Gearing Up

The fog awaited the sun to unveil the scene with its perfect timing when she yawned and stretched lazily as her eyes travelled to the window of her room. What was only green a few weeks ago, when she had arrived from her college had become a garland of most vibrant blooms. Just then, there was a knock on the door and Cocoa, (the cocker spaniel) leapt out of the bed where he had been snuggling all this while. With his tail swishing, he was at the door sniffing. The maid announced from the threshold of the door that the vehicle was parked at the porch, ready for her. “The day has finally arrived”, she exhaled as she hugged Cocoa and whispered in his long ears, “I will make it, won't I?” Sensing her anxiety, Cocoa slobbered all over her face to soothe her nerves, as she hurried to get ready.

Taking her place at the back of the car, she exchanged pleasantries with the factory assistant who was seated next to the driver. The fresh morning breeze flowed into the car as they sped along. They could feel the gentle rise and fall of the road beneath them. Leaving behind the verdant panoramic view of the tea estates, they approached Lataguri forest. The sudden shrill screeching of the brakes brought their serene drive to an abrupt halt. “What’s on?” asked the factory assistant as they noticed the queue of vehicles ahead of them, moving in reverse gear in perfect sync. The vehicles moved as if they had been choreographed in perfect rhythm. Both Anmol and Raghuvir, complimented Suresh on his driving skills, as he parked the vehicle under the canopy of a mighty tree.

They wondered what could possibly have caused such disruption when suddenly, their jaws dropped in awe. Mesmerized, all of them gazed at a tiny baby elephant holding onto its mother’s tail, streaking through the boughs in both brilliant and shadowy beams of sunlight, across the highway. There was a murmur of excitement in the vehicle. They watched as the last elephant of the herd pompously made its way to the other side. All the vehicles waited until the coast was clear.

They carried on along the highway. The monotony of the drive was broken by the hustle-bustle of the quaint town of Jalpaiguri. The tinkling of the bicycle bells, the clucking of chickens and the chattering of people was a stark contrast from their pacific 60-km drive. As they turned into the lane, the houses with sloping tinned roofs, which hugged the narrow streets came into view. After dropping Raghuvir at the factory inspector’s office, Anmol and Suresh driver made their way to the Regional Transport Office (RTO). Suresh daaju assured Anmol that the driving test would go well, as Ganeshjis themselves had made a divine appearance en route.

Anmol was transported to a few days back when daaju would park the car at 11 every morning and she would practice driving on almost vacant roads of the estate. Cocoa too, never missed joining her for her lessons. At times there would be pluckers with their tirpaal, lunchboxes and their plucking baskets, but as soon as they would see the bada saab’s vehicle, they would give way and even hold on to their pets. The garden tractors too gave them the right of way. Suresh daaju was never ruffled by Anmol’s unpolished driving skills, rather he patiently guided her.

As the RTO building came into sight, Anmol’s reverie gave way to nervousness in the pit of her stomach. The typical red brick building of the British Raj days withstood many decades of weathers. There was pride in its lasting – a sense of strength but was now calling for renovation. A few children played on, in the corner where a football field stretched to the extent as far as the eyes could travel, interspersed by a few cows and goats. Motorcycles and bicycles stood in a neat array next to the office. A rickety car that stood there, with its metal bumper rusted, grabbed her attention.

Little did she know that this very vehicle had been designated for her driving test. An instructor chewing onto his beetle nut leaves took the seat next to her. She took her place behind the steering wheel, released the clutch and accelerated slowly. She was to manoeuvre the car between the bricks that had been placed in close proximity and had no room for error. With God’s name on her lips, she cruised along. All of a sudden, each part of her brain shifted gears. The car came to a jolting halt. The instructor looked at her askance. She pointed towards a lone calf standing in the middle of the road as if the road was just for him. There was a gentle wit about the calf as he looked at them with wide innocent eyes. “Drive on,” said the instructor, “the calf will move.”

Suppressing her panic, she followed the instruction. She moved as slowly as she could, honking but she could hear only the car rattle. “Move…move…” she screamed. She wished that the calf would heed her command. But the calf seemed to have misunderstood and gleefully trotted towards the car. Had it not been for this driving test, she would have got off to pat him. However, she had to focus on the task at hand and make a choice. This was an obstacle she had not practised for. Surrendering to fate, she rolled on.

She braced herself for the worst but her saviour - Suresh daaju, who had been watching all this while from the sidelines jumped in like a bolt from the blue. With his hand raised high, he chased the calf away from the path. Anmol heaved a sigh of relief and gave the instructor a triumphant grin. She sailed through the remaining test smoothly.

That evening, the happenings of the day served as an amusing dinner-time story. Anmol added, "the ride was way different than the ones in the tea estates." All enthused over her novel experience and her father quipped, "even on the highways, you may face many herd-els, but that's how we roll on the real roads."

Glossary of some tea-related terms:

Daaju: A respectful term for the staff (elder brother)

Tirpaal: An apron used by the pluckers

Bada saab: The estate manager