I was returning home from Chandigarh after attending Mr. Sabrawal’s farewell party. Although the guests were still enjoying the party, but I left the hotel around 11 O’ Clock on Sunday night.
Mr. Sabrawal sahib had retired on 31st of August this year after serving a nationalized bank for more than 32 years as an auditor. They were insisting me that I must stay with them at their house for that night and leave the next morning, because it will take 6-7 hours to reach Gurgaon by car. Mrs. Sabrawal was more worried and she was repeatedly making a request not to travel at night alone on the national highway.
Somehow after repeated requests they allowed me to leave on one condition that I will drive safely with normal speed and call them back after reaching Gurgaon. Finally, with great difficulty, I left the party and reached Ambala Cant area within 45 minutes of continuous drive, because the state highway was almost free from traffic. As soon as I hit the national highway no.-1, I was forced to slow-down my car-speed, due to very heavy congestion on the road and I was driving at the speed of 40 KMPH.
I did not informed my wife about my late night traveling by car alone, otherwise she would have been worried. I knew for sure that she would really tear me apart once I reached home in the morning. I decided not to think on that matter any further and will see how to handle the situation when the time will come; and I started listening to Gurbani on my car stereo.
It was mid-night when I crossed Kurukshetra area and was heading towards Karnal when suddenly I saw one lady in bright red colour salwark-kameez, at this hour of night, waiving with both her hands to stop the car. Since I was driving in a very high-speed, I could not stop the car instantly and continued driving. I saw her again on the road ahead, but ignored her and kept on driving faster.
Was she the same lady again or I was dreaming? I did not stop my car and increased the speed of my car to 120 KMPH. But to my surprised, I saw the same lady once again, screaming on the road and waiving with both her hands for help. I literally don’t know how my car was stopped automatically in front of her. She knocked on the left side glass window of my car twice, but I did not roll down the glass window instead put all the car doors under lock.
She was looking in panic, crying and was repeatedly knocking on the glass window. With lots of curiosity and courage, I pulled down the car-glass and she spoke to me in Multani-Punjabi that she was traveling by roadways bus towards Delhi from Chandigarh. On the way, her bus met with a serious accident and all the passengers including the driver and conductor have been badly injured in the accident.
She was the only un-hurt survivor in the entire bus. She was very scared, hence she ran away from the accident spot in panic. She was walking alone on this highway since long but nobody was ready to stop the car at this hour of night and offer her lift.
She had recently got married with an automobile spare parts dealer in Delhi and was going back home alone to Delhi from her parent’s house. Her husband had promised to receive her at Kasmiri-gate-bus-depot in the morning. She had also lost her mobile phone and suitcase in the bus and she didn’t remember any of the mobile numbers of her husband, family or friends due to the sheer-fear, frustration and tension, caused by the said road accident.
She wanted me to give her a lift till Janakpuri metro station at north Delhi from there she would take a metro train and go home. I immediately opened the left rear door of my car and invited her to sit at the back and take some rest.
She sat down at the back seat comfortably and I pushed the car towards Delhi. I was suddenly feeling a very beautiful smell of perfume in the car but it also made me very uneasy. I was unable to bear the strong intoxicating smell of the said perfume, as such; I was forced to open the glass window of my car to get the fresh air for easy breathing.
First, I thought to stop the car at the highway-restaurant near Karnal for hot cup of tea but she insisted me to drive non stop so that she can reach home before the sun rise. Without putting any argument I kept on driving my car in a high speed. I didn’t know what made me so exited to drive my car in such a ridiculous speed which could have also put me in some unnecessary trouble. I was not feeling comfortable at that point in time. Suddenly I realized that my car stereo has stopped playing the music, I tried to switch on the Shabad kitan again but without any success.
I was not getting any noise or movement from the back seat and was also not in a position to look back and see whether she was awake or sleeping? Since the car was on very high-speed, I dropped the idea of looking back for the time being.
I had reached Delhi boarder around 5:00 AM in the morning when I slowed down my car and informed her that within next one hour she will reach home at Delhi. But I did not get any response, I again said in Punjabi but I heard no response from her side. I finally stopped my car after entering city near Janakpuri metro station and looked at the back seat. I could not believe my eyes, she was not there, and as a matter of fact no one was there at the back seat of my car. I was wondering, where she had gone, I was all along driving the car non-stop, so how was it possible for her to get down on the way, without my knowledge; moreover, why will she do it at the first place?
I also noticed one thing that back seat was in perfect condition and it seems that nobody sat there and I was actually driving the car all alone. Later I also realized the absence of the beautiful smell of perfume, which was very much there while I was driving.
There were so many questions coming in my mind at that point in time but I was not getting any answer and/or response, whatsoever. I decided to stop thinking further on this matter because, it was making me damn scared, sick and deeply disturbed.
Without giving much thought, I again started my car and suddenly heard the shabad kirtan, which also started playing of its own in my car stereo. I was moving towards Gurgaon, the sky at the eastern side was getting brighter mixed with red rays. I knew the sun was on the verge to explode in the sky with the announcement of the arrival of a new day full of new dreams, new hopes and new lives.
With Prayers
Gurcharan
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