Drive. Bangalore <—> Chennai (700 klm)
It all started out with my Close friend calling me up one fine day as he says “i”ve got my job at BMW” and that he is going to Chennai to join the company tomorrow. He didn’t stop with that, he also mentioned he was getting engaged next week at Chennai.
Ahmmm, now you know how it all started.
His Engagement was on a Sunday and until Saturday night i was in a fix, whether to drive or take the Train bus whatever kinda situation. I was totally cool until Saturday night struck. previously i had been talking about driving to Chennai to almost everybody from my parents to my in-laws. It was such an hilarious experience when everybody look up to me and say “Are you serious buddy”. My mom and dad almost prayed all those 165 gods which were in our pooja room back home. Just before you think whats the big deal with it… I would like to expose the fact
THIS WAS MY VERY FIRST LONG DRIVE ( DRIVING ) Hell yeah – I thought to myself Chill out dude, your going to get there in less than 5 and half hours with a smile on your face. I was quite positive until i asked a few people how to go to Chennai from Bangalore (this was on Friday) – I started getting a lot of Feedbacks with quite a lot of perspectives. The fear struck me when my colleague told me – The road is awesome its just that you need a take a left turn from Krishnageri near the second Flyover. He also did mention that the left turn is quite a narrow and you may miss it… Damn!! man that’s when i freaked out 24hrs before i reached Chennai.
Finally i reached home with my wife and her car, packed all the things and went to my in-laws place to stay over. It was almost 11pm and we had to take our car to the fuel station to fill gas since we had planned to have an early start at around 5am next day. We reached the Petrol bunk next door to ITC Gardenia and filled gas for 1000 bucks. i told to myself gas is cheaper in Tamil Nadu by Rs 3 ( how brilliant, yeah i know) Then the Petrol dude tells me ” Sir since you’ve filled gas for Rs 1000, we offer you free Nitrogen air for your Tyre. Have you heard of a person spending almost 20 mins in a petrol bunk with absolute no crowd at 11:30 am.. Well ya it was me – The nitrogen Pipe got stuck under my Tyre – that was exactly my Tyre stayed flat even after such a long time. The Way the filled air was also a good watch. The petrol dude just plugs the pipe and the pipe sucks in all the air to witness the Tyre go flat and then it pumps in new Nitrogen air . . . Awesome 🙂 at-least for people like me who gets excited by even seeing a dog with its tongue out, outside the car window.
Well ya reached home at 11:30pm, and decided to Hit the sack. But unfortunately that’s exactly when i started getting hallucinations of tomorrow’s trip as well as the tiny left turn which was the only thing running on my head. Finally at 4a.m my phone’s Alarm started ringing to the sounds of Kolaveri Kolaveri.
We Quickly had our bath and as usual wore my shorts and Flip-flops to start the Trip. We started at 5a.m with the windows going up and down with relevance to the chill of early morning weather.
I was all set, hit the Highway on 100 – 120, gained confidence. Took me almost an hour to reach Krishnageri, and that’s where i filled gas (Full tank) for the first time. Worth the click aye !!
Well i had to do it – Reducing the speed of my car, just to take that pik. .
We were almost like ok fine lets stop somewhere for Coffee just to avoid sleeping, thats exactly when we witnessed the sun rise (after soo many years) witnessing the sun rise. Was such a great experience with Desi music being played in the background. Then in another few Klms, we witnessed Mc Donals Drive through and the Drive was actually getting constructed.. so it was almost not a drive through. We ditched that place to find Adayar Anadha Bhavan to our right side. at around 6:00- 6:30 am. Oh she was totally happy we came across for a coffee. 
meanwhile my parents had already reached Chennai on Friday night and were put up in a Service apartment called “The Alternatives”. I had promised them that ill be meeting them for Breakfast. That’s exactly when i had ordered coffee – Wow must say “The coffee was just amazing” dont forget to have your cup of coffee when you’re on the way to Chennai..
Keeping the promise i made to my folks on the breakfast arrival. We finished our coffee and head back to the car. I witnessed almost 6 – 7 cars and all of them sleeping inside the car. Seeing that i started to yawn, well yeah that was my first yawn, the same yawn that freaked me out if i would sleep while i was driving. But the man here, myself never slept for a second.. Wow what a great achievement. We had a 2 GB pen-drive full of songs to help us survive the journey. But the bloody pen-drive of mine.. whom really relied on stopped working when i went over a big bump at 80 klms.
As usual when something doesn’t work, we either pull out the battery or pull out the pen-drive and shove it in again. Well yes!! that’s exactly what we did only a countless times. Journey was fun, we enjoyed the drive seeing the scenery and unusual heavy vehicles who refused to move to one-side.
it was almost 10am when we reached Chennai at the Ponnamalle high road. We decided to eat Dosa and Yes we did. I had 2 and she struggled to finish 1 as usual. We had another round of coffee, relaxed thinking ok!! We are almost going to reach.. only to discover it was quite long and the traffic was horrible. I still remember the words – Anna Sallai, Anna nagar Arch, Sky mall, You turn, Wrong turn, take diversion, Laughs of the wrong direction. All of this even after my friend was guiding me over the phone. Finally to discover he has given directions to his house instead of the service apartment since his car was punctured.
Then he Introduced his girlfriend, took over the wheel of the car and dropped us at the place where we were supposed to stay. We then started talking about our school experience and the wackiest of all time we had. How me and him got trashed by teachers for being really really naughty. It was quite a past !! and then they moved and my folks came back from the Mall – EA mall at 12 pm (noon). We then crashed on the bed woke up after 2 hours. Waited for my sister to come and then we went back to EA mall… Sad part we never bought anything and we rushed to Besant Nagar beach by 10:30pm, i was still driving, literally over-sleepy. After reaching there, finally my folks and Brother-in-law decided to take us for dinner without even getting into the beach to touch the water. Yes we never did that… We landed up into some Random Dhaba and eat some delicious food and Lassi. I needed a private jet to land me at my place to crash on my bed, Unfortunately i had to drive my way back…He showed us the place and left.
Next day we were all dressed to perfection apart from me who was literally confused, which shirt to wear and ended up wrinkling my shirt. Well the Engagement went on good, well i did screw up with the speech part i delivered. That was always expected from me. But i underplayed since the girls house was of a political background.. Jeez i better not do something really absurd. Ended up getting yelled in a lower note by my friends granny ( Enemy for life).
Well after all the Drama, the Engagement was over by 1:30pm, we rushed back to the service apts picked up the clothes and gave the keys to my Wife to drive ( Lucky me, my wife knows to drive ). Well she had a grumpy face since i asked her to drive. Well it was 50 Klms, she was kind enough, didnt yell at me. After we crossed Ponnamalle high road and witnessed the First Toll gate. i Took over the wheel again and Drove back to Bangalore. 
This time i witnessed the Sun-set. My backbone also set at the same time. My wife got drowsy and feverish.. She almost pleaded for a coffee. They roads where dugg on the sides for us not able to enter the on- side bakery on the Highway.
After we crossed Krishnageri and not missing the right Turn, we found a Kamat Restaurant. We ordered our same Combo – Dosa and Coffee. Felt better after the dosage and rushed to Bangalore, forgetting to take the elevated Highway, managed to crawl through traffic and hit the brakes at home at almost 9pm. With my back totally gone and wife feeling feverish. We have decided to not make quick plans for a day. Instead lets travel by Public transport. Next day i had o go to office.
That’s when we decided – ok lets Travel to Coimbatore next time by car, but not for a day but for a week. . . . . >
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