Close shave.

Sunday mornings aren't really, the get-up-early ones. So as usual, it was about 9.30 when I staggered out of bed. I would have wanted to sleep a little more, but my bladder wouldn't listen. After relieving myself, I went to brush and soon I was wide awake. I had nothing much to do the entire day, so I thought of snoozing through the afternoon.

Evening came quickly, and with it brought a call from my niece. She sounded, worried. Poor baby, 6 yr old kids sounding worried is touching. "What happened?", I questioned. Her younger brother, my nephew, barely 3 months old was ill. Just as the call got over, my Mom came in from outside. I gave her the news. My goodness, it takes very little to take my mom into emotional stupor. I tried pacifying, saying there's nothing really bad, and the kid would be alright. But would she listen?

She rang up my sister. "Daughter, I am coming there." "No, Mom it's alright. He would be fine." "Nothing doing, I am coming there". Cut. I looked up. "Come!". Soon we both were on my bike and in about half an hour we were at my sister's place. My mom, wasn't too impressed with my bike-riding. She thought I was too fast. Well, no comments there. Then after about 15 mins, I told mom, I was leaving. "Son, please, please, please be careful. Don't ride too fast.""I know MOM, bye."

10 mins later, I was riding inside the GRADE-SEPARATOR at Pimpri. It is a good one, reduces the wait-time at traffic-signals. As it was about to end, I was on a slope, riding at about 50 KMPH. I was on the right side of the lane, and I noticed an INDICA waiting to take a U-turn, flashing it's indicators. I tried slowing down, thought to take a left. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see some speeding vehicles coming from the left rear. OK, I will stop and then move left, I thought. Suddenly, I also thought about the dinner I was going to have shortly. My right foot was firmly on the brake, but it wasn't slowing down my bike, by much. And all of a sudden, CRASH, BANG, THUD... I was thrown of my bike, I felt my left shoulder go and hit a car coming from behind, and in a sec I was on my knees. I had actually rebounded off that car and fell right next to my bike. I picked it up and, saw its headlight and indicator broken. That's when I realised, I had smashed into the left rear of the INDICA, that waited eternally to take the U-turn.

What happened after that is history. What mattered most is that I was alive, and probably could have been kicking, but my knees were hurting. It was a real close-shave, closer than the one I had when I cleaned my moustache and beard in the morning. I thanked God, and limped ...kidding... I rode home!