Heights of desperation!!

I recollect the other day, when I was driving towards Chennai from Pondicherry (100 miles south of Chennai) after attending one of my friend's wedding. It was May and a little earlier than peak noon. And that is the period Chennai would try its level-best to beat any of the blistering cities and try to claim herself as the "hottest city in the world". And it appeared to me, as if she almost won that day. Thanks to the AC in my car, else I would have to squeeze my little brain to recollect whatever we call as "Pleasure of driving!" The tarmac on the coastal road was literally boiling, burning my tires and persistently keeping my urge for a sip of tender-coconut on the crescendo. Just then, I passed (or rather overtook) a crawling Pulsar motor-bike (one of the so-called ‘powerful’ bikes in India) and the guy, who rode was making not more than 30 kph. I wondered for a second, why would a guy ride so slow in the scorching weather, that too in the freeway with sparse vehicle flow. And then I saw thru my rear-view mirror that he had a girl in the pillion, both of whose hands were almost touching the handle-bar of the bike, creating a temporary illusion of four hands driving the bike. I realized she must be hanging onto him like a lizard on the wall, leaving enough space behind her to take one more person (which created an illusion as a single-rider bike, a few seconds earlier before I overtook them!). And her dupatta was not seen at the normal place as well, I mean it did not server as a burka. It remained, where it is supposed to.

They must have been discussing something very significant about Global warming or their immediate future or something of pressing importance. Whatever. But it takes a lot to enjoy such a drive. And they were completely oblivious of the physical fact about the increase in the heat generated, when two materials fray in prolonging. I completely understand if it was North-American autumn/fall where that sort of a rub could get the warmth, for both the mind and the body. But this one in Chennai summer…

What else can I call that than "Heights of desperation"!

And a few minutes later when I stopped for my favorite tender-coconut, I saw the same motor-bike yet another time. It was more like déjà vu, for they remained the same and so did my thoughts about them!