Side View Mirror

Side View Mirror

Riding bike along the East Coast Road, that too on a Sunday evening is fun. It’s something you should not miss. I was in my usual speed enjoying the beauty of the endless sea. Seas and beaches, its something that Chennai people can boast to the haughty Bangalore crowd.

My papa keeps carping about my Rash driving. But I don’t speed unless its absolutely necessary like if I am late for a movie and my little friend who is very particular about punctuality is waiting or if am so hungry that I want to reach my favorite restaurant as early as possible. I never speed when am late for a class or office. I feel am more cautious compared to my friends who needlessly zip for such dippy reasons. They forget “Speed thrills but kills”.

Suddenly I heard some desperate vehicle’s horns from behind.
“Looks like some idiot who is late for a Sunday evening class or is that fellow late for a movie. Ho my god, late for a movie, its better that I give him side” I mused.

But when I looked in my left Side View Mirror, I didn’t see the vehicle but I saw her face. I looked in my right mirror; it’s her smiling face again. Ho my God, what’s happening to me? Is this a dream? Is this bike a time machine? Am I traveling to my past? I should have enquired properly about the owner before I bought this bike.
All such crazy thoughts came to my mind.


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Flashback
It was a beautiful Sunday evening. I was taking my friend for a ride along the East Coast Road. She was more than a friend to me. I mean, she was one whom I trusted most among friends, whom I can share my secrets, my thoughts, my feelings. I don’t talk a lot to her and sometimes I feel am not very close to her, but whenever I need a friend she’ll be the first person whom I approach. It sounds strange; I too wonder how this is possible.

When she used sit with me in bike, I used to adjust my Side View Mirrors to see her face forgetting its original purpose. She used to irritate me by going left and right. She was one of the naughtiest girls I had ever seen.

My friends always make fun of me about such friendships. May be they never believed in true friendship. One of my friends even made a crazy theory about friendship and love. Well it’s absurd but still funny. It’s called the “Friendship and Love Theory”.

He used to say:
“If they are lovers now, they were not friends…
If they are friends now, they were not lovers…
If they were lovers, they are not friends now…

If two friends are lovers now, they were not friends
If they were friends, they are not lovers now…..”

I know anyone who reads this will be confused, even am confused.

We were enjoying our ride. Then I looked at her via my all new purpose Side View Mirror. She looked more beautiful in the mirror. She smiled and said “George, I think this is my last ride in your bike. Am leaving Chennai, but that doesn’t mean it’s the end of our friendship. We’ll be friends forever”
I could see tears sparkling in her eyes, hope she didn’t see mine.


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I was suddenly woken up by some noise. When I opened my eyes, I saw many people around me. I saw a policeman standing in front of me shouting.
I heard people saying that I had stopped my bike in the middle of the road and when policeman asked me to move the bike to the side; I started shaking my head left and right.

People thought I was saying “No” to the policeman, but I realized I was in my dream world; I was not shaking my head to say “No” but was looking in the left and right Side View Mirrors.

I somehow settled the problem. Chennai police are good. They understand people’s problems well.

And I continued my bike journey. I was smiling the whole way back thinking what a fool I have made of myself.

At times life plays such funny games with us. It takes away the most precious things from us. But what’s life without such games.

You’ll know its value only when you lose it.

Suddenly I heard some desperate vehicle’s horns from behind again.
Ho my god, not again.