A few days back, hubby dear and I were talking (or rather, I was talking and he was listening) about the "mehengaai", everything getting so expensive, grocery bills doubling over (yeah, yeah, the regular aate-daal ka bhaav waala discussion), etc.
I mentioned how gas prices sky-rocket every summer when we need to run the AC and use more gas...blah blah. And then Ms Big Mouth said, you know we should car-pool to work whenever we can. His office is across the street from mine, and running two premium-gas guzzling BMWs on the same route everyday does not make sense, economically as well as environmentally. And I even offered to drive. He was all happy, I mean who can refuse a free ka chauffeur, right?
I usually get to work by 10, and he by 11. Today, he had a meeting at 10 as well, and I asked him if wanted to come with me. He said, sure.
Now start my trials and tribulations! The drive to work is 15 minutes on a good day, after 10:00am when the traffic thins out a little. And there is a signal between his office and mine. And he leaves exactly 15 minutes before his first meeting of the day, and wanted to do that even today. He figures that I would need 5 minutes to get back from his office to mine, so we should leave at 9:40. I got a teensy-weensie jolt in my heart, no way was this plan going to work! I survived that one though. Whew!
I was getting all nervous, I am SO going to be late! And he goes no, no, we will be fine. He's happily taking his time getting ready, while I have all my stuff loaded in the car, getting more nervous with every passing minute.
We get in the car at exactly 9:40, and I am already jealous. Why does he get to sit there happily and not me? And he doesn't even observe things on the road like I do. He should be driving, and I should be sitting and observing the world and talking about it. Anyway, we get out on the main road, and all 4 lanes are packed. I whine, "We are going to be so late". And he's re-assuring me, it'll be fine, dear, relax. I realized then that there is no point in fretting. I brought this upon me, I offered to do this, and anyway, worrying is not going to get us there any faster.
But damn these cars, why can't they move faster. Why do I always get stuck behind the driver who's slow coz he's lost and has no clue what to do. I started my tirade about why the driver ahead of me is stuck in the same spot, why can't he move, and husband says, he IS moving, see? No, me no see! I am so itching to drive like I always do, zipping between lanes whenever I can, squeeze into whatever space I can find. But he hates that, and has non-stop commentary every time I am driving. So I try to be patient for some time. But can't take it anymore, and try to switch lanes and he screams, "car, car". I got back in my lane and start to wonder, why did I not see it?? Ahaaa, because his head was filling up the window! Grr! I finally do manage to get ahead of the lost tourist in front of me. We reached an intersection, where I decide to turn left, and husband speaketh: Go straight.
Me: What?
Him: No, nothing (yayy, he's learning! Finally, after 5 years, he is learning to let me be!)
I dropped him off in time for his meeting (and btw, he told me at the very last minute that he needs to be in a different building, not his own!), and heaved a sigh of relief, a BIG sigh of relief, the minute he stepped out. I was SO tempted to just go back and do the drive all by myself, without this..this..this stranger sitting here . He wasn't even doing anything to annoy me, just sitting there quietly, thats all. Still, I was like, whew, he's finally gone!
I always drive when we go out together, so its nothing new to have him there by me. But this was totally unexpected! Almost like a sacrilege of my commute, my time to myself! I am surprised that I did not like it! I guess I will get used to it, but man, I feel so weird about it right now!
Well, he was right, I made it in time too. Now I just hope I don't forget to pick him up in the evening!!!
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