The driver at the helm of the Safari Storme was Ranjan; this is a universal Indian story cutting across parties, regions and religion. Ranjan becomes Rajan in Tamil Nadu, Rodrigues in Goa and Rehman probably in Kashmir, but they are all brothers in the great Indian political game. Now my friend Ranjan, always regretted having a set of five fingers only... each of his fingers and even one thumb had golden rings his right index finger had a huge stone in addition to the mandatory gold ring.

Talking of gold his necklace was one huge gold chain almost the size that is found in the railways,emergency brakes and clearly intentioned to give one MrBappiLahirione huge complex. Ranjan loved white,he always wore a white shirt, trouser and shoes.Recently when his uncle the MLA Sahab had graduated from Sarpanch to MLA he had shifted from white leather to white Nike shoes, he had moved on in life.

The swathe of white symbolising purity and teachings of one Mahatma was broken only by the gold on him and his teeth which were in various shades of red with constant chewing of Gutka, he would often stop at traffic lights,open the door and discharge the red contents of his mouth on the Indian roads, likewise he had done the same on the corridors of VidhanSabha and many Government offices.Ranjan was happy , uncle had been in politics for decades and nothing changed just the colour of the car party flag from Green to Blue and now a dull White.

Ranjan was an important man, his nature of duties included escorting his uncle on his various tours to his constituency. His would be the lead SUV, hurtling down the road with lights blazing and sirens wailing, he loved the part when some old aged driver would get scared and abruptly move off the road,he loved to drive and he and the Police escort loved the look on the face of the poor common Indians and had a hearty laugh at their plight, on the occasions that uncle MLA was in the rear seat he would whole heartedly join in the merriment of scaring people on the roads, it was truly a great and noble sport.

On one or two occasions he had brushed a few cars, he clearly remembered the time when they had hit the doctor in Lucknow, he had the gall, to hold them up, the gumption of the fellow, he reminisced of the blood oozing out of the doctor’s lips and his helplessness.He felt sorry for such common people, bloody fools, they thought that if their parents spent a few lakhs on education or if you spent time in colleges you had a right to roads and facilities, so much so that you dared to drive on the road when VIP SUVs were plying these busy roads, such ignoramus.

Ranjan was class 10 Pass, at least the certificate said so, uncle was already sarpanch so getting the certificate was easy.Uncle MLA did not count on him much and he was one of the many nephews who hung around him.The turning point came on the National Highway near Agra when at the Toll Plaza Uncle’s cavalcade was stopped for paying.Ranjan had acquitted himself well , he was the one who had bashed all the security guards and volunteered to go to prison for two days, his photo was beamed all over the national channels,it was his greatest achievement by far,and now ,truly worthy of the mantle as  the favourite nephew. 
Anyway why bore you. You know who the Ranjans in your midst and who is getting bullied on the roads of India. We all have seen the aggressive driving even Police escorts do on the roads in VIP cavalcade as if the threat on the road is the common man to the Mantriji.

Ranjan @ Rajan@ Rehman @ Rodrigues @ Bhaiyyaji, well by 30 he was an MLA and MP by 45,fromthe  white flag he transformed to red and so on. But he has matured over the years , he doesn’t drive his Range Rover any more,Amit his sweet nephew does. Though for old time’s sake he sits in the rear and they often chuckle at the plight of these common Indians who scurry away at the sight and sound of his cavalcade.

(The writer is a homemaker, an amateur writer and loves to drive and has to face the threats of India’s drivers and diverse driving culture.)