BUT....... I like BUT...

BUT …….. I LIKE “BUT” !!!!!!!!!!!
It is strange how so many times we have seen time changing from good to bad, and many times from bad to worse. We always remember the times when it was good and how one instance changed it all for us. Have we ever realized that we always have memories or should I say strong memories of the time changing from good to unexpectedly bad all of a sudden? Do we remember instances when time just changed to bad to good suddenly; I think all of us would be having no or very few instances of it. But have we encountered an instance where time just nearly changed, I mean it just taught you that it can change and gave you some advanced notification of sorts that it can could or would “but” ………. Did not change….
I had one such instance where time could have changed 3 lives permanently “BUT” it chose otherwise at the last moment. On Sunday when we left our home to attend a wedding reception at Pune and to push our housing loan application ahead, we in our wildest dreams did not think that such an incident will occur. My friend called me saying that he will accompany us to the reception as his train was cancelled in the morning; it was like he was destined to be a part of the whole drama that was going unfold. In the hind sight I think it was a like introducing a character in a mystery movie and while watching you all the time think why he was introduced.
After all the usual rituals of topping up the fuels and bidding good bye to parents we started to Pune at somewhere around 5pm … I was driving and we were chatting and having fun as we were on a picnic. The plan was simple to attend the friends’ reception on Sunday night and then on Monday push the housing loan application and come back….. On the way we had planned to meet Bala as he was going to stay with us at Anita’s place…. So in all a fun filled trip to Pune as it’s always and with that a little boring housing loan formalities.
We reached the express way in no time as Sunday afternoon or early evening we hardly got any traffic anywhere. After negotiating the Karjat Ghat and that too after a refreshments break at the Food Court we were all set to reach the reception hall before time. We already started to plan how and from where we will pick Bala and My friend started to think how he will go to his sister’s place after the reception. As we were 1000 meters from the Pune toll naka I heard a blasting sound from right hand rear side and before I could realize or even contemplate of what it could be my steering wheel was going out of control and within seconds the whole car started to wobble. That’s when I realized the blast sound was of the rear right wheel bursting. The thought terrified me as Prachi and Suhas sitting inside the car could not gauge what the problem was. The car then started to go off the road on the othe side of the expressway as I was in the rightmost lane at somewhere around 140km/h. someone in the car shouted about the drift and I at the steering applied brakes in the whole panic. But as I was about to apply full brakes something inside me told not to do so and just mere turned the steering towards left to control the speedy right drift, the sudden slowing down of right most wheel and my turning left both accounted for the car completing a full 360 degree in the middle of the road and when trying another circle hit the railing on the express way to come to halt in the middle of a busy express way. After a second when I realized that the car was at stand still and I looked out of the window I realized the car is perpendicular to the Expressway and spanned 2 lanes of it..

As I realized where it has come to standstill I frantically tried starting the car giving the ignition but failed for first 2-3 times, then realizing I was driving on the CNG I changed the fuel option to petrol and then again tried it and this time the car cranked and the engine came to life….. I was relieved and without even thinking which way I was going I got the car on the side of the road. Prachi and Suhas in the meantime had come out of the car and I joined them after parking the car at the side of the road facing the opposite direction from the one we were driving moments ago…. After some time when the whole incident settled we started looking at the options. Suhas then called the highway assistance who came and at the start where wondering how our car is facing the opposite direction. As the time started to pass and our nerves settled, each of us started to think what could have happened and what has happened.
Some strange things happened during the whole course of this accident and one most important thing was that during the whole incident there was not a single vehicle who was behind us or passed by us till the time I parked the car by the road side….. the time that the whole incident took place it was really lucky that there was no vehicle small or big following our trail we were all alone on the express way. The highway assistance that was patrolling were so surprised by the way all the 3 of us were unhurt and all the blow of the railing was taken by the rear of the car.
Just by thinking of what would have happened if there was a huge trailer or truck or for that matter any other private vehicle right behind us when we were coming to halt in circles is frightening but nothing happened………. if I would have applied sudden breaks then car would have turned on its head BUT I did not ……. If there was no railing at that place we would have fallen in the pit BUT nothing such happened….…… if I did not have turned left we would have drifted to the other side of the express way where vehicles were speeding in the opposite direction and what has hit the rear would have been a Head-on collision BUT …….. Nothing such happened…… and for a change I started to like the word BUT for the first time in my life …. …
In the end not only the car was intact, we attended the reception and also finished the housing loan formalities the next day BUT also came back to Mumbai safe and sound……. For what would have changed lives of 3 people “BUT” time just decided not to at the very last moment……