First, we are born. A lot of random stuff happens to us. Finally, we die.
Life doesn’t come with a user manual, does it? We don’t know how we got here, how long we will be here, or what we are supposed to do while we’re here. Nobody has life completely figured out. Nobody has all the answers.
Life is random and chaotic, and full of uncertainty. We have no idea what the future can bring. We have no idea what situation we may find ourselves in tomorrow.
Sometimes, you might find life proceeding exactly the way you want it to. Your personal relationships are going great. Your career is fantastic. Everything seems nearly perfect. You’re on a permanent high. Then, after some time passes, one thing starts to go wrong. And then another thing, and another thing. Before you know it, the bubble has burst and your ideal life starts to fall apart. You get plunged right back into chaos and uncertainty.
Conversely, sometimes in life, you enter a dark phase and things are just going all wrong for you. Your relationships are in tatters, your career is a disaster. You don’t know what to do and you can’t see any way out. You feel lost and helpless. Then, after some time passes, a small ray of hope appears. You grab on to it. Then, one thing starts to go your way. And then another thing, and another thing. A path emerges in front of you. Before you know it, the dark shadow has passed by. You feel relaxed, peaceful and happy.
And so it goes on and on. The wheel in the sky keeps on turning. The wheel of fortune that is.
King Solomon once had an exquisite golden ring made and he wanted to inscribe some words on it. He called the wisest sages of the land and asked them to come up with words such that they will always be true, no matter who has the ring, where they are or what time in history. If a happy person looks at it, he should forget his joy and if a sad person looks at it, he should forget his sorrow.
The words inscribed on the ring were: “This too shall pass.”
The realization that everything is temporary can be liberating. If nothing lasts, why worry about what will happen tomorrow or dwell about what happened yesterday? None of it will matter.
In our daily lives, we will feel joy, excitement, sorrow, pain, anger. We will find ourselves in all kinds of different situations. We will go through many varied journeys. However, in the background of our consciousness, if we can hold on to the realization of the fleeting nature of all things, it will give us a sense of peace.
So all you have to do, is to keep breathing. Be present in this moment. Enjoy the journey, whatever journey you find yourself on. And remember that this too shall pass.
Decisions
Decisions, decisions, decisions. We’re faced with so many of them every day. They range from trivial ones like what clothes to wear or what food to eat, to major ones like which college to go to or which company to work for.
Most people get overwhelmed by having to make all these decisions. Especially, the big ones. We’re told that a single choice we make will determine how the rest of our lives turn out. Oh my God, are you serious? The rest of my life depends on what I decide right now? Oh hell no. I can’t handle that magnitude of responsibility. How am I supposed to know what to do?
Say you come to a fork in the road and have to choose between option A and option B. You think long and hard, consult friends and family. Everybody says different things. You analyze pros and cons. You’re thoroughly confused. You want to feel assured that you’re making the right choice, but there is no way to be sure. Every time you lean in one direction, some doubts creep in. This decision will affect your whole life, after all. The grass suddenly seems greener on the other side.
You know where the grass really seems the greenest? Not having to make the decision at all. The problem is that picking one option, means not picking the other option. It means you will never know how things might have been if you had taken the road you didn’t go on. You can only know what happens on the road you picked.
Wouldn’t it be great if you had a time machine and could simply pick option A, travel to the future and see how the rest of your life turns out? Then, after a quick bathroom break, pick option B and again see how everything turns out. You would be in a position to know exactly which path will make you happier. That would be sweet, wouldn’t it?
The bad news is we don’t have access to such a time machine (yet). But, we have at our disposal a powerful tool that can act as a substitute for a time machine. It’s called our imagination.
Here’s what you do. Find a time when you’re alone, you have some peace and quiet, and your mind is relatively undisturbed. This could be early morning or late night. It could be in your bedroom or your prayer room or even your bathroom, if you can’t find any place else.
Close your eyes. Assume you have already picked option A. Visualize in your mind and feel with your heart, where you are, what you’re doing, who is with you, what the environment is like. Project yourself into the future: one month from now, one year from now, ten years from now.
Take no more than ten minutes to do this. Then, after a quick bathroom break of course, clear your mind, take five deep breaths, and repeat this for option B.
There, in less than half an hour, you’ve traveled to the future and seen which choice makes you happier. No need to talk to many people, or do a lot of research. Too much information is sometimes detrimental to decision-making. All the answers lie within. Learn to trust your instincts.
After making the decision, people frequently revisit it again and again, wondering if they made the wrong choice. This is especially true when things start to go wrong, which they inevitably do at some point or the other. You start to look back and chastise yourself for making an incorrect choice.
Don’t do that. It serves no purpose whatsoever. How can you know that things would have turned out better if you had made the other choice? Maybe they would be even worse than they are now. Or maybe, this struggle that you are going through now is exactly what you need to take that next step in your personal evolution and prepare for what lies ahead.
There is no way to say for sure that any decision you made was a bad one, since you can’t know what would have happened had you made the other choice. So, don’t go back and revisit the decision. Don’t ever do that. What’s done is done. There are no wrong choices.
Besides, it’s not just the decision that matters; it’s also what you do after that. The time when you make the decision is just a single moment in time. It is followed by many more moments in the months and years to follow. Once you make the choice, you have to handle whatever comes your way. How you face the situation from there on is equally important as the decision itself.
And if you truly start to feel that this is no longer the right path for you, you can always backtrack. Very few decisions are irreversible. In the words of Led Zeppelin from Stairway to Heaven, “Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run, there’s always time to change the road you’re on.”
Above all, remember to follow your deepest intuition. It already knows what’s best for you, before your thinking mind figures it out and gets with the program.
Most people get overwhelmed by having to make all these decisions. Especially, the big ones. We’re told that a single choice we make will determine how the rest of our lives turn out. Oh my God, are you serious? The rest of my life depends on what I decide right now? Oh hell no. I can’t handle that magnitude of responsibility. How am I supposed to know what to do?
Say you come to a fork in the road and have to choose between option A and option B. You think long and hard, consult friends and family. Everybody says different things. You analyze pros and cons. You’re thoroughly confused. You want to feel assured that you’re making the right choice, but there is no way to be sure. Every time you lean in one direction, some doubts creep in. This decision will affect your whole life, after all. The grass suddenly seems greener on the other side.
You know where the grass really seems the greenest? Not having to make the decision at all. The problem is that picking one option, means not picking the other option. It means you will never know how things might have been if you had taken the road you didn’t go on. You can only know what happens on the road you picked.
Wouldn’t it be great if you had a time machine and could simply pick option A, travel to the future and see how the rest of your life turns out? Then, after a quick bathroom break, pick option B and again see how everything turns out. You would be in a position to know exactly which path will make you happier. That would be sweet, wouldn’t it?
The bad news is we don’t have access to such a time machine (yet). But, we have at our disposal a powerful tool that can act as a substitute for a time machine. It’s called our imagination.
Here’s what you do. Find a time when you’re alone, you have some peace and quiet, and your mind is relatively undisturbed. This could be early morning or late night. It could be in your bedroom or your prayer room or even your bathroom, if you can’t find any place else.
Close your eyes. Assume you have already picked option A. Visualize in your mind and feel with your heart, where you are, what you’re doing, who is with you, what the environment is like. Project yourself into the future: one month from now, one year from now, ten years from now.
Take no more than ten minutes to do this. Then, after a quick bathroom break of course, clear your mind, take five deep breaths, and repeat this for option B.
There, in less than half an hour, you’ve traveled to the future and seen which choice makes you happier. No need to talk to many people, or do a lot of research. Too much information is sometimes detrimental to decision-making. All the answers lie within. Learn to trust your instincts.
After making the decision, people frequently revisit it again and again, wondering if they made the wrong choice. This is especially true when things start to go wrong, which they inevitably do at some point or the other. You start to look back and chastise yourself for making an incorrect choice.
Don’t do that. It serves no purpose whatsoever. How can you know that things would have turned out better if you had made the other choice? Maybe they would be even worse than they are now. Or maybe, this struggle that you are going through now is exactly what you need to take that next step in your personal evolution and prepare for what lies ahead.
There is no way to say for sure that any decision you made was a bad one, since you can’t know what would have happened had you made the other choice. So, don’t go back and revisit the decision. Don’t ever do that. What’s done is done. There are no wrong choices.
Besides, it’s not just the decision that matters; it’s also what you do after that. The time when you make the decision is just a single moment in time. It is followed by many more moments in the months and years to follow. Once you make the choice, you have to handle whatever comes your way. How you face the situation from there on is equally important as the decision itself.
And if you truly start to feel that this is no longer the right path for you, you can always backtrack. Very few decisions are irreversible. In the words of Led Zeppelin from Stairway to Heaven, “Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run, there’s always time to change the road you’re on.”
Above all, remember to follow your deepest intuition. It already knows what’s best for you, before your thinking mind figures it out and gets with the program.
Passing Through
A reporter went to the house of a famous rabbi for an interview. He noticed that there was no furniture aside from a small cot in one corner and a bookshelf in another. The rabbi had lived there for several years.
Curious, he asked the rabbi, “Where is all your furniture?’”
The rabbi paused, looked back at the reporter, “Well, where is your furniture?”
The reporter had a puzzled expression “My furniture? But I’m just passing through here.”
The rabbi nodded “So am I.”
*****
Everything in life is temporary. Nothing lasts. Wherever we are right now, we are just passing through there during a phase of our lives. So, we might as well enjoy it while it lasts.
Curious, he asked the rabbi, “Where is all your furniture?’”
The rabbi paused, looked back at the reporter, “Well, where is your furniture?”
The reporter had a puzzled expression “My furniture? But I’m just passing through here.”
The rabbi nodded “So am I.”
*****
Everything in life is temporary. Nothing lasts. Wherever we are right now, we are just passing through there during a phase of our lives. So, we might as well enjoy it while it lasts.
The Taxi
At the stroke of 9:00pm, Professor Dalal, as per his routine, closed his textbook, wiped the blackboard clean and dismissed the class. The fifty odd first year engineering students who had signed up for his tuition classes bundled out towards the door, eager to get to their respective homes.
Amongst them was Naveen, six foot tall and thin as a lamppost. He stretched his arms out and yawned. His buddy Prakash appeared beside him rubbing his eyes. Prakash was shorter and stouter, with crew cut hair and multi-colored contact lenses.
“Let’s go home.”Prakash said.
“Uh-huh,” Naveen looked across “You have an outstanding grasp of the obvious, you know that?”
Prakash blinked. “I’m too tired to respond to that.”
Naveen laughed. “Take your time. Send me a message tomorrow with your comeback.”
“Yea, I’ll do that.” Prakash staggered forward to cross the street.
“Where you going?” Naveen asked. “The bus stop is that way.”
“Bus?”Prakash shot him a venomous look. “What bus? We’re taking a cab.”
“Cab? You know how much that will cost?”
“Who cares, dude. I’ve been out of the house since six in the morning, dashing from college classes to tuition classes and what not. I’m done, man. We’re taking a cab.”
“But…”
“I’m paying.”
Naveen shrugged. Reluctantly, he followed Prakash across the street.
Prakash raised his arm and hailed down a passing black-and-yellow fiat, the trademark Mumbai taxicab. Both the boys sank into the backseat.
The taxi driver had a thick moustache and wore a crumpled brown shirt, with the top three buttons open. He turned to them and cleared his throat.
Naveen glanced up. “Breach candy.”
Without a word, the cab driver started the meter and pushed the taxi into gear. The traffic in Mumbai was congested even on a weeknight. Car horns blared all around them. Dust and fumes filled the night air.
The taxi bounced over pot holes and speed bumps. The two passengers were frequently jerked into the air. The taxi driver swore at the slightest provocation, at other cars, pedestrians, and anyone else in sight. He even cursed at traffic cops, although under his breath so that they couldn’t hear him. Naveen and Prakash, did however, hear all of his profanity, seated as they were on the back seat of his beat up old fiat.
At every traffic light, the taxi driver would turn the engine off, twist his moustache and spit outside the window. The car engine made a squeaky sound every time it was started up.
Naveen looked out and noticed that they were on Linking road instead of S.V. road, which was the normal route. He leaned forward and addressed the cabbie, “Why aren’t you going on Linking road, boss?”
The driver shot his head around. His index finger was deep inside his right nostril, digging around. He slowly withdrew the finger, whose tip was covered with black and brown particles.
Naveen flinched backwards, revolted. That finger was a god damn bio hazard.
The driver glared at him, and continued on his own route, without responding. Naveen looked down, and toyed with the dial of his wrist watch.
Prakash nudged him, “This driver is a bit weird.”
Naveen nodded, “Well said, Captain Obvious.”
They drifted off into silence as the cabbie continued his obscenities and stop-start driving. Naveen decided to try to take a nap.
At one particularly busy circular junction, the cab had to wait for quite a while as one direction of traffic was released and then another. When their turn finally came, the driver cranked the engine as usual. The car lurched forward, and then stopped abruptly. Naveen and Prakash were jolted alert.
The cabbie cursed whole-heartedly, and turned the keys again. The engine sputtered and coughed, but wouldn’t come alive. He tried again, but the engine wouldn’t co-operate. The old fiat had decided to take a nap too.
The cabbie banged his fist against the steering wheel and yelled loudly. He turned around to look at his passengers.
“What are you looking at? Get out and give it a push.” He commanded.
Naveen stared, “Ha?”
The cabbie grunted. “You heard me, give the car a push.”
Naveen and Prakash exchanged a puzzled look. Naveen looked around and noticed that they were in the middle of the junction. The cars behind them blew their horns and drove past their halted taxi. The taxi driver, for his part, let the passing cars have an earful. Then, the signal changed and traffic from the other side was released.
Every car had to slow down, change lanes and slide past the lethargic, old fiat. Some drivers just honked their horn and went on their way. Some would slow down and yell at their cabbie, who give it back to them, with interest.
Naveen felt embarrassed to be inside that cab. He looked at Prakash and shrugged his shoulders, “Let’s push it.”
Prakash widened his eyes, “Are you serious?”
Naveen nodded, “It’ll be quick. Besides, what choice do we have here?” He opened the door and stepped out. A bewildered looking Prakash followed him.
They went around to the back of the taxi. Car drivers and passengers from all sides yelled and gestured towards them.
“Get moving, man.”
“Idiots, you’ll are blocking everybody.”
“What are you morons doing? Just get out of everyone’s way.”
The taunts kept coming in their direction. Prakash looked dumbstruck. “I can’t believe this. You realize that we’re paying for this ride?”
“Actually, you’re paying for this ride.”
Prakash shook his head, still in shock. Naveen nudged him on the shoulder. “C’mon dude, on three. One…Two…Three”
Both of them bent down and pushed hard. Their cabbie stuck his head out the window. “C’mon, harder. You’ll are young boys. Push harder.”
“Young boys,” Prakash scowled. “Dude, this cab belongs in some ancient history museum.”
“Yea,” Naveen said. “You realize that the meter is still running? Let’s try again.”
They bent down, took a deep breath and threw their strength against the car in tandem. The car inched forward.
“That’s it.” The cabbie yelled. “A little more.”
They pushed further, and the car rolled ahead. The driver turned the key and cranked the engine again. This time, miraculously, the engine breathed into life.
“Alright…finally.” Naveen said, as they got back inside.
Prakash continued to grimace. "Dude, I still can’t believe this shit. We are the passengers of this cab...”
“Oh, get over it.”
“What do mean get over it?”
“I mean its fine. Whatever it is, it’s over. I just want to get home now.”
The taxi driver made no attempt to thank them. He grunted and drove onwards. As they resumed their journey, he continued to curse randomly, and dig for gold in the dark recesses of his nasal system. He did, however, keep the engine running even on traffic lights.
Naveen and Prakash sat in silence on the back seat, drifting off again. Several blocks later, their taxi stopped at a traffic light. The light turned green and their cabbie took his time in putting the dying taxi into motion.
Naveen observed a motorcycle on the perpendicular road struggle to maintain balance as he approached the traffic light, which should have been red for him. The biker wrestled with the handle, but didn’t appear to have it under control.
Naveen became instantly aware that the bike was screeching rapidly towards them. He felt his stomach churn. He looked on as the motorcycle skidded sideways and hurtled along to Naveen’s side of the crawling cab.
“Oh shit,” Prakash shouted.
Naveen ducked down, keeping his head low and his hand tucked behind his legs. It was the brace position he had seen so many times during airplane safety instructions. He never thought he would have to use that information.
A loud crash rang out. His body got flung sideways, and landed on Prakash, whose head was thrown towards the side door.
Naveen straightened himself out, breathing heavily. His body felt unsteady, but without significant injury. A moment of silence engulfed their taxi. Prakash squatted with his head down, his back hunched over.
The silence was broken by the loud shouting of the cab driver, who was on his feet outside the cab. The brown shirt had all of the buttons off now, as the cabbie shook his fist at the fallen biker. The biker’s helmet was off, as he sat on the ground massaging his legs, not appearing seriously hurt. The rear door on Naveen’s side of the taxi was bent out of shape from the impact.
Inside the cab, Prakash remained doubled over. Naveen looked across at him. “Are you alright?”
Prakash slowly raised his head. He had his hands on his face. Drops of blood dripped down from his nose. “Do I look alright?”
Naveen frowned, “Let’s take a look at that.”
Prakash brought his hands down. “Dude, my nose hurts like hell.”
Naveen took out a handkerchief, crushed it into a ball and handed it to his classmate. “Push this against your nose. Try to stop the bleeding.”
Prakash took the handkerchief. “What the hell just happened?”
“It was all a blur, but I think that bike lost control and crashed into us.”
“Holy shit, that happened fast.”
Naveen saw the blood still forming on his friend’s nose. “We have to get you to the doctor.” He got out and went around to help Prakash.
Prakash staggered forward, with a hand on Naveen’s shoulder. “What the shit, dude. What the hell is going on…”
“Shit happens, man.”
Their cabbie, who was still cursing in all directions, noticed them hobble ahead.
“That’ll be seventy.” He barked out to them.
Naveen turned around, “Ha?”
“The meter says seventy.” The cabbie grunted.
Naveen blinked. Seventy bucks for that ride. He slowly brought out his wallet.
Prakash mumbled, “Oh I have to pay for this, right?”
“Forget it, I’ll get it.” Naveen said, as he handed the cabbie the money. The cabbie grabbed the notes, counted them and grunted his consent. Without giving them a second glance, he got into his taxi, which somehow started up this time, and rolled away.
Naveen stared after the cab, still digesting everything that had happened. By his side, Prakash, rubbed his nose and muttered, “Next time, we’ll take the bus.”
Amongst them was Naveen, six foot tall and thin as a lamppost. He stretched his arms out and yawned. His buddy Prakash appeared beside him rubbing his eyes. Prakash was shorter and stouter, with crew cut hair and multi-colored contact lenses.
“Let’s go home.”Prakash said.
“Uh-huh,” Naveen looked across “You have an outstanding grasp of the obvious, you know that?”
Prakash blinked. “I’m too tired to respond to that.”
Naveen laughed. “Take your time. Send me a message tomorrow with your comeback.”
“Yea, I’ll do that.” Prakash staggered forward to cross the street.
“Where you going?” Naveen asked. “The bus stop is that way.”
“Bus?”Prakash shot him a venomous look. “What bus? We’re taking a cab.”
“Cab? You know how much that will cost?”
“Who cares, dude. I’ve been out of the house since six in the morning, dashing from college classes to tuition classes and what not. I’m done, man. We’re taking a cab.”
“But…”
“I’m paying.”
Naveen shrugged. Reluctantly, he followed Prakash across the street.
Prakash raised his arm and hailed down a passing black-and-yellow fiat, the trademark Mumbai taxicab. Both the boys sank into the backseat.
The taxi driver had a thick moustache and wore a crumpled brown shirt, with the top three buttons open. He turned to them and cleared his throat.
Naveen glanced up. “Breach candy.”
Without a word, the cab driver started the meter and pushed the taxi into gear. The traffic in Mumbai was congested even on a weeknight. Car horns blared all around them. Dust and fumes filled the night air.
The taxi bounced over pot holes and speed bumps. The two passengers were frequently jerked into the air. The taxi driver swore at the slightest provocation, at other cars, pedestrians, and anyone else in sight. He even cursed at traffic cops, although under his breath so that they couldn’t hear him. Naveen and Prakash, did however, hear all of his profanity, seated as they were on the back seat of his beat up old fiat.
At every traffic light, the taxi driver would turn the engine off, twist his moustache and spit outside the window. The car engine made a squeaky sound every time it was started up.
Naveen looked out and noticed that they were on Linking road instead of S.V. road, which was the normal route. He leaned forward and addressed the cabbie, “Why aren’t you going on Linking road, boss?”
The driver shot his head around. His index finger was deep inside his right nostril, digging around. He slowly withdrew the finger, whose tip was covered with black and brown particles.
Naveen flinched backwards, revolted. That finger was a god damn bio hazard.
The driver glared at him, and continued on his own route, without responding. Naveen looked down, and toyed with the dial of his wrist watch.
Prakash nudged him, “This driver is a bit weird.”
Naveen nodded, “Well said, Captain Obvious.”
They drifted off into silence as the cabbie continued his obscenities and stop-start driving. Naveen decided to try to take a nap.
At one particularly busy circular junction, the cab had to wait for quite a while as one direction of traffic was released and then another. When their turn finally came, the driver cranked the engine as usual. The car lurched forward, and then stopped abruptly. Naveen and Prakash were jolted alert.
The cabbie cursed whole-heartedly, and turned the keys again. The engine sputtered and coughed, but wouldn’t come alive. He tried again, but the engine wouldn’t co-operate. The old fiat had decided to take a nap too.
The cabbie banged his fist against the steering wheel and yelled loudly. He turned around to look at his passengers.
“What are you looking at? Get out and give it a push.” He commanded.
Naveen stared, “Ha?”
The cabbie grunted. “You heard me, give the car a push.”
Naveen and Prakash exchanged a puzzled look. Naveen looked around and noticed that they were in the middle of the junction. The cars behind them blew their horns and drove past their halted taxi. The taxi driver, for his part, let the passing cars have an earful. Then, the signal changed and traffic from the other side was released.
Every car had to slow down, change lanes and slide past the lethargic, old fiat. Some drivers just honked their horn and went on their way. Some would slow down and yell at their cabbie, who give it back to them, with interest.
Naveen felt embarrassed to be inside that cab. He looked at Prakash and shrugged his shoulders, “Let’s push it.”
Prakash widened his eyes, “Are you serious?”
Naveen nodded, “It’ll be quick. Besides, what choice do we have here?” He opened the door and stepped out. A bewildered looking Prakash followed him.
They went around to the back of the taxi. Car drivers and passengers from all sides yelled and gestured towards them.
“Get moving, man.”
“Idiots, you’ll are blocking everybody.”
“What are you morons doing? Just get out of everyone’s way.”
The taunts kept coming in their direction. Prakash looked dumbstruck. “I can’t believe this. You realize that we’re paying for this ride?”
“Actually, you’re paying for this ride.”
Prakash shook his head, still in shock. Naveen nudged him on the shoulder. “C’mon dude, on three. One…Two…Three”
Both of them bent down and pushed hard. Their cabbie stuck his head out the window. “C’mon, harder. You’ll are young boys. Push harder.”
“Young boys,” Prakash scowled. “Dude, this cab belongs in some ancient history museum.”
“Yea,” Naveen said. “You realize that the meter is still running? Let’s try again.”
They bent down, took a deep breath and threw their strength against the car in tandem. The car inched forward.
“That’s it.” The cabbie yelled. “A little more.”
They pushed further, and the car rolled ahead. The driver turned the key and cranked the engine again. This time, miraculously, the engine breathed into life.
“Alright…finally.” Naveen said, as they got back inside.
Prakash continued to grimace. "Dude, I still can’t believe this shit. We are the passengers of this cab...”
“Oh, get over it.”
“What do mean get over it?”
“I mean its fine. Whatever it is, it’s over. I just want to get home now.”
The taxi driver made no attempt to thank them. He grunted and drove onwards. As they resumed their journey, he continued to curse randomly, and dig for gold in the dark recesses of his nasal system. He did, however, keep the engine running even on traffic lights.
Naveen and Prakash sat in silence on the back seat, drifting off again. Several blocks later, their taxi stopped at a traffic light. The light turned green and their cabbie took his time in putting the dying taxi into motion.
Naveen observed a motorcycle on the perpendicular road struggle to maintain balance as he approached the traffic light, which should have been red for him. The biker wrestled with the handle, but didn’t appear to have it under control.
Naveen became instantly aware that the bike was screeching rapidly towards them. He felt his stomach churn. He looked on as the motorcycle skidded sideways and hurtled along to Naveen’s side of the crawling cab.
“Oh shit,” Prakash shouted.
Naveen ducked down, keeping his head low and his hand tucked behind his legs. It was the brace position he had seen so many times during airplane safety instructions. He never thought he would have to use that information.
A loud crash rang out. His body got flung sideways, and landed on Prakash, whose head was thrown towards the side door.
Naveen straightened himself out, breathing heavily. His body felt unsteady, but without significant injury. A moment of silence engulfed their taxi. Prakash squatted with his head down, his back hunched over.
The silence was broken by the loud shouting of the cab driver, who was on his feet outside the cab. The brown shirt had all of the buttons off now, as the cabbie shook his fist at the fallen biker. The biker’s helmet was off, as he sat on the ground massaging his legs, not appearing seriously hurt. The rear door on Naveen’s side of the taxi was bent out of shape from the impact.
Inside the cab, Prakash remained doubled over. Naveen looked across at him. “Are you alright?”
Prakash slowly raised his head. He had his hands on his face. Drops of blood dripped down from his nose. “Do I look alright?”
Naveen frowned, “Let’s take a look at that.”
Prakash brought his hands down. “Dude, my nose hurts like hell.”
Naveen took out a handkerchief, crushed it into a ball and handed it to his classmate. “Push this against your nose. Try to stop the bleeding.”
Prakash took the handkerchief. “What the hell just happened?”
“It was all a blur, but I think that bike lost control and crashed into us.”
“Holy shit, that happened fast.”
Naveen saw the blood still forming on his friend’s nose. “We have to get you to the doctor.” He got out and went around to help Prakash.
Prakash staggered forward, with a hand on Naveen’s shoulder. “What the shit, dude. What the hell is going on…”
“Shit happens, man.”
Their cabbie, who was still cursing in all directions, noticed them hobble ahead.
“That’ll be seventy.” He barked out to them.
Naveen turned around, “Ha?”
“The meter says seventy.” The cabbie grunted.
Naveen blinked. Seventy bucks for that ride. He slowly brought out his wallet.
Prakash mumbled, “Oh I have to pay for this, right?”
“Forget it, I’ll get it.” Naveen said, as he handed the cabbie the money. The cabbie grabbed the notes, counted them and grunted his consent. Without giving them a second glance, he got into his taxi, which somehow started up this time, and rolled away.
Naveen stared after the cab, still digesting everything that had happened. By his side, Prakash, rubbed his nose and muttered, “Next time, we’ll take the bus.”
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