Contradiction, indignation, Dejection , acceptance

 Contradiction, indignation,  Dejection ,  acceptance

                                                                                                             15.11.2014                                                                                    

Car ownership passes through several stages, similar to those of  ill-fated marriages. First comes  lust for the car’s beautiful form, its “gleaming  and elegant  surfaces” and “earnestness to perform”. Lust gradually  gives way to emotions of nurturing love, trust, amiable reliance, and finally - when that thrilling new-car ecstasy is long gone and mechanical failures begin , heartache follows.

However, there is a  fifth stage: obsession. It’s a feeling that one  knows better than  admit.  

It started with my first car, a pre-used  Olive Green Ambassador Mark II  with flashy metal trims and  gaudy  imitation  leather interior, and it continues 35  years and three  cars later with my favorite,iconic  enchanter- the Chocolate  Brown Mark III.

Suddenly the mechanic popped the question? Blank , Stunned & furious,  several thoughts and emotions throb through the mind. Should I part  with it now ? Why? In time  this could be a collector’s item ! Already  heads turn as I drive. Is that Admiration? Or  Scorn?  

But,would anyone buy it later ?  Who would pay  for an ancient rattle trap  with more quirks and unquenchable  thirst for insanely expensive fuel and oil? With HM deciding to stop production,the longest running model like all  living beings also has only recently called it a day, finally. A Dinasaur that managed to defy evolution is now extinct.It has now become history. Nostalgia is all that remains. 

A dozen  phone calls streamed  in before 8.00 am the following day . Those  people who think they want to buy, I told myself, but wait until they find out that it’s harder to parallel park than an 18-wheeler truck.and one could join a generation of Indians who grew up with one leg shorter  than the other. But the one who handed me cash about 2 minutes  after the inspection—would surely change his mind after he negotiates  the pot holed  roads of the City on his way home. I was sure he would notice the steering wheel  on the Amby  was loose, the  brake pedal was creaking and groaning  . Driving the hulk is  like maneuvering  a battle tank down a narrow lane  Even after  cash is handed to me  I was sure he would change his mind. The phone would ring even as  I got home, and the man would sheepishly say that he’d made a mistake, and would I please come and take the car back, return the money, and let bygones be bygones?

Oh ! Why did I Part with  the car I loved ? Hindustan Ambassador-still a status symbol when I bought it  years ago. For many years, a preferred car by the Army and  Government, official car of  President and Prime Minister, Central & State Ministers and top Officials and the elite .Who can forget that a White Ambassador with Revolving Lights on its top symbolized Power and commanded  right of way.How on earth  could  this  cash-waving  chap  appreciate such a fine piece ? Why didn’t he call? He’s an idiot ! the mechanic is  a fool ! I’m stupid !  God, I wish I’d  have never taken my car to the garage.

Hmm!! Maybe, I perfectly did the right thing. The  man is surely enjoying the car-a house on wheels, riding out on the  weekends with his family, widows  down, fresh air  gushing  through the cabin. My  Amby-III  was a special car, all the more reason to pass it along to someone else who could experience its  glamour  and special character. After all, when it comes to a classic car, or any prized possession, we are not really its permanent owners but temporary custodians. My affection for my  Amby-III  is / was immense. I will miss the comforting presence of the  dark apparition parked in front of our porch – sun,wind or rain. Am I dwelling too deep in anthropomorpology ? Goodbye old faithful, goodbye friend.