My best friend was about to complete 1 year of that terrible accident which made him go through 2 elbow surgeries. Unlike every weekends, that weekend was no different as in that hot & humid weather beer is the savior. Moreover the weekend is our style to be prepared for the next coming week and anxiously waiting for that weekend.
My kind of job is tough in a metropolitan city where travel is unavoidable. Yes Sales was the name which now is rechristened to Business Development. IT Service sales is competitive for Small & Medium Enterprises where price & service both go opposite directions. I have a proper team in place who drive the sales for my company. The girls gets the leads & support the clients and the boys closes the leads.
That night I was in a happy mood as I’ve a major meeting in the coming week which I was sure to close. The clients are old and famous guys with office in Netaji Subhash Place and I had been chasing them since a long time.
Monika confirmed the meeting for Tuesday morning at around 11 am. The day went off good and all excited for the next day. You see sales is fun if one has good product knowledge and sales acumen.
22 May 2013 – Tuesday came with a sunny morning. I had my appointment with God that day so had to visit the temple before going to office. By 8.15 AM I was out wearing my checked blue shirt and before 9 AM I was office. Monika handed me the sales brochures and commercials with the presentation details which the client might be interested in. It’s really a rare occasion when I lose a client. And with the look on Monika, I can say she was excited and happy that her target is about to get complete. After getting the final confirmation from client she said “Boss you’re all good to go.” “The meeting is confirmed and this time even their MD is joining.”
I usually park my Honda Eterno in our Ground floor garage. As I moved out and asked the guard to open the garage .. he gets irritated saying “Sir, when you were about to leave by 10 AM then you could have parked your scooter outside.” I hardly reply to these queries because guards are very lazy in nature specially before their shift change.
I venture out of Bikaji Cama and take a ride towards ring road towards Wazirpur and Netaji Subhash Place is just few kilometers away. The traffic was as usually in its peak. There’s been a major metro work underway in Moti Bagh and Dhaula Kuan so the traffic was dragging its way out.
I was crossing Dhaula Kuan when this sardar ji in a bike zip passed me with double my speed. He was like on fire. In no time he was out of my vision. I crossed Dhaula Kuan and proceeded towards the Naraina flyover. This stretch passes through some empty road patch where cars and bikes speed ahead and make up the time they wasted in and before Dhauka Kuan. Also this area in the back side of Delhi Cantt.
Since the road was empty I chose a descent speed while some 200 meters ahead there’s an auto who too was going in the same speed of mine. I am more of a cruise rider so I make my ride comfortable with moderate speed. There were few people walking on the footpath. There is a left turn and as soon as I took that turn the auto in front of me stopped.. he literally hit the brakes and STOPPED right there.
After seeing him stop I hit my brakes. I can feel my scooter screeching and the back portion shaking. And within seconds I hit the auto from behind and just milliseconds before that I was like “S-H-I-T” “S-H-I-T” “S-H-I-T” “S-H-I-T” “S-H-I-T” “S-H-I-T” “S-H-I-T”.
I made a right fall towards the ongoing traffic. I can feel my helmet hitting the ground and thankfully I was wearing one. Soon I find some 10-15 motorcycle riders halt to help me get up and also those random guys helped me pull up my scooter even. I can see that sardarji who crossed me near Dhaula Kuan slapping the auto driver. The road was full of broken plastic spread from my broken scooter parts like head lamps, rear view mirror etc.
The auto driver was summoned and I asked him what he has done. I asked him to compensate. He offered me 300 bucks as that’s what he had that time. He left soon after.
The major thing what’s worrying me was that I shouldn’t be late for the meeting. The people near me were asking if I was hurt or anything broken. I checked myself and found I was not even scratched. My elbow though hurts but I lied them to get rid of the people. I was embarrassed.
While 90% of the people left in sometime few were still waiting and keeping a watch over me. I wonder why.. angels maybe!!
As I kicked started my scooter and changed the gears I find the scooter not moving. Then I realised that the mudguard was hitting the front tyres and the tyre and handle alignment changed. I tried but couldn’t realign. I kicked the mudguard to let go the tyre and I started off. I had to turn the handle bar left so that my scooter runs straight.
I reached the client site. Parked the scooter and rushed for the meeting. It was almost 11 AM. As I waited in their reception I can feel a stinging pain in my left elbow. Though it was not broken but the pain was something I was not ready for.
I met the client who in sometime could make out something wrong. He asked and I said I just survived an accident. The look in their eyes were wide and I was speechless. Actually post accident I didn’t knew what to do. I wanted to fulfill the expectations – my expectations, my team’s expectations. That was the right answer.
The meeting got over in sometime. I came to the parking and I called up office. Then Mom. Clicked some pics of the scooter and sent it to my boss. Searched for a mechanic at that place and got the scooter not fully but partially repaired.
What’s important during such accidents or incidents is not to lose mind. Try to be calm and patient and not get hyper or scared. If there’s blood oozing or broken limbs etc .. ask someone to take you to a nearby hospital. Be it how big or small it is. But before that do take your belongings like cellphones, laptops etc. or call someone and get help.
Abracadabra 
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