Timewarp

 The Trailer.




Note : Trailer or Accidents. It took me a while to pick a title for this post. I have met with many accidents, minor and semi major, but nothing  gave me nightmares like this one in particular. I never had a near death experience prior to this, nothing that I am aware of.

Interestingly I started having nightmares after I picked Interpretation of Dreams to read. But that is as far as the connections go.

Me and my roommate Rohan were heading back to our place from office. The night was young, the city and its inhabitants were slowly going to their sleep. Streets were almost deserted apart from  the few night vendors here and there. It was a perfect time for a night ride.

When we reached the pipeline junction, the signal was red. Though the roads were empty and there weren't any vehicles crossing the junction that moment, we waited there before the signal. It was a needless act I must say. We started moving when we got green.We had hardly crossed the center when I felt its presence. Everything around me started moving in slow motion. Time got warped, felt a gush of cold air on my face and an equally cold chauffeur with his sixteen wheeler stared at me from a close proximity. The expression on his face, if there was any, was sheer indifference. I couldn't read his eyes. I was hoping he would apply the brakes any moment. But by each passing moment I was getting aware that even if he intends to make any such effort it wouldn't do us any good that to crush us  slowly under its giant wheels. Since we stopped earlier we hadn't gained enough speed so weren't confident about covering the distance.

Rohan later told me he felt  he could manage to take the front side of his en-field from the impact but not the back side. I felt too happy to have got a friend who is concerned about my safety. But he was worried about bikes hind quarters( it was fresh out after several alterations). To my luck both of us, hind part of the bullet and me, were the same at that moment. The Trailer missed us by a whisker and sped away without even bothering to stop.

I don't know what change an accident brings to people apart from those who watched Final destination and take it seriously. We laughed a lot after this incident. Everything else became less significant. or we weren't bothered about anything else. We were immensely happy. Not just because we survived life seemed really valuable. Thoughts were crystal clear. But the moment passes.

I am strongly advised not to go anywhere near motor bikes. My parents, in fact the whole family, despise it and are afraid of them. So I am not sure whether I am supposed to be following that strictly and keep a distance from bikes. But many of the time you can't help it. You travel and you prefer traveling on bikes. Had a bike trip from Bangalore to Goa, met with few other accidents. Though it many of them could have gone wrong nothing had an impact on me like the trailer incident.

To this day sight of sixteen wheelers give me nightmares.