I shouldn’t be Alive!

I shouldn’t be alive! You might have heard this several times from the people who have come across mind boggling incidents in their lives. They might have seen things and had a close encounter with the fact called death. I have recently joined that list of people who say ‘I shouldn’t be alive.’
24th January 2009 a day which was suppose to be a day of enjoyment and excitement turned out to be a day of extreme pain and tension for me and my parents. The day began with me unable to sleep properly spending almost the whole night sleepless on my bed. I finally got some sleep in the morning for few hours, when I woke up I was already late and behind my schedule to get ready and reach office in time. My ‘Aaaee’ (mother) was not feeling well which I didn’t realize till today when she told me while talking about that day.
I managed to get ready as early as possible and hurry up to the car with a hide n seek biscuit in my mouth to the car. For a change I cleaned up the dusty car of mine, which is not my choice when I am late to reach some place. I drove off towards my destination with a relaxed mood and calm mind. Once I entered the Mumbai city, I came across a traffic jam which was at a junction where it was least expected. I somehow managed to make way out of it sooner than expected and reached the eastern express highway. Everything looked OK till I reached the point of no return on the road. I was behind a speeding car on the 1st lane of the highway which was speeding away with an ease, I did not bother to speed up and follow it for some reason. The speed was a regular 80 km/hr something common for me for past 5 years of my driving time. Suddenly the car slowed and took a sharp lane change, exposing me to a spot dug up for some unknown reason, fenced with 4 bamboo sticks and small 2 x 1 feet of a board saying ‘work in progress’. I had to react quickly to avoid hitting the bamboo sticks and people working on the divider at the spot. So I tried the same thing the car ahead of me did, slowing down and changing the lane. But it wasn’t supposed to happen. While slowing down and turning the car left, it was on those yellow paint strips which you might be aware been seen on the highway since last year’s monsoon.

The front right tire of the car came off the alloy wheel rim to the internal side of the car. This caused the front wheels to wobble and go towards the 1st lane. What happened next could not be imagined or done again by me in the future. I manage to cross the bamboo fence and the dug site, and ram the car front right side first on the divider of the highway. This first hit tossed the car in the air almost a foot followed by the second hit head on front side of the car with the divider again. The car was still in the air and took a horizontal 360 degree turn in mid air landing the car in the direction opposite to where I was going.

After the car settled on the ground, I saw few men running towards the car to my rescue. They rushed to open the door which was locked from the inside. I managed to take off the seat belts which kept me on the seat safely in the car. I picked up my cell phone from the floor mat which was earlier on the seat came out of the car with no pain or anything. After coming out of the car the men around me asked me, am I alright, to which I responded with as positive. I quickly took out the mobile phone from my pocket to call up my dad. I spoke with him told him about the incident and then called up my manager to inform her about the same. As I finished with the calls I felt relaxed and at the same time while making the calls, the bright sunlight in front of me was fading to darker yellow gold shades of the color, I felt my head spinning. So I thought of sitting down on the road resting my back against the divider to comfort myself. I just didn’t realize when I passed out to experience the most peaceful sleep ever of my life. All that I remember is my eyes closing with no worries on my mind on a hot tar road under the blazing afternoon sun at 12.30 in the middle of highway next to my wrecked car.

But all this short lived as people noticed me unconscious and rushed back at me to wake me up and offer some water to ease me. After having gulping down some water, I was back to normality. I crossed the road and went to the left side of the road, where I saw police accompanied by a towing truck coming to the spot. They called me back to the car, checked my status, and asked what happened, anyone else along with me in the car. They asked me to take the photos of the car before they could tow it to the side of the road for the reference of the insurance claim.

I took the snaps and they moved the car to the side of the road. They asked me to report the accident to avoid problems in the post accident formalities. Then appeared two gentlemen from my dad’s office, who checked with me and the police about the further actions, are to be taken. Then we three went to the nearest police station to report the accident. While going to the police station I called up a friend who was very much familiar to deal with the situation I was into. I called up Rahul my childhood buddy to the rescue; fortunately he had just arrived home from some work. He came and we finished off the formalities at the police station. My dad had also arrived by then. Dad’s associates had left as he had arrived. So it was my dad, Rahul and I left further to complete the next task of getting the vehicle towed away to the garage. We reached back the spot and called up the towing service. The towing van came in 20 minutes, I handed over the papers and informed dad that am leaving for office.

Rahul and I left towards the office and dad took a towing van to the garage. Rahul dropped off at a point nearest to his home and I continued further in spine rattling rickshaw towards the office. When I reached the office the news of my accident was already around the place. When shown the photos taken of the car wreck, only one question was asked. How are you alive? Though photos were not a big deal, even Rahul asked me the same thing when he saw the car before it got towed. The reason to commute to office even after such a bad accident was to keep my mom off the tension and worries which I created out of the accident. I have been trying hard to keep my parents out of worries from my side, but nothing works. I already had a bike accident on 1st January 2009, the very day of the year, which left me with 5 stitches on my chin. Just that wound had healed and this accident got added up. Dad suggested after the first accident take the car so that I’d be safe, but after this I have nothing left to commute to office. Motorcycle is convenient in traffic and car is efficient in rains. Luckily it is winter when all this had happened.
There was employee get together party on that day in the evening. After reaching office and giving the account of accident to my colleagues, I was advised to take a nap before leaving for the program. Going there was only to avoid reaching home early and face my parents. So I took a nap in the office in a corner well hidden from the people working around. Then got up to leave to the hotel where it was been arranged. Fortunately there were internal arrangements of car to reach the place and further arrangements from office to drop the people at home after party. I enjoyed the party with colleagues getting high with the alcohol and dancing wild after that.

Party was great but I never knew there were so many drunkards working around me in the office, no offense by the number people who were consuming alcohol was beyond my expectations. Finally it all ended around 12 midnight. The day which is unforgotten ended with me reaching home safely in a cab arranged by the office at home at 2 a.m. next morning. If it wasn’t for my friends and office buddies I wouldn’t have got through the day and be in position to write all this down and express it.
Only regret I have out of all this is that, my parents are suffering more than what I have suffered in the accident.
I am really sorry to put them in this situation and also my beloved car which is damaged badly.

Accident Details:
Location: Eastern Express Highway, Near Best Bus Stop for Bhandup.
Journey – Airoli, Navi Mumbai – Powai, Mumbai.
Distance: 13.5 Kms.
Date / Time: 23rd January 2009 /12.15 p.m.