Hailing from a middle-class family- a personal car was a luxury for us until my father decided to buy one with his hard-earned savings 2 years prior to his retirement. It was just days past my 18th birthday and obviously I was thrilled to bits upon seeing our brand-new Wine Red colored Alto standing right in front of my eyes. The only thought which crossed my mind at that moment was – I badly need a license to drive this!!
Within four months, I had one in my hand- and on the expected lines I was at the steering, driving through the streets of Kolkata, albeit ‘cautiously’. My father accompanied me for a few days initially- but I was adamant on driving alone- after all I had to assert my new found ‘adulthood’ and independence to my parents.
But unfortunately, things always do not end up as we wish it to be. Couple of months after my father stopped joining me for the short rides, I was involved in an accident, which not only injured an elderly man on the street, but also left the car in a bad shape. Multiple scans revealed the injured person had not suffered any serious damage and he was left off with preliminary first aid. Though I heaved a sigh of relief as I came to know the extent of his injury, the car’s condition left me extensively shaken.
My parents did not question me whether I was rash-driving, for they knew I was a safe bet at the wheels. But somewhere down the line, I knew I was at fault. It did not take much time to understand that I should have honed my skills more before taking out the car in peak office hours. The fact that my father had to pay close to a lakh (excluding the insurance) to repair the car was difficult for me to accept. It was not his mistake- yet it was him who was making it up for some childish decisions from my part.
The incident left me so emotionally disturbed that I decided I will give up driving- and I did so. Months passed, and I even stopped looking at the car after it arrived post repair. Surprisingly, this set of events had affected my behaviour. I had turned in a subdued person, unwilling to step out of home much. As I continued zeroing down my world, my parents realized I am doing myself no good.
I can vividly remember the day as they came to have a word with me on a Sunday afternoon, handed me the car keys and asked to take them out for a drive. Their words left me astonished- how could they trust me again with the car? But they believed I need to do that- not only to make myself understand that I can drive, but also to break the shackles I had created around me.
I contemplated a lot before accepting their request- I had zero confidence in myself. But after much deliberation, I decided I will give it a shot. My hands trembled as I unlocked the doors and stepped in the car. My parents sat in the rear seats- giving me complete freedom as to how I wanted to drive. There was not any word of caution from either of them.
My heart skipped a beat as I drove across the point where I had the accident. But simultaneously my confidence levels soared as I crossed the multiple traffic signals without a glitch. I could feel I was a better driver, but I did not want to take chances. Hence, after an hour returned to our house- safe and sound.
As I parked the car, I could feel a spring in my steps. My body language changed completely, and I was walked in the house smiling- and thinking the wonders my parents did with such a small action.
Today I not only stand as a confident person who has drove over 200kms at a stretch, but also having learnt the lesson of not giving up in life. Indeed, small actions does matter in our lives.