17/01/2009

It started as a perfect Saturday.A late beginning and the dawn of the end of a almost-week long holiday thanks to Tamilnadu's obsession with Pongal.It couldn't have been better as it was also the dawn of my recovery from a week old viral fever.As the day progressed lazily...i felt the need for fresh air.My parents too felt the same.I called up my friend who had already made up plans.We had initially planned to go to the Besant nagar beach and just spend some more lazy hours on the sand...nothing else.We started...5 of us.As we reached Kilpauk on our ride to the beach...there was some disagreement on our destination.'Bessi would be a bit too boring' was the common voice.So...a very strange decision followed.We shifted our destination to 'some' beach along the ECR!(East coast road).I know!A decision whose grass roots could never be found.We geared up for a supposedly exciting journey in search of fresh-air.Just to let you know...Venkat,the 'driver' and also the one with the car is usually a bit too over-confident and reckless with his driving.And therefore,almost always over speeding.We used to complain...but to deaf ears.Since he had a pretty good record with his recklessness...we stopped complaining and started getting used and also enjoyed his over-speeding at times.
Back to the journey.
It was progressing smoothly and we were chatting lots of stuff and having a good time.We stopped to refuel and bought batteries to refuel the cam and were clicking happily.Then,we went to a beach just next to 'VGP universal kingdom'.Not many people used to come to that particular spot...and so we got the fresh air we wanted...and yet didn't spend too much time there...as it was not out real destination.We were to go to a place even farther.I still don't know where exactly.(It could have been Mahabalipuram!)And so,we continued the drive and our talk.It was already past 6 pm.Then, we went past a bridge.I was trying to take a picture of the setting sun across the bridge even as the car was in motion.I couldn't get the snap right.And so,Venkat stopped the car towards the end of the bridge.(It was pretty pointless actually...the best scenery had already passed).That is when,we witnessed what is ECR slowly becoming famous for.A sports car.It was a Porsche cayman convertible apparently.It zoomed past us.Probably at around 150 kph and we were at rest.We were thrilled.And more so,Venkat.He accelerated.Over speed ed.Nothing in mind to overtake the Porsche with a Santro...but just to get a better glimpse of it.The rest of us complained..but to no avail.We were ordered to close the windows.Naveen,who was on the left back had done it already.Me,on the right back was doing it.At that exact micro second..a Toyota Innova came in between the Porsche and us.It came from no-where.(No one could notice a small left turn that existed by the road.The Innova had come from there.The left turn,apparently led to 'Fisherman's cove').We were in a fix on what to do.(I guess we had reached 80 kph and had 2 seconds to dash the Innova or brake and skid and still dash the Innova somehow).But we didn't do that...rather Venkat didn't do that.A wise move perhaps...considering all the past foolishness.He turned the steering to the left...but not entirely.We could have entirely turned left and entered the road to fisherman's cove and stopped.But we didn't do that.Venkat tried to get back on the road after somehow avoiding the Innova.On the left edge of the road lay the post bearing the electricity cables.The usual thing made of cement.And behind it a sort of a bush which seemed run all through the left side of the road from there.We went straight into the electricity pole and BANG!By that time,I believe all 5 of us had closed our eyes(including Venkat..yes!).So ,we were pretty much unaware what exactly happened after our dash but i can tell you the aftermath.(You can see the pole we toppled and also the cables lying on the car.)

The car ended up on the left side...away from the road and facing the bush.
When i opened my eyes..i first saw smoke coming from the front of the car.I thought Vignesh and Venkat who were on the front were lying dead.Not completely realising what had happened..i checked whether i had finished closing the window(!!).It was hazy(thanks to the smoke) that i couldn't differentiate the window from the air outside.(I hadn't closed the window btw).I happened to be the first to get out of the car..and soon everyone followed.(No..they weren't dead :P).We assessed the damage.
The electricity pole instead of stopping the car from progressing had fallen.Entirely.It connected the cables to another pole across the road.So the cables had fallen right across the entire length of the road.Hence,a traffic jam was on the cards.The cables were also connected to poles adjacent to the ones that had fallen and therefore there were copper cables right on top of the car(the front).Thankfully,the power had tripped the moment we hit the pole and before it fell on the car.(When our eyes were closed).Yet,wise-ass Naveen was quick to warn us not to touch the metal body of the car.The villagers were helpful in quickly taking the cables away from the road and preventing any traffic problems.After this,the Electricity Board guy came a bit too quickly.It appeared as if he was expecting such a thing.He gave us some assuring words and some scary words such as 'You guys are too lucky to get out of the car alive'.Probably.Venkat soon called his uncle to the spot.By that time a Policeman had come and was asking how it happened and stuff.I guess he was checking if we were drunk.An ambulance arrived for no reason.It was an ambulance with no drinking water.Some drunk villagers were complaining from i-don't-know-where that there was a power black out.We are very sorry for them.The Porsche zoomed past us again!This time on the opposite side of the road.I wonder if he noticed us.Venkat's uncle arrived soon enough and was very helpful in driving off the police without any case being booked.(You-know-how!).He also insisted that we guys go back home and he'll take care about the rest.(The rest included pulling the car back home...and settling accounts with the Electricity Board).The damage to the car was later assessed.It turns out to be pretty-very bad.We went back home and stayed shut and awed and sorry and sad and angry and foolish and happy.

None of us carried even the slightest injury.Yet we were so close to death itself.

The year that will be

2008 began its journey promising change.And it did deliver change.It was perhaps the most volatile year i have seen in my 18 years.
India and Pakistan seemed to be on very good terms...and it looked like it would end like 'and they lived peacefully ever after'...but then 26/11 had to come.
Commodity prices reached skywards fuelling inflation.It certainly never looked like the inflation would end up in the 8% category given the rate of growth.
2008 has been a big blow to India's progress.The GDP growth has come down from 9% to possibly 5.5%.
The glass was half empty.But the glass was also half full.
Oil prices were hovering above $120 for most of the year only to crash down to $40 now.This combined with fall in inflation could be the trigger to restart India's powerful consumption boom.
Perhaps,the biggest event in 2008 was the victory of a Barack Hussain Obama in the US presidential race.The United states has bravely elected a man whose main message is one of hope and change.
"Rosa Parks sat so King could walk.King walked so Obama could run.Obama ran so we all could fly" - Anonymous SMS.

Also not to forget,2008 gave us some very good movies and more bad ones.

For India though,Sports has been the biggest victor.With the best ever Olympics performance and the golden run of the cricket team and many other notable achievements...2008 has been a huge year for Indian sports.

2009 is also promising change,as does every year.But since the general elections are coming up...the change is for real this time.Seeing the debacles in Nandigram and Singur...the Left's seat share may decline and this should give the Congress more freedom to do business,if UPA wins.It could be a year of huge change if Rahul Gandhi would step up to the throne.That would definately bring hope and change...and it would be as dramatic as Obama's emergence.
On the terror front,I don't think in a huge country such as ours any security measures could stop the terrorists if they are up to it.So,all we can do is hope that we are done with it.
The major talking points have been the climate change,job cuts,housing prices,recession,terrorism.2008 has had its up's and down's and more down's.This year has the capability to put the past behind it and bring change,for good.
We may have already the witnessed the worst and pray or we may just be witnessing the lull before a storm.

Hope.