"GO...........FIGO......" A Delightful posting with a Difference !!!

Dear All

Last week end was very special for me compared to close to 1900 week ends that passed by in my life so far......!! I paid advance for a CAR in extremely optimistic mindset; In fact there is a distinct possibility that it is going to be the first and last of such week end.....because.....Better read the below for yourself....!!

Well, it had always been a dream to own a car for many of the middle class minds...and few minds got much more aggravated in our country particularly after introduction of (I feel its really cute looking) NANO. Some how - either because of my lack of self belief OR due to some wierd thoughts about my future life - I had kept myself consciously away from getting entangled even with a ripple of thought that some day I will be buying a car for our personal use. There were countless times where - by default - even at sub conscious level- I had only negative feelings like contempt, mockery, laziness - to name a few - associated with buying a car. Whenever I see the long faces beyind the front glasses of a car in our ever crowded city roads, when I see new models of cars substituted with newer model for no good reasons......I get themes for my poems (YEAH.....its not that I never thought about these automobiles...Just that I thought about them with a "gap"....in a YOGA way !)

Now, with all the three of us exponentially growing around the middle region and our TVS scooty squealing and squirming, I was forced to look for better alternatives other than my grand old SAMURAI BIKE. With a steady income, this could have been seriously considered long back....but, like most things of life, time has to come only during 2010. On return from CBE, I had a clear plan to learn Car driving as one of my first priority which I sincerely did during last month (DID I really ?? perhaps I got a License now but still a long way to become a DRIVER !!) and got the muhoorath to pay advance on saturday last.

We also visited Hyundai show room to see the I10, did have plan to see the Maruthi "swift"ly, but, when we visited MPL Ford dealership 20 days back, FIGO captivated us - especially me.....!! Its not that I am emotional or sentimental about my employer, this car when I looked in a road for the first time seemingly whispered that he is a strong and sturdy man (yeah, I some how feel, FIGO is masculine...compared to SPARK and ESTILLO.....!! Swift looks like a Gujarathi Lady to me.....Sorry, please excuse me. This fellow kept piercing my eyes once a while on a continual basis showing up all his "colours" and it was just obliging to mere custom for me to open and see the demo cars parked at the show room as I was committed to this young man (I mean the FIGO) long back much before I stepped into the dealership.

This fellow (though I am not a techie) silently communicates to me that he is very much like me !! Mentally and physically very strong; not bothered about what people say about his looks (he looks good in a way - though !!!!) and above all - still (even after 6 months of introduction) is quite abnormal in roads - meaning - he is quite rare to find !! He is bit rigid - not many colours to offer and few of the features available only in premium models of other small cars - readily available with him for FREE in lower versions itself....!! Is bit insensitive to the price tag, he stood in the show room with bit of arrogance and too much of self belief !! Lemme tell you, its good crowd around him and the neighbouring FIESTA did not mind gleefully watching his younger brother taking all the limelight !!

DID the earlier para sounded like a poem by Kalamegha pulavar ?? Didn't it ?? No no...I dont have time to construct one more poem this week as I have too many things to do.....!! Let me write "cross over" from now on - which are some where in between poems and musings....this is just a beginning !!!!

Well, day before yesterday - the wonderful saturday, the 8th of May 2010 was destined for lot of good omens for me around booking this car...!! Sought blessings over phone from near and dear ones, brought my respected BIL along with me to have a test drive, on the way cracked a coconut at a roadside temple hoping for "all is well" (I should tell here that on a touch at his shoulder and with a whisper that we were going to book a car today, the gentleman priest became much more obliging and sincere in his duties and did a good deal of after dharshan services....EVERY one melts around us when we decide to stoop a little bit, isnt'it ??).....the sales officer supporting us from end to end....spending close to 2 hours in total, organized for the loan piece....and a great lunch at a good restaurant after we were out of the dealership....

Sensing the size of this posting, I am going to leave out the little poetic moments that happened while little Madhoo edged her way to have the chosen registeration number as her birthday AND the ever confused Anoo miraculously settled for a different colour (sea grey) deciding to compromise on her original choice of CHILL, My BIL gave a heart filled certificate about the driving comfort after having the test drive....ME enjoying every bit of the deal standing like a rock though I was dancing deep inside. Well, there were some philosophical moments too like....Anoo reaching me in private and trying to exploit me and my soothing words to pacify her on her last minute changed decision about the colour choice....how much of external support do people need for such trivial decision making ??? I strongly suspect if I have colour blindness as every piece of car parked at the dealership looked like a cute baby in front of my eyes.....very much like the scene ten years back - when I saw little madhoo for the first time amidst few other infants who were born on the same day....!! How do we choose standing in a garden.....?? Perhaps we do it only for practical purposes, isn't it...??

Well, going back to first para, I had mentioned that this could be the first and last such wonderful moment in my life ; Not that I am coiling myself as a pessimist and trying to imagine too hard....YEAH, I may buy another car in due course - either additionally OR substituting this one - who knows it could be even a big car or a SUV.....!! Thats not the point.

Close your eyes and imagine the first bliss you got when you got a bicycle and the first B & W TV that landed up at your home 2 decaded back.....!! Touch your heart and let me know if you have the same amount of bliss when we got a BIKE for ourselves when we started shaving off our cheeks systematically.....and when we changed the latest model of TV (GOSH, some times we seemingly but batteries in the remote of a TV so mechanically without any realization of what a powerful Tool it is.....so ungrateful !!!)

So.... Its great to enjoy this moment of the first purchase of a car...I thank the whole eternity for being with me which carried me all along until this point and silently observing me who was able to substantially observe the things happening at the dealership with some amount of gap though there was an element of excitement.....AND gratefully acknowledge those wonderful people who made me what ever I am today....!!

Having tactfully organized that the vehicle will be delivered on my birthday during june - when I start sitting in MY car, ignite its engine and touch the cute gear to firmly put up the FIRST one, I am sure to mutter with lot of awareness....."KRISHNAARPANAM"....as always.....

Suchoo

ps:- too long sentences....?? difficult to decipher....? not really.....Try it again...it all came as a flow and I am not a cruel one to unnecessarily force commas and colans.....!! When Shakthi prevails, Shambo just watches.....!!!

"ஏன் இப்படி" கள் - ஒரு புதிய கவிதை

(1)
இரும்பும் இளகும் நெருப்பில் வெந்து
கம்பியாய்..... கட்டடத்துக்கு மிக்க பலமாய்.......
தங்கம் மிளிரும் தணலின் துணையுடன்
அழகு மகளிருக்கு மேலும் ஒரு அணியாய்.......

(2)
அழுக்கும் பிசுக்குமாய் பாசிக்குளம்....
மலர் மெதுவாய் தலை நிமிரும் கதிரவன் நோக்கி !
சீறும் புயலில் மரங்கள் ஒடிந்து மடிய
தப்பும் மூங்கில் காடுகள் தலை தாழ்த்தி வணங்கி !

(3)
புடம் போடும் புதிர் வாழ்க்கையது
அழுத்தமாய் ஆக்குதே சில நேரத்தில் பல மனிதரை.....
சூட்சமமான அற்புத வாழ்விது....
கரும்பாய் திருப்புதே ஒரு சில மனிதரை........