Eye la!

Car headlights have always invaded my privacy. In a world where stares, grimaces and scorns speak for themselves (without even uttering a word), analogies are palpable even in inanimate things. I think it all began when I got a real bad stare as a scolding from one of my uncles. As a 4 year old, my high voltage vocal yearnings used to be a real persuasive weapon against my mom. Whenever things did not use to go my way, I used to invoke this Divyastra. Toys, sweets and chocolates not in my possession used to mock at me. From their exalted positions in the shop showcases they used to blaze in the arc lights making me feel like a street urchin with an urge that would have made me a pick-pocket had it not been for my upbringing. So it was – hanging like a monkey from my mom’s pony tail, I was shouting at the top of my tarzanesque voice demanding a Cadbury’s dairy milk chocolate, which I just saw in the hands of a not-so-deserving toddler ( How I used to hate all those ‘blessed’ dedh-phutiyas (although I myself was one) is another story. I used to wonder how the bloody hell they managed to find parents who could buy them what they wished). Anyway, while my mom was trying to fend me off as if I was the neighborhood Pomeranian (who always managed to scare my mom by his acrobatic skill of jumping and finding the pallu of her saree in his canine teeth), my Uncle suddenly gripped me underneath my armpits and brought me face to face with his eyes.
He had those bulging eyes which reminded me of the packets of milk which I used to burst by squeezing the other end and in the end getting splashed up and later bashed up(by my Dad). The next thing I knew was that I was scared. Suddenly my mouth had lost its connection from the brainwaves and I was feeling overpowered by the glare that I was getting. Without even speaking a word, my Uncle had silenced me. It was a relief to come out of his grip and glare but an incident a few days later made me realize that his eyes had stayed with me. I was crossing the road with my mom when I saw that green army truck (one of those old ones which had huge round headlights) go past. I felt as if it was gritting its teeth and glaring threateningly at vehicles and people ahead of it. I was immediately reminded of my Uncle. Since then, I have always been reminded of eyes when I look at car or truck headlights. All of them seem to emanate some kind of emotion. I remember the look of my maternal grandfather’s Ambassador. It had that look of a stern and stiff upper lipped IAS officer, just like my grandfather was. I had the feeling that it would not allow lowly Premier padminis, Jeeps and scooters even within 20 feet of its parking space. Although I think I saw it raise one of its eyebrows and smile at me once when it was to carry me to the Zoological garden with the whole army of my cousins. I have seen it bathe outside the garage in the backyard of my grandpa’s bungalow, when it used to spread its arms (doors apart) and relax while Devmuni, the driver used to apply soap and water to its body, armpits (door upholstery), legs (tyres) and nose (the ambassador logo). It was during those days that I really started to emote with cars. Even today I feel their headlights show their attitude.
Taking a look at these Chevrolet trucks today reminds me of burly carpenters, who have spent the whole days cutting huge oak trees with their saws. The doe-eyed Lexus reminds me of a middle-aged top executive who smiles artificially at everybody but avoids rubbing shoulders with the rabble that surrounds her. The Ferrari looks like an eagle which has been punished by Garuda, the lord of birds, to spend a 14 year Vanvaas on the roads. An old Maruti 800 looks like a bespectacled post graduate student whose grades are in the hands of an unforgiving professor. The Swift looks like a Delhi lass who remains in make-up even when she goes to sleep. The latest Camry looks as if it really wants to go where it is going and has a look of concern on its face. The Honda City always smiles and seems shy of its speed. And I have seen it give a sigh when it negotiated a pothole once. Definitely, there are those cars with only one headlight working, who look like pirates. And the others with blazing foglights who seem really angry at the cars ahead of them. And there are some with their headlights half painted, who seem to be meditating or half-asleep and least concerned about the road, the destination or even the person behind the wheel.
Driving is fun when you feel the vehicles on the other side of the road express their emotions in some way or the other. I once felt pity for a tattered Corolla who I felt had red eyes. Then there were the ones with general emotions - A number of cars which zipped by and winked at me. Some seemed to stop, take notice and acknowledge me.

There are so many of them on the road. When I am driving alone, I seem to communicate with these strangers on the move. And what is more, I have felt even my own car give me an inverted-U smile, blink and cuddle up to me when I park it in the snow and leave for my office desk.