The invisible panic button!

It was 7 in the evening, and I was just about wrapping work after a very mentally tiring day all set to get bored and sleep, when... "Life" didnt want to let me down and chose to make the rest of my boring day interesting...

The phone went beep! beep!... "Dude, fill up... petrol bunks on strike for the next 5 days", and I was trembling to the fact that I am just about to get into my car, the fuel tank of which is filled with air, and has been waiting to gush it out to make space for fuel since a couple of days... And I CHOSE to wait, I had plans to fill this morning on my way to work..... But I chose to wait..... And now I'm looking for the PANIC Button!

Surprisingly I was calmer this time. The fact that I was terribly low on fuel didn't bother me much. I was on the verge of getting into a call, and I could actually put aside the worry and finish the call perfectly. (For those of you, who know me and are thinking in the head that I am lying. Trust me I am NOT!, I honestly didn't go hay wire and create an unnecessary dramatic situation out of nothing...) I eventually started for home. Something told me that I am not pushing my car tonight!...

In a couple of minutes, I was amidst the traffic, and I found that the whole world is different today. People were going CRAZY... I lit up a smoke, and in my head started to think, "It is probably the same set of people that are trying to go home who drive along these roads everyday, but today is different!", I mean it took me more than 4 attempts before I could cross the Jubilee Hills Check Post... Cars were cutting lanes, driving on the wrong side, stopping on green, going on red. Cops were blowing their whistles away like trumpets... And yet no order, absolutely no order!

The roads appeared to be like a war zone! It was like right out of the movies... "The aliens have attacked! Evacuation's been declared! Run for your life..." (See, I only imagine dramatic stuff these days, I don't react dramatically anymore!)

Well, couple of miles into the journey, I picked up a friend on the way. Then we both headed towards our task of the evening - Petrol Hunting!

After crossing a couple of overloaded bunks, we finally found a bunk where we managed to get into the line. We waited there for almost 40 minutes to get our turn to fill up.

A minute later... As I saw my fuel indicator rising! I felt as if I too am rising above and beyond, it was truly a magical feeling.. It felt as if we had defeated the aliens and saved the earth from an alien abduction! (Just used it like a metaphor Guys...)

Well in all of this, when the "fuel" was in the car, I sat down in peace to realize, that I didn't realize when I hit the PANIC button unknowingly... It was never there. I am sure any of you who are reading this and were in Hyderabad last night would might agree that we reacted because others were panicking.

And here is the million dollar question! Why were others panicking?

I think it's an amazing way of making the common man realize that no matter how many times the fuel price is hiked, they still need it, at any price!

I don't know, I am not saying that it was a good thought strategy! However it bloody well worked...

Now let me think....When was the last time we had such a petrol crisis ? Was it like a couple of days after the previous hike in the price?

Think about it!
Dipankar