My Era Author: Dr.K.S.Kang

 

                                                                                 My Era            Author: Dr. K. S. Kang

First of all to begin with let me make it clear that I am not an animate being but I facilitate the animate beings to unite with their friends, well wishers, and relatives by taking my owners to different places. Yes, you have guessed right I am an inanimate being, a motor car, a four wheel vehicle to be specific that came into existence at some point of time in 2004 after passing through a number of procedures and processes and after a number of mechanics who first of all made a number of holes in my moulded steel body and then fitted various dials, metres and switches so as to make life of my owner pleasant, easy and comfortable. I am Zen 2004 model car created by Maruti- Suzuki plant at a place known as Manesar, near the national capital, which is making history in contemporary times situated of medieval town which is known for giving stiff resistance to Mughals by refusing to accept their overlordship and decided to retain independence. I was destined to travel to another historical town by road in a covered trailer specially made to carry cars. After travelling for hundreds of kilometres I reached my destination and was placed in the new, shining,spotlessly clean showroom of the town. At the showroom I found myself along with a number of brightly shining new cars of different models, waiting for their buyers who will come and take them to their homes. I was fortunate to find a buyer within a few days of my arrival in the showroom. My buyer was a college teacher and his father, who was a retired school teacher brought me to my new home on the auspicious day of Dhanteras. I was accorded traditional welcome my new home by the family members, who lined up and threw rose petals on me as I entered his house and driver applied breaks to halt me before his house. I was parked inside the house with regard unlike most of the other vehicles who remained parked outside the houses. After a few rooms a special exclusive room with huge iron gates , popularly known as garage, was built for me. I was overjoyed to know that not only by young owner but even the young lady, his wife, has also learnt driving. I was equally joyful to take old couple- my owner’s parents- around the town and even to the state capital to unite them with their friends, relatives and well wishers around the town as well as to state capital where daughter of old couple resided. Since my owners had learnt driving on an old Maruti 800 vehicles, so they treated me with care and regard. Most of the time I remained parked in my cosy, comfortable garage and like other vehicles I did not had to bear the brunt of weather like scorching sunlight, and rains. I used to take my owners to a number of religious and historical places situated around the town.

As it is said that ‘ a smooth sea never makes a good sailor’, so my life was also not totally free from trepidations and turbulences. Besides a few scratches made on by body by innocent children that I ignored as love pangs, my first major injury was I brushed aside a standing auto rickshaw that damaged by left mudguard and it was slightly dented. As the insurance was still on, so I was taken to the workshop of the company where a new mudguard was replaced though it took seven days for it to come from the manufacturer but it was of matching colour and shade, so I came out of the workshop new and shining again, ready to serve my masters. As relatives of my owners lived at various places of the state, so I used to take them to various places frequently. I had second injury while coming from the town where one of the sons of my masters had gone to study. While returning a sheep suddenly came in front of me and the person driving the car had a catnap and the sheep was thrown off by the collision and it died at the spot, and again my mudguard was affected but this time it was of right wheel. I was taken to the nearest workshop of the company where after submitting various documents like insurance policy, driving license and registration. After a few day I again emerged from the workshop new and shining and ready to serve my owners.

Now my owner had gained confidence as his driving improved to quite an extent and he started driving almost regularly. My major injury took place as we were moving to the State Capital along with my owner, his elder son and his wife. Road was quite fine as it was a four lane highway with a divider in the middle. Traffic was also not much that day and we were sailing smoothly at eighty kilometres per hour. Suddenly a cow, which was grazing green plants on the divider, jumped and came before the car damaging bonut and front glass shattered but it did not break, as it was stone proof glass. Though cow was thrown a few feet away but it was not lethally injured. Instead of turning back we continued the journey and reached the destination. Again relevant documents were submitted and I was taken to the workshop of the city and after a few days re emerged new and shining ready to serve my master and his family.

As I was getting old, I was put frequently outside the house, instead of in the garage that my owner had turned into his working office. Secondly he found it difficult to take me out of the narrow gate especially in reverse gear. I had the honour of leaving and receiving the elder son of my owner to and from the railway station whenever he came from abroad. I had the sad experience of giving final adieu to my owner’s parents who passed away within the gap of five months. It was a gloomy time for me also as I had to see their funeral whom I had carried to diverse places in and around the town. After returning back from foreign he got teaching job in a private university situated near the national capital. Meanwhile my master brought a new car which was of the same make but of different model. It was Maruti Suzuki Dzire which was blue in colour. My master had nicknamed me as Fairy Queen and the new car as Blue Diamond. One day my master took me to the place where his elder son was working and handed me over to him. I served him for a couple of years taking him from his residence to the university campus and back.

I had never given trouble to my masters except one day when my battery went dead, but that too happened before a reputed battery shop, so a new battery was instantly purchased and put up. Another major trouble came when my tyre punctured twice when my master took me to a place nearly 30 kms away from his hometown. Once spare wheel was put but it again punctured as a result of which my master carried me on the three tyres as a result the fibre wires of the punctured tyre came and stopped in front of the tyre shop. As tyre was irreparable so a new tyre was purchased and installed. Another major mishap came when my tyre blasted while my owner’s family was going on a long journey, taken in emergency, to the neighbouring state. So again new tyre was purchased and replaced. Once my master could not see pothole as it was covered with water during rains as a result of which rear wheel jumped in it causing a break in silencer giving rise to weird thundering loud noise. I was taken to the workshop and repaired promptly.

Meanwhile my owner’s son had bought a new car Hyundai’s Venue and I was shifted to state capital to serve another young couple who were related to my owner’s wife. I was pleased to serve them on their rides ‘being too happy in their happiness’. But they also after using me for a couple of years bought a new Alcazar Car of Hyundai. So now I had to remain idle for most of the time. One day my master decided to dispose me off by giving me to Tata Rewire in scrap. Just a day before my last day of existence my master came, opened the front gate, sat on the driving seat and held my steering wheel fondly for some time. That was perhaps my last sweet memory. Next day I was taken by a driver to the workshop where I knew I will be reduced to the elements, ‘iron to iron, and plastic to plastic’. I am content as I have served my master, his family, friends, relatives and well wishers with total honesty, devotion, sincerity and dedication. Fare thee well my owner, fare thee well human world and humanity.