Its 9:40 am and yeah its break fast time. I got some chapatis and chicken curry which I bought yesterday from a near by fast food shop.This act of mine of "visiting a fast food shop" can receive heavy criticism due to corono virus issue from my wife so I will never reveal it to her anyways. Mean while my eyes were scanning for a "picturesque" location with a shade for pulling over my car and having this break fast pack which I acquired braving the corono virus. I was doing 100+kmph so by the time I realize some spot that its good it zip pasts. This real estate hunt lasted 15 minutes and still I could not make up my mind to pull over. Finally I spotted a barren bus stop with an extended bay and I thought this is it and I pulled over.
Pulled out my box of chapatis , poured the gravy over it and its heaven once again. Finished four in no time and put off rest of things for lunch time.
Before starting again I thought will take a 5 more mins of rest and I pulled out a bottle of mazza, and leaned on to car bonnet and started 'savoring' the view.
Finally its done and I opened the car door to start back, and I noticed through my 'super power' - super wide angle eye view a shadow figure standing to my left. It was a poor beggar with a gunny bag on his hand . His eyes and posture were more than enough to switch on the sentiment in me. I offered him 10 bucks but he denied to take it and instead touched his stomach and asked for food. For a moment I realized the the damn truth, "money is no food u dump-ass". I had more chapatis than I can eat for lunch so I pulled out my box yet again and asked the beggar guy if he got any plates since I was having no packing stuff and the plastic box I cannot give off since its fully owned property of my wife. Beggar fellow pulled out a plastic plate from his gunny-bag and I placed few chapatis and poured gravy over it. Beggar is happy, one shepherd standing by was smiling , I was beaming with that profound feeling of giving to someone - man I am so kind and I could really help this world. Thinking of all this self motivating thoughts I kept the box back in car and pulled out the bottle of water and shut the door.!!
A shock wave hit me from behind, the realization rapidly descend on me that I am locked out of the car. Sh*****t. My car central locking is messed up these days and it locks even if keys are in side the car.I rushed back and pulled all door handle frantically but only it aggregated the panic of being lost in middle of no where with only a beggar and a creepy shepherd in sight. Of-course vehicles are zipping past onbon highway but I cannot see any help coming by from those. I was like "damn man ..why why why". Suddenly I heard some one calling from by back. I turned back and saw the beggar , he asked "sir water please".
I looked at him with blank eyes and emptied my entire water to his water bottle and the beggar walked away. This time the "world saving" feeling did not pop up in mind I noticed. Now upon seeing my frantic actions to open the car the creepy shepherd came near me and asked what happened and i explained him what shit just happened to me. He told there is a workshop near by and I could get some help. I crossed over the road and started asking for a lift. I showed hand to cars, bikes, mopeds bi- cycles but no body stopped. Finally I heard that thumping sound approaching me. Its a royal enfield, with a typical rider with a cafe racer helmet,velvet red leather jacket and wayfarer sunglasses and a casually worn shawl around his neck. I am sure he will stop because who else can do that favor other than a "real man" on a royal enfield appearing in front of me at this situation. And just as I thought he stopped and I hopped on. Just in 2 kms I saw a motor bike shop and I got off and said "thanks mate" to the angel of kindness on a royal enfield.
The work-shop was a shoddy one and I spotted the mechanic in a typical grease stained dress checking out a motorcycle bought in by a kid probably 10 or 11 years. The mechanic checked the bikes rear brake drum and told the kid brake is ok but ask your father to go slowly! shoes is worn out.
I approached him and poked him and told my sad story minus the beggar part. As soon as he heard about it he went back in to his shop and pulled out all probable tools he can think off to pick my cars door. Of-course there will always be an assistant for a mechanic so he too joined the search and he also started collecting tools for this act. Finally when the gathered all three of us got onto the mechanics bike and took off to the spot.
The things later happened was roller coaster of hope and dismay and embarrassment in-between. They pulled-out the cars beading as I expected and as seen in many movies. The mechanic shove everything he got from the shop and hit all sort of lever kind of things that is visible in the gap between door metal and wound up glass.
Nothing seems to work as I was expecting as seen in movies. Like the smart thief put a metal scale inside the door gap and there pops open the car lock and pull some wire underneath steering column and short them to race off. Those things happens only in movies I realized. This stunt of picking the car door in the presence of seemingly car's owner started gathering more helping hands. A seemingly newly wedded couple on a bike pulled over and the "groom" jumped in and offered to help and was beaming with the feel of expertise and both of them were exchanging romantic smile with his "bride" who was leaning to my car. This romantic helping hand dropped the screw driver inside the door gap and its gone now. He got up and wiped sweat on his fore head and said to me if old car means ok these new age cars are difficult to open and advise me to call a car mechanic and took off on this bike with his bride while she gave a sheepy smile back as they were pulling away.
The mechanic and his assistant too seems lost and gave up trying and were trying on their mobile phone to call some one else to help out. Mean while the Shepard approached and started describing how this happened to the gathered people around. He was saying my great act of kindness in sharing food to the beggar but was very unlucky that he got into this mess. I don't know i need to feel proud or to get embarrassed. I gave a sheepy smile.Then suddenly some messenger of god with real knowledge of picking a car door informed our mechanic to break open the rear door quarter glass and open the door from inside. Even though its a disappointing option for me I told to go ahead. Since I told only if u open the car I can pay you since even my purse was inside the car. So they were frantically trying to open it anyway and even ready to break wind shield also if I am ok. But may be he is not that greedy and he managed to cut the glass bedding and was successful in pulling the glass out without braking it and hurrah the doors open.
That feeling of finally getting out of the mess is difficult to describe but its a really good feeling.
So now the crowd disbursed and the mechanic send his assistant back to the shop to get another screw driver to get the dropped screw driver from with in the door. Finally it was me, the mechanic and the shepherd leaning on my car and sharing the chain of events and how its done finally. Once the assistant is back and when they took out the dropped screw driver, I shook their hands and gave 300 bucks which I think made them really happy and both of us pulled away in opposite direction. I could see the shepherd smiling through my rear view mirror as I pulled away ..!!
