners so that I may finish the event.
Subsequently , the day end results also came in … we were good at the day end and could have covered up for the scores the next day . This became my instant pitch to whom I met … I am super dumb to forget my elimination could be an advantage to the competitive souls and minds.
Lessons learnt in life : No. 46 : There are many types of woman in this world …
a) Who would say… awe sorry to hear that I just pray to god that u get a partner but u see we are just 3 in a car .. and then may be u can ask who are 4 or 5 in a vehicle . May god bless u.. I know u will make it and than I will be very happy for u.
b) Oh !!.. so bad … I so much want to help u … but u see I am sponsored by X and cant change the compay of the people I am with right now
c) OH ! I am okay to come … but u see …. I am the driver and the other 2 gals, one navigator and one pillion don’t want to get separated
d) __shhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_____________________ ( This category is the high class snobbish category with a hair style of multiple puffs over forehead almost the size of a bird nest who are not worth talking to or asking for help…. There blusher puffed cheeks and thread thin eyebrows is indicative of an exponentially high euee factor they possess)
Yuck … I wasted time .. no point … channel change !
I went to the organizers and requested if someone from them can come in … answer was obvious its not allowed, not even the family member. By this time … MY FB had various types of help related status messages … interesting to see … The people who never commented on my status updates commented and tried offering help ! Lessons learnt in life : No. 47 : More than 100s of people might like u r staus update .. when u need them only 3% would offer help (that too if u r lucky)
Radical ideas find there ways from wherever : Photographer …. Yes the Photographer … He is not an organizer .. or even the family of the organizer .. the rules are silent on him .. may be check with him or any one outta his crew . The man Abhishek Madhav .. holding a canon zebra lens assisted by an Asian videographer was flashing in my vision. The man .. personified soberness .. and a huge smile replied politely .. I could have helped but I have to cover the event and it would require stopping here and there etc etc .. really cant help but so much really want to .
I called it a night at 12.30 … and went back to my hotel room .. the shutters of eyes were falling down the body ached and it was a system downtime for the mind . Thought what ever it be … I will see it morning will wake up early and if nothing will bribe a waiter to come along , even if that doesn’t work .. will get be outta the event !
Half dead … I heard my phone ringing around 1am .. a call from the photographer ! OMG OMG .. whats it ???
Hi Dipika … a friend of mine just landed back from sudan .. he is right here with me on the roof top .. he might want to come with u as he gotto go delhi tomorrow , if u can make him understand this deal about the team and navigation thing.. he might just come in .
OKK … I am just coming up the rooftop pub.. ( at one time this was my fav place “Ta-BLU”) .
HI rituraj .. R u r mustaches for real ??? He looked like a typical Rajput from the old era with those thick huge mustaches … what a style statement ! really kindda impressive… n e ways … I explained him the format , the strategy and the teams position etc ..
He was like .. okay will come if I wake up and could find some thing to come back to this hotel that early in morning .
WOWWWWWWWWWWW … a sign of relief form me . I called it a day and returned to catch up on sleep. Morning at 6 .. I woke up to check his message stating he is not finding any transport and cant come … ………………………..
I went to the organizers with a sorry face .. and was like… I think its not going to work .. some one just told me .. why don’t u pick him up !
Brilliant !!!! really I can pick him up … oh yess … I can .. I called him up asked for his address and was on roads instantly asking every single milkman, news paper boy for the directions . IN record time I was underneath his apartment waiting for him …
Lessons lernt in life: no. 48: Common sense and sleep has deep nexus .
Rituraj joined in … and we could manage back for the parc fame at clerks amer in jaipur where we were staying for the leg 2 of rally.
IT was quite tough to teach him the finer details of the tulips and lap calculations .. but he picked up pretty well and there we are doing pretty good after being off way at a couple of instance due to mis reading the directions in the road book .
The rally ended abruptly as we were informed at a time check marshal that the rally ends here due to some timing issues… what a relief !!!
We managed coming back to delhi.. in free zone Rituraj drove and I slept on the seat next to him. Dropped him at his place and could come back home sunday late eve . The odometer cumulative reading was 700 km …
For me to look back was the 3 sleep less nights .. the road never travelled and situations never dealt with . How backups go fail and plan Bs work …. and luck plays wild .. how snobbish are people around … and how genuine strangers could be. This trip just made me learn the fastest about human nature ..their behaviors and tendencies. I really thank the ones who stood by me. Many thoughts in my heart and mind … but I think the best form of gratitude is the one which is felt deeply from within and may not be expressed. I became a better person over night ( or may be I could say over this event) and now would always help others in what ever way I can … and I end this story of an experience of my life here !
BTW … some open loops are yet to be closed in this life book story :
- The pics and the report card of the event is yet to be uploaded in the organizers website
- I returned the stop watch and thanked the dude, to go out of way to help me . Took him out for a nice Thai lunch
- Rituraj left his phone on the car dash board … I went the next day early morning to drop it back … and am searching for him to friend him on my FB
- Could not spot the photographer after that … all I know is that he stays at Dharamshala in HP and clicks pics for living.
- Post coming back on Sunday eve … met relatives and went pubing with an old school friend .. came back at 2 Am and ditched the closing ceremony of the event at Trivoli garden Delhi.
- Spoke to Neha .. . she is well and family is fine, dropped her car next day to her friends place from where she got it picked
- May Granny’s soul Rest in peace
- Punch in the face of Lessons learnt in life no 46 category (a) women .
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