Woke up around 6.30am to the news that friends had met with an accident on the highway. It was almost at the end of the highway as it enters town, which was just about a few kilometers away. Thankfully, there weren’t any major injuries; looking at the car, things could have been way worse. A dumper truck running at full speed hit them unaware, and the boot had caved in becoming one with the rear seat and shattering the rear glass.
What followed could be best described as not being very different from what we see in gritty new age true to life Bollywood crime thrillers. Jeeploads (of course, Scorpios) of men who were either owners of the truck or part of their operation, their nexus with (not-so-efficient) cops, a truck driver who had (naturally) absconded, and sand mafia (is there such a term in existence?) who illegally lifted sand from the banks of the Yamuna.
We were lucky that we managed to get the guys to pay cash (would you believe it that they offered to pay, of course in lieu of us not filing a police report) for the damages. I’m amazed they paid.
The cash wasn’t as easily got as it may sound here. And you might think I’m just making up the story if I told you all the details. Let’s just say there were more than a couple of Bollywood-ish moments in the entire episode.
Did I say that I’m amazed they paid?
There was an Iftar to host that evening. It rained all day. A lot of friends dropped out because of the flooded roads and traffic jams. A few still made it.
Some of the stories they shared that evening were probably more interesting.