Aai Ga! Kiti ha Unhala!
Although I get to sit in an air conditioned room the whole day long (yep. This is me officially “rubbing it in” your face), going out is for even a teensy bit is like taking a stroll through your favorite oven. The streets looked baked, the sun is relentless, and the pollution doesn’t help by sticking to your face along with the sweat – eww it paints a yucky picture, right?
Pune at the start of a longg, hot summer is sluggish and heavy, with motorists too tired to hurl abuses at each other through the sun, and making do with giving “The Glare” instead.
Pune motorists share an amazing thing in common – any newcomer in the city, when given a two wheeler to prance about on, learns to use “The Glare” pretty fast. This comprises of staring at the “offending” driver/jaywalker with large bloodshot eyes or alternatively (means females do this more often) looking with a disgusted expression on the face (I can attest this! I do IT!).
The “offender” might be doing anything – standing on the side of the road waiting to cross at the zebra crossing (the NERVE! Why should WE wait for them to cross??) or driving at the completely INSANE speed of like, 40 kmph! (WHO drives that slow?? Hello!! wake up slowcoach!!) or my personal favorite – talking on a cell phone!!! ( ever heard of a HANDS FREE??)
Seriously though, traffic in Pune is as bad .. no awful.. as it is portrayed. Why cant people follow traffic rules like “Stop at a signal” or “Use Zebra Crossings”?? Most of these people are – and I honestly dont mean to brag – NOT “IT” people. From what I have been seeing the past few weeks, these are (1) Students (2) Wannabe Cool Dudes (3) People who look like they dont know how to read, let alone follow rules (I genuinely do not know how to describe this group without attracting the wrath of someone. They look vulgur, dirty, with paan/gutka stains on their mouth & clothes and a look in their eye that makes you think they must have slept in a ditch somewhere last night..)
