The Honda City was my first car, special because I won it through Indian Idol . Prior to the win, when I was doing the show, the top three contestants were supposed to do a video on how they felt, being in the car. Everybody got into the car; fortunately, my co-contestants were under-age. I was handed the keys.
I knew somehow that this could be mine. Previously, I had dented my uncle’s car, and my mother had warned me to be careful with a car that’s not ours. It was a great feeling taking Mom for a drive in that Honda City, telling her that the car was all mine.
One of the experiences with the car that I remember the most were the Mumbai floods. They had begun when I was returning from my guru’s place in that car. In knee-level water, I spent an entire night in the car, and the Honda City turned into my protector. Surviving that stormy night was a surreal experience.
The Honda City was very handy, economical, easy to handle, even with the traffic that Mumbai has. I’d feel like I was driving a cycle or a toy at times. Driving is a stress-buster for me, and the car made me more enthusiastic on the roads. That got me overconfident too, especially with the sharp turns.
I use the ‘me-time’ in the car talking to myself, sometimes with the car too. The solitude laid a strong foundation for my future career plans. I have never been insistent on company for longer drives, and the most memorable was a trip to Goa.
I had the Honda City for around five years. I was very particular about the way I maintained it. Despite that, there were too many cracks to handle and that’s when I decided to sell it. It was a hard decision, like offering your battery to someone else. It was the only souvenir left from the Indian Idol experience. I continue to regret that move. I moved onto a Skoda Laura — it was less practical as a car, but a luxurious one. Though I preferred the Honda City to the Skoda, the latter gave me the high of riding an automatic car. Anything for a smooth drive ultimately! (As told to Srivathsan Nadadhur)
