Page 92 - FATE & DESTINY

FATE & DESTINY

“No, no, please,” I said. “Gopal will drive. You can go to sleep.”
“I am a driver. Stop the damn truck, Gopal!”
I neared the door to jump out, but the truck zoomed. “I am dead now.”
But Suresh fell back to his seat and never rose again.
Gopal chortled as the truck zigzagged. “Don’t worry, sir. You can go to sleep.”
“How can I go to sleep while you’re playing with my life?” I blurted, glaring at the sleeping man. “Who
is this bloody drunkard?”
“My friend, sir,” he said. “Don’t mind him. He is drunk.”
“You’re crazy.”
He chuckled. “Why?”
“Do you always drive drunk?” I said, shaking my head. “You’re risking not only your life but also
others.”
“Don’t worry,” he said. “I am very self-controlled with my driving.”
“Don’t drink while driving,” I said, “and don’t drive while drinking.”
“This is a driver’s life,” he said. “That’s what I’ll always do.”
“You are making a big mistake,” I said.
He yawned and leaned back to his seat. The truck moved at the same speed.
“Watch out!” I said, holding the steering wheel.
Gopal peered at me with his half-shut eyes. “Wow, you can drive? Come on, steer it.”
“No,” I said. “I was just—”
“Steer it,” he said. “You’ll enjoy it.”
“No, Gopal,” I said. “I can’t.”
He leaned back again. “Come on. Hold the steering wheel now.”
“Hell no,” I said, holding the steering wheel tight. “Please, Gopal.”
“Good,” he said. “Now I am sleeping.”
“Please don’t,” I said, peering through the windshield. “I can’t drive.” As the lights darted from the
opposite direction, I shouted, “I am a dead man!”
After some distance, he chortled. “I will drive now.”
All along the way, my heart kept thumped inside my chest. We arrived home at 1:00 am.
Days later, Gopal said, “Let’s go to Barpeta, sir.”
“Not with you,” I said. “I hate tarka roti.”

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