The Longest Second

Have you ever had a moment in your life that seemed like minutes or hours even though it was only a few parts of a second? Have you ever tried to see in slow motion of something that happened in a fraction of a second?  I have, and as I look back on it, I feel very confused and it changed my views on life. Life is very complicated, beyond our comprehension.

This narrative is about two sets of people, who have nothing in common, living miles apart, but predestined to affect each other’s lives.

I woke up after the third ring of the alarm. Today is the 2nd of October, a holiday. I walked out into the balcony, the cool wind brushed past me. The distant waves of the bay sounded pristine. The sun has not yet risen, and the horizon was pink and orange. It was a perfect day.

Today I have many miles to go; I have to drive down to Vijayawada, some 400 Kms from Vizag to attend an important function by 1 O’ clock afternoon.

5.05 Am: I woke up my wife and my daughter and goaded them to hurry up and get ready; we have to start by 7 O’clock sharp.

In a distant village, some 100 Kms from Vizag, Mr. Satya Prakash, an engineer in a sugar factory was fast asleep. His wife, Lakshmi just woke up to the calls of the milkman.

5.15 Am: With a hot cup of tea in one hand, I started packing my belongings for a 3 days stay.

Lakshmi brought a hot cup of coffee to her husband and woke him up.

5.30 Am: Satya Prakash relishes his coffee; the first coffee prepared by his beloved wife is all that he can ask for. When he has to go to distant places on duty, he always longed for the aroma and the frothing homemade coffee. After waking up his son, he settled down with a newspaper in the front courtyard. Life was good. And today being a holiday, he wanted to visit his ailing mother some 50 Km away.

I was busy packing, when I heard a thud on the front door, I knew it was the newspaper. I opened it and the only thing I found interesting was the cricket match at Kochi.

6.00Am:  I put aside the newspaper and rushed to get ready, I found that both wife and daughter still busy packing, my daughter searching for her favorite dress, pulled out everything from the cupboard. “Hurry up darling, we are getting late” I chided. I have to be in Vijayawada by 1 O’clock because I promised to a friend of mine to go with him by 2.30 Pm to inspect a piece of land he intends to buy.

Lakshmi was angered to see her son still not ready; He is getting late for his tuitions. He is searching for a book and is rummaging his cupboard. “Hurry up darling, you are getting late” Lakshmi says and rushes back into the kitchen. Satya Prakash had promised to take her to the Hanuman temple in the nearby village after her son leaves for tuitions.

6.30 Am: I am ready and all dressed up and my mobile rings. It is my friend calling from Vijayawada. I assure him that I will be there in time and we shall together go to inspect the land.

Satya Prakash puts down his newspaper to attend to his ringing phone. His instrument was sent by his brother in the US, its ring tone is a pleasant “jingle bells”.

7.00 Am: I started to feel restless; it is going to take some more time for them to get ready. To save time, I thought I will go and fill up my car with fuel.

Lakshmi is ready after a refreshing bath, but was annoyed to see her husband still pouring over the newspaper. “Come on get ready, we should be back before he returns from the tuitions” To save time she grabs a small basket and goes out to pluck some flowers for the puja.

7.15 Am: I am back at home and we are ready to leave,

Satya Prakash is ready too and now he is waiting for his wife to return.

7.30 Am: My daughter, settled down in the front seat so that she can fiddle with music system. My wife in the back seat and I was driving with seat bells on.

Satya Prakash and his wife get onto their new scooter; it is an electric scooter, those that are imported from China.

8.00 Am: I always loved long drives in my car and felt stronger as I drove my 1900 cc car past all others on the road. The music was loud but I let it be because my daughter was enjoying it.

Satya Prakash was enjoying his ride too. His wife’s sari fluttering in the cool breeze and the scent of paddy fields playing on his senses.

8.15 Am: It was a slow drive in the early morning traffic. My daughter busy changing CDs. “Put on your seat belt” I said and she promptly did it.

The pot holed roads forced his scooter to maneuver in a zig zag manner. “Watch your sari” Satya Prakash said, and she tucks it in securely.

8.30 Am: We have reached the outskirts and I picked up speed, cruising steadily.

Satya Prakash had to travel a small stretch on the National highway before he has to turn right and proceed to a village road again to the Hanuman temple.

8.35 Am: The road was empty and I picked up more speed. Luckily, my daughter was playing some good music, it was a nice feeling.

Satya Prakash slows down as he reaches the point where he has to turn right to the other lane.

8.35.30 Am: My wife, relaxing at the back seat and slowly drifting into a deep sleep. Daughter relaxed, and I am driving at around 140 Km/hr, that is about 38 meters per second.

8.35.40 Am: I notice that someone on a scooter about a 100 meters ahead trying to enter our lane from the opposite one.

8.35.41 Am: As an instinctive driver, I expect the scooterist to stop after seeing that a car is cruising towards them at high speed.

8.35.42 Am: But that was not to be, Satya Prakash did not bother to notice my car and he surged forward, cutting across the road and perpendicular to my direction. And I apply brakes to the maximum possible and try to sever my car to the right to avoid a collision. But a confused Satya Prakash stopped still.

8.35.43 Am: I heard shrieks from inside my car. The car screeching on the tarmac, I could see Lakshmi’s eyes wide open in shock. I am getting closer to them, my adrenaline rushing; both of them transfixed like some animals under strong search lights at night. I tried to steer to my left but was too late. The predestined impact had happened. Both of them flew high and fell on my windshield shattering it and bounced back onto the road. My car came to a halt just a meter from where they lie on the road, motionless. And some flowers meant for puja on my broken windshield.

All was quiet for a while. That was the longest second in my life.