Driving Miss Paro....

Last Dassera, I bought my first car..a shiny new Santro. She was the most beautiful car I had set my eyes on. Shiny silver...she stood there waiting for me to take her on the drive of her life. Like all things I own I had to name her...I blv nothing is lifeless...all things have feelings and emotions and you need to refer to them with respect. So everything in my house - from the bed to the rug - has a name....Back to the naming...I named her Paro (short for Parvati)..it was my mom's idea actually..she thought it went with my personality ***rolls eyes***

Vishnu my trusty driver looked at me and beamed...and like in some hindi movie..all the words of encouragement that he had showered on me during my car driving training days started echoing in my head "Baby aap toh Baba(he calls my bro Baba) se bhi jyada acha chalate ho", "Baby toh do din main car ko office le jaa sakegi" as I tried to zoom away to glory. But yeah kya..no matter how hard I tried..Paro refused to move...."Vishnukaka help" I said with puppy eyes....and Vishnukaka my driver in shining new uniform saved the day for me by getting Paro home.

Paro and I share a strange relationship...no matter how hard I try we havent been able to gel. One of my friends suggested that maybe..just maybe..she didnt like the name Parvati..and I should consider changing it...but wat does he know about cars and names!! My dad's car is quite wel behaved and lets me drive it (ya it...coz i havent named it...it was bought bfr I was born..and i cant name some1 older thn me now can I??) arnd peacefully. Paro on the other hand..tends to end up embarrsing me every time I take her out for a drive.

Like the last time when I decided to take her for a spin...as alwayz she refused to move..and when she did...she moved at speeds that were meant for the F1 race and not for Mumbai's road...I ended up returning home with a bruised bumper and a bruised ego (got a ticket for speeding). But that wasn't the end of it..I had more humiliation in store...Paro decided she will suddenly stop moving when I reached the gates of my complex.

Consider the setting...uncles out on evening walks with aunties...tiny babies in strolleys with their mommies, kids younger to me zipping in and out in their cars effortlessly and admist all of this..Paro decides to come to a stop. No amount of cajoling gets her started...my trusty Vishnukaka isnt in sight either. Frustrated and irritated, I am trying my best to get her started when Ramkhilawan...our doodhwala..decides this is the most opportune time to take his rickety cycle(champakali) and the 2 cans of milk balanced on her to the other end of the road..by cutting in frnt of my car. There is something about rickety cycles and potbellied milkmen that Paro cannot resist because she suddenly decides to move...and I end up crushing Champakali under Paro's wheels.

The sea of milk spread across the complex gate brought all the uncles and aunties and kiddos and moms with their strolleys to my car..and murmurs of lady driver hai....aur kya karegi started...when out of nowhere Vishnukaka came to my rescue yet again..and whisked Paro and me away.

Its been 4 month since I have last touched Paro...my sis drives her without much trouble..but I havent been able to figure out why she (Paro not my sis) hates me soo much...My friend still insists that my car didn't like the name Paravati and this is her way of revolting...but I dont really agree...Any other thoughts??