I felt exactly what a woman travelling alone, locked out of her car would feel...desperate, helpless, and even felt like kicking myself! Let me start from the beginning.
It began with the day-break of 29th June. It was one of those days when you just feel low, and you can't pin-point the reason behind the sadness. The whole day went by like that - feeling unhappy about something I couldn't figure out. When it was time to leave office, I somehow didn't feel like (perhaps sensed something was gonna happen). I said to a friend, "I don't feel like going home, but I don't feel like sitting here either. I am so restless.." But then, since there is no possibility of not coming back home, I decided to leave at the usual time - 5.
Since I was so preoccupied with being sad, I didn't realize that my car was not in its usual parking spot - the first one. So while I was backing it looking out of the rear mirror, I completely forgot the car that was parked beside mine, and I hit it! The first time I don't concentrate, I manage to hit some one's parked car, that too in office! That made me feel so guilty and I wanted to actually find out about the owner, apologize to him and pay him for damages. But the guard standing there advised me to leave, since probably he thought there would be a fight and some guy might exchange furious words with a woman on office premises, and he felt that better to avoid that situation altogether. May be, he was right, since people in this part of India are actually looking for a reason to fight and swear at each-other. But perhaps, I should have followed my first thought. Even if the guard was right, at least I wouldn't feel guilty for running away from my deed.
I did run away, but before I left, the security person actually said to me, "Ma'am, your car is more severely hit than his. His simply has a scratch but yours has pretty bad scratches." Now, not his mistake...how would he know those were old scratches, my little bro had given my car when he drove it for the first time.
Anyway, a seed of doubt was planted in my mind, and since I was already sad, I felt even more awful! Usually, if someone hits my car, I wait till I get to my destination to actually look at the damage caused, since I believe it is better not to look at it instantly as that would definitely cause a fight. Yet that day, I decided to 'have a look' on my way. So, I stopped the car on the side of a road, very near to my office. And, though I think of switching the engine off, I decide against it since I think it would be just a few seconds. (Well, it turned out to be an hour!!!) I ignored the fact that I have a central locking feature and too with security, so it automatically locks after a few seconds. So it did. And while my car keys were locked inside the running car; I was left stranded on that road, without any clue what to do next; the cherry on the cake being the fact that even my phone was inside! Wow! Foolish, huh?? Definitely! But for the record, that's not the most foolish thing I have done ;-P
Coming back to the story, two guys on a bike, stopped and offered to help. They started asking people going by for a foot-long scale while insisting me to call someone I knew. They had to attend a service call. So I searched my mind for a number I could remember...couldn't find any! Then, I remembered a colleague's no., but then, we are not that good friends, or acquaintances either. But somehow, I remembered his phone no. So, I had no choice but to call him. I asked him to call a friend whose details he could find from outlook (bless Outlook!). He did, and so my friends came to help me. Meanwhile many people stopped to help since probably people are a little sympathetic towards a woman stuck in a problem (for whatever reasons). Finally, someone could open the window after an hour of all this drama and struggle; and I drove back home, safely!
So that was the day which taught me a few lessons, the hard way -
Listen to your gut feeling.
By-heart at least one such person's number who can really help you when you are stuck. (So I gave my brother some of my friends' numbers, just in case).
Have to get the on-call on-road service subscription.
I pray to God to forgive me my mistakes and please not let me learn any lesson in this manner...I am fine with subtleties of life :-)
It began with the day-break of 29th June. It was one of those days when you just feel low, and you can't pin-point the reason behind the sadness. The whole day went by like that - feeling unhappy about something I couldn't figure out. When it was time to leave office, I somehow didn't feel like (perhaps sensed something was gonna happen). I said to a friend, "I don't feel like going home, but I don't feel like sitting here either. I am so restless.." But then, since there is no possibility of not coming back home, I decided to leave at the usual time - 5.
Since I was so preoccupied with being sad, I didn't realize that my car was not in its usual parking spot - the first one. So while I was backing it looking out of the rear mirror, I completely forgot the car that was parked beside mine, and I hit it! The first time I don't concentrate, I manage to hit some one's parked car, that too in office! That made me feel so guilty and I wanted to actually find out about the owner, apologize to him and pay him for damages. But the guard standing there advised me to leave, since probably he thought there would be a fight and some guy might exchange furious words with a woman on office premises, and he felt that better to avoid that situation altogether. May be, he was right, since people in this part of India are actually looking for a reason to fight and swear at each-other. But perhaps, I should have followed my first thought. Even if the guard was right, at least I wouldn't feel guilty for running away from my deed.
I did run away, but before I left, the security person actually said to me, "Ma'am, your car is more severely hit than his. His simply has a scratch but yours has pretty bad scratches." Now, not his mistake...how would he know those were old scratches, my little bro had given my car when he drove it for the first time.
Anyway, a seed of doubt was planted in my mind, and since I was already sad, I felt even more awful! Usually, if someone hits my car, I wait till I get to my destination to actually look at the damage caused, since I believe it is better not to look at it instantly as that would definitely cause a fight. Yet that day, I decided to 'have a look' on my way. So, I stopped the car on the side of a road, very near to my office. And, though I think of switching the engine off, I decide against it since I think it would be just a few seconds. (Well, it turned out to be an hour!!!) I ignored the fact that I have a central locking feature and too with security, so it automatically locks after a few seconds. So it did. And while my car keys were locked inside the running car; I was left stranded on that road, without any clue what to do next; the cherry on the cake being the fact that even my phone was inside! Wow! Foolish, huh?? Definitely! But for the record, that's not the most foolish thing I have done ;-P
Coming back to the story, two guys on a bike, stopped and offered to help. They started asking people going by for a foot-long scale while insisting me to call someone I knew. They had to attend a service call. So I searched my mind for a number I could remember...couldn't find any! Then, I remembered a colleague's no., but then, we are not that good friends, or acquaintances either. But somehow, I remembered his phone no. So, I had no choice but to call him. I asked him to call a friend whose details he could find from outlook (bless Outlook!). He did, and so my friends came to help me. Meanwhile many people stopped to help since probably people are a little sympathetic towards a woman stuck in a problem (for whatever reasons). Finally, someone could open the window after an hour of all this drama and struggle; and I drove back home, safely!
So that was the day which taught me a few lessons, the hard way -
Listen to your gut feeling.
By-heart at least one such person's number who can really help you when you are stuck. (So I gave my brother some of my friends' numbers, just in case).
Have to get the on-call on-road service subscription.
I pray to God to forgive me my mistakes and please not let me learn any lesson in this manner...I am fine with subtleties of life :-)
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