It was a cold night about 4 years ago and the season had just started. Surya, having been brought up in sunny kerala for all of her 18 years, took and instant dislike to the winters and i was trying to do all i could to make her winters as warm for her as possible. Tonight we had ridden to the city in such an effort. We went to this huge annual fair and brought her an arm load of sweaters and jackets to keep her warm and then with us saddled with all this stuff we went home and as it was getting late were riding back to the residential campus we were both students in. the night got dark as we got to the outskirts of the city and we were doing a steady 70 kph when a huge Tata Truck over took and us a sped into the night. i reduced my speed as the Truck went by and then raced up again, never getting too close to the Truck but riding slightly to the left of the truck in a effort to use it to stall the winds buffeting us, then i saw a Mini bus ahead and the truck slowed so i slipped to the right checked the on coming lane for traffic and over took both the truck and the bus and headed our way.
the truck and us swapped places once more and but we still were going faster than the truck and were approaching the junction were we had turn right on to this flyover that took us to the University. the junction is slightly offset towards the right so that people coming off the flyover have a long sweeping left hander that are generally taken at great speeds, so i moved left of the road, checked the left incoming lane where it joined the Highway for any traffic as well as any traffic coming off the flyover into the sweeping turn. seeing none i checked my mirrors once before i raced to the flyover, i instantly saw the truck lights shining in the gloom of my rear view mirror.
and realsied that at the rate that he was coming i wont be able to turn right on to the flyover before he crossed us and i had no idea weather he was going left or right on to the flyover with us. before i could decide he was on us and cut right in front of us with our blinking indicators and all and overtook us from the right and turned left immediately nearly crushing us between the highway barrier next to the higway and the front wheel. i realised that if he finished the turn we wold never be able to stop in time and we would go under the truck, or veer left and smash into the wall. suddenly i was very afraid, iwas affraid for me but i was afraid more for the little girl behind me in a new helmet and a backpack full of new shopping that she was eager to show off to her friends "what had i got her into?"
i throttled up, squeezed thru the gap that slightly wider than my bike, between the barrier and the truck and was out in the clear. with the truck turning left and leaving us safe.... i was still scared and real angry, i realised, by the grip of Surya's hands that she was scared too. relief sweapt over me, no i didnt save our lives but we got thru that only on pure instinct, but the relief was momentary shattered by a shout of warning from Surya, i looked to see a Tractor right in front of me on the left side of the road with no lights, heading straight for us. i knew then and there, we were going to crash. I tried to scrub of the speed using my rear brakes while using the front disk to keep the bike straight but it wasnt going to happen, and we hit the tractor it climbed the front of the bike and we were down. the tractor was on the front wheel of the bike with me lying between its two front wheel, i heard a gasp and then a sob and realised the way it must appear to Surya in the dark with me apparently trapped under a tractor.
we were safe the bike was safe and the biggest injury was that Surya had a scrapped Knee the jacket, the helmet and the big burly bag stuffed with soft wool saved her and i was saved by luck and the fact that she gave me warning.
It was the national higway, with a Major National University situated on it, just beyond a highly populated Paramilitary zone can we let drivers like this still drive the trucks and busses and other vehicles? isnt it time that we overhauled the system no one died that day and even if some one had i dont thing it would have made a difference, but a tractor with no lights on the wrong side of the road, and reckless drivers, some thing ahs to be done
the truck and us swapped places once more and but we still were going faster than the truck and were approaching the junction were we had turn right on to this flyover that took us to the University. the junction is slightly offset towards the right so that people coming off the flyover have a long sweeping left hander that are generally taken at great speeds, so i moved left of the road, checked the left incoming lane where it joined the Highway for any traffic as well as any traffic coming off the flyover into the sweeping turn. seeing none i checked my mirrors once before i raced to the flyover, i instantly saw the truck lights shining in the gloom of my rear view mirror.
and realsied that at the rate that he was coming i wont be able to turn right on to the flyover before he crossed us and i had no idea weather he was going left or right on to the flyover with us. before i could decide he was on us and cut right in front of us with our blinking indicators and all and overtook us from the right and turned left immediately nearly crushing us between the highway barrier next to the higway and the front wheel. i realised that if he finished the turn we wold never be able to stop in time and we would go under the truck, or veer left and smash into the wall. suddenly i was very afraid, iwas affraid for me but i was afraid more for the little girl behind me in a new helmet and a backpack full of new shopping that she was eager to show off to her friends "what had i got her into?"
i throttled up, squeezed thru the gap that slightly wider than my bike, between the barrier and the truck and was out in the clear. with the truck turning left and leaving us safe.... i was still scared and real angry, i realised, by the grip of Surya's hands that she was scared too. relief sweapt over me, no i didnt save our lives but we got thru that only on pure instinct, but the relief was momentary shattered by a shout of warning from Surya, i looked to see a Tractor right in front of me on the left side of the road with no lights, heading straight for us. i knew then and there, we were going to crash. I tried to scrub of the speed using my rear brakes while using the front disk to keep the bike straight but it wasnt going to happen, and we hit the tractor it climbed the front of the bike and we were down. the tractor was on the front wheel of the bike with me lying between its two front wheel, i heard a gasp and then a sob and realised the way it must appear to Surya in the dark with me apparently trapped under a tractor.
we were safe the bike was safe and the biggest injury was that Surya had a scrapped Knee the jacket, the helmet and the big burly bag stuffed with soft wool saved her and i was saved by luck and the fact that she gave me warning.
It was the national higway, with a Major National University situated on it, just beyond a highly populated Paramilitary zone can we let drivers like this still drive the trucks and busses and other vehicles? isnt it time that we overhauled the system no one died that day and even if some one had i dont thing it would have made a difference, but a tractor with no lights on the wrong side of the road, and reckless drivers, some thing ahs to be done
3 comments:
man, that was scary. lucky that you both escpaed :-D and talking abt these stupid drivers... the less said, teh better....
u write so well... love you..
....!! am sure surya has kept those woolens as souveniers ...:) !! anywaz .. the flyover is indeed dangerous .. has managed to produce some freaky moments for us all :)
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