Car and I have been through thick & thin

Yepee. When I'm mobile. Following on the ebullience promised by the Who in their so titled song, thought that all my problems would cease once I became the proud owner of an automobile, way back in the past. "I can go anywhere, where I chose, do anything, anything I chose. Walk anyhow, anyhow I chose.
Anywhere, anything, anyhow I chose" to quote another the Who tune. The liberty and freedom to go where I wanted, with no none telling me when to get back. No more waiting for the car, asking for lifts, worrying about how to get there etc. But like most things, a car does come with responsibility and it's fair share of experiences and problems.
At first one had to deal with the driver and the fuelling. If you are the sole user of the car its hard to deal with the driver and the constant surveillance of where he is, where the car is and how much fuel is being consumed etc. Not to mention demands for attention and cash and seedy drivers. Tired of that, and deciding to go it alone, one learns the hard way how to deal with fuelling attendants. I think the first time I realised that I was a female was at a fuelling station. Had been terribly short-changed for fuel as usual, was too shy to check the meter and get out, so fed-up with being duped and deciding that I'd had enough, I drove back to confront the attendant. Got out of the car and spoke hotly to him but my words seemed to fall silently to the ground as they all seemed to gather around me and nudge each other and smile as if I was not making any sense. Decided never to confront fuel attendants afterwards and to get off and check the meter regardless of reaction. Thankfully have had to get off and check the meter only twice or thrice after that because thankfully, over time, have developed a rapport with the three-four petrol stations I frequent and they don't try to pull a fast one over me. If they do (its a new attendant) its good to give them a wide berth for a while and they themselves ask why you have been away so long.
Car and Us have been through all kinds of weather together, rain, dust, hail or shine. Yes, driving in Karachi rains is challenging. Once we got badly stuck in the rains, I think the first ever experience of Karachi rains that occurred. Didn't realise what I was driving into as I headed for the Shahrah-e-Faisal. Even though I saw the car in front of me bobbing up and down in the torrent of water spewing out from the drainage system and flowing like a white frothy river down the roads and two other cars floundering helplessly in the ocean of white. That was all I could see, as the sea or what were the roads and the sky merged together in an ocean of white in the downpour. And before I knew it my car too was happily bobbing up and down as well while the waters surged inside to the car seat level, soaking me. At a more selfish level, I thought that there was no hope for me that I would be swept along by the mighty Shahrah-e-Faisal river or left at the mercy of some weirdoes. In other words I started to panic especially as my mobile happily warned that I was running out of battery.
Meanwhile a young lad emerged from the waters offering to push the car to safety. Had no choice but rely on God's mercy and of humanity and like a boat he pushed the car, against the waters towards the overhead pass, which was the only dry area in the watery landscape. The rising level of the waters correspondingly echoed in the swirling doubts in my mind, heightened by the increasing frequency of the rains. Tried to call but the lines kept crashing while the water level within rose further. As my voice seemed to crack and reach panic crescendo, the tape recorder itself started playing. At first I wondered where on earth is the Azan coming from. Not a soul was to be seen in that cascade of white as if everyone had been swept away and drowned only to realise it was my very own recorder providing me with comfort.
Reassuring me of everything being in Allah's hands and not to loose faith. (These record players have a mind of their own, even my new recorder automatically starts playing as soon as I enter the car, is extremely moody, refuses to stop playing at times and raises and lowers its volume of its own accord and does not play some tracks when it chooses not to. I've learnt not to mess with it and let it have its own way, as long as I can mute it sometimes). We finally did make it to the island, the lad was a Godsend and left happy with some cash. He did save me a lot of distress if not trouble. So there we were waiting on the overhead like many other people with broken down cars waiting for the rains to cease and a way to get home. As darkness was falling a young man offered that a taxi with other ladies could drop me somewhere. (The world is full of kind souls, car and I have discovered, who always come to the rescue in times of need). But I had to abandon poor car, which had had its fair share of water and the kind taxi driver, who was refusing payment, dropped me at a friend's place.
Of course the car was never the same again and after having its body bloated with water it kept running into mechanical problems till it was finally replaced. So one has to be very careful with ones car during times of rain. Dash home at the first signs of rain for roads as rapidly morph into swirling rivers if not the traffic, which forms into vicious snarls. So if you are not caught by the waters, the traffic can catch you for hours, by which time the gas may run out or the waters do reach you.
Then of course there are the maintenance problems. Still have not been able to check water level though I kind of know where it is and change the tyre but I know what spark plugs look like and if the bumper drags where to get it fixed and a few things about oil and not to leave the car with any of these petrol stations for servicing or oil change. Learnt to go to the workshop myself and wait there if I have to and it can be fun if you are a journalist and like experiencing different environments and people and you can always take a good book along as a resort. But its worth it because its better not to mess with a CNG car, not to take it to different workshops for wrong tuning makes the CNG burn at twice the rate and can even burn up the car. As literally happened with my second car, the Coure. Its engine went up in flames in front of my eyes. It had been going through regular bouts of CNG problems and had just returned from a workshop when I was reversing and heard a dull thud as if it rammed into something.
Got out to check and looked to see flames spewing out of the bonnet I thought wow just like in the movies I'm going to watch my own car explode in front of my eyes. Too scared or stunned to even take my bag out of the car I just stood at a distance from the car transfixed, patiently watching the flames licking it, enveloping it waiting for the explosion. Suddenly a swarm of people emerged from nowhere, gathered around the car and tried to put out the flames. Water didn't help or cloth. They got sand and took out my bag and belongings from the car, telling me to keep them. And managed to douse the flames, and as wordlessly, without expecting any gratitude they melted away as mysteriously and I was left to take a taxi home.
There have been times where car has broken down at twelve at night on the main road but then a gentleman and two sons came to the rescue and pushed it to start. Yet car was very stubborn that time and refused. These kind souls waited for my parents to arrive. Then they, with my father pushed the car to a safe place for the night and left only after ensuring that I and car were safe and sound.
Of course dealing with traffic especially the route we take; Gurumandir -Shahrah-e-Faisal-Clifton is not the most salubrious of places and car often gets scratched or bumped and dented in the process. My fault or the motorcyclist who bump in but over time, I've learned to not react, to allow motorcyclists in, to keep away from bus drivers. But generally fellow motorists have been quite generous, even Pajeros. Sometimes they do shove in, but strangely sometimes they seem to then feel guilty and the very same drivers allow you space. I guess the trick is to give others space too. And most often men and even women see you waiting and stop to let you pass first.
Recently a bus driver ground his bus into my standing-at-signal vehicle despite my honking. Then he said 'the traffic ahead distracted me', when I asked why he could not see me when I was honking. He looked so guilty and was so apologetic I did not have the heart to say anymore. Anyhow other motorists, motorcyclists gave him the needful glares and pieces of mind. Its amazing how co-operative fellow motorists can also be. Once after a three day strike, I was stuck in a long snaking queue waiting to fill petrol. The young gentleman in the car in front noticed how I kept being held up by a stream of motorcyclists nudging in. So he made sure that I did not give them any space till we reached the pump, where he left without expecting any thanks. Or the rickshaw driver who in the mad crazy traffic took time out to push my car when it wouldn't start.
Car too is extremely demanding. Jim Morrison's words ring true "Keep your eyes on the road, your hands upon the wheel". That means one should not attempt to do other things as text messaging, talk or read billboards for car threatens to collide with the next object before it. Happened with me when I was trying to read a billboard and car near ran over a group of waiting for the bus bystanders.
Car and I have been through thick and thin. I spend the most amounts of time with it and it is still the most treasured possession and closest companion. When the car is sick, I too fall ill. The only time when I have wished to trade it in is when stuck in hour long queues thanks to some government servant and your muscles ache from the stop and start traffic. But now the newly discovered entertaining radio channels promise to dispel those clouds of gloom too. Viva car.