It was no crowd puller. Nor did it own striking features like an
Anti-Lock Braking System or a power steering. . Yet my family maintained a
close-knit relationship even though it left us three years ago. I still
remember the day we bought the golden wagon. It was just another warm summer
evening for the rest of our neighbourhood. People flocked to the beach after a
tiring day’s work and kites could be seen streaming along with the northern
winds. We had been sitting with crossed fingers and were anxiously waiting for
it to arrive when we heard the honking of a car outside. In fact, in its eyes I
could see the same eagerness we had to meet our new friend.
When one talks about his/her car giving it a nostalgic touch, we
attribute it to a Volkswagen or other vintage cars. But this was just an
ordinary Maruti Suzuki Zen – a typical vehicle for a middle class family living
in a typical Indian society.
It wasn’t one of our wildest dreams to own a car. But it was one of
our unfulfilled dreams to own one fitted with an AC. The box-like structure
with its dark tinted glass and a not so good looking face was just another
hatchback. It was a second-hand vehicle. Yet it was something more to us. Other than a few dents on the back and a couple
of scratches on the bumper, it was like brand new to us. Even when my brother
slammed the gate open and broke the headlights, and when it had to bear with my
mother’s constant mishaps at the parking lot, it stood like a faithful dog and bore
with our careless mistakes.
Now while I have written paeans in memory of a plain old car, you
might ask why I got rid of it then. After a couple of breakdowns and numerous
scratches that had been daubed on it as the fruit of our bad driving, we felt
the need for a change.
I still remember the
day it left us. And when it went away never to return, I felt a sudden pang in
my heart. And I knew that the rest of us felt the same
