PATNA'S ROAD RIVERS

By Manuwant Choudhary

Even with an hour of rains Patna's roads turn into rivers and yesterday as I took a right turn onto S.K. Puri Road I found myself driving through a river.

And guess what my car ran out of fuel just when I was in the middle of it.

My first reaction was that now I will have to remove my shoes, fold my pants up, get out of the car and wade through the water to the nearest petrol pump with a 3 litre can in hand.
But then I chose not to.

I took it as a challenge on how to refuel without getting my feet wet.

Honking Scorpios from behind only add to the woe.
A speeding schoolbus with children shrieking made my car rock like a boat.
Some water seeped in through the doors as well.

A few passersby smiled, laughed but did not help.

Just then I looked at my rear view mirror for a rikshaw and found one coming.

I asked him if he was free and he said he was. So without removing my shoes I asked the rickshaw to come alongside my door and then I climbed onto it.
Then I asked the rickshaw to move closer to my boot so that I could take out the empty can.
Having done that we left for the petrol pump.

Soon we were back with the fuel. And I asked the rickshaw to get as close as possible to my fuel tank cap.
I opened it and carefully poured the petrol, some of it spilling into the water creating a rainbow of sorts.
Then again the rickshaw took me to my door and I climbed right into my car from the rickshaw.
My car sarted. My rickshaw-wallah asked for Rs.30, I paid Rs.40.

But I did not get my feet wet in Nitish Kumar's murky waters.

(p.s Noted film-maker Prakash Jha has an office at this road but no he is not making any more films on Bihar as he is a loyal Janata Dal (U) member, leaving his poorer cousins in the water.)