The Hapless Space Scientist
Early 1900s saw the India change. The technological revolution aimed at bringing peace, and our then PM, Shri P.V. Narasimha Rao wished to uplift Indians - all but one hapless space scientist.
We would have been destined to tilting the Bajaj scooter in the morning and kick-starting them for the whole of our lives, had not our former PM Honourable Shri PV Narsimha Rao brought in economic perestroika. Thanks to him, our generation got promoted from Bajaj scooter to Maruti car, soon to become ubiquitous appendage of the upwardly mobile middle class.
Sooner than later, we were in a piquant situation. Cars were in good numbers, but driving trainers were in short supply. They were not only expensive, but they also carried an attitude on their sleeves. One of my ISRO colleagues got fed up with constant rebuke by the driving trainer. He somehow was not able to bring his feet on the brake and accelerator pedals at the right time, creating troubles on the mid-road and earning an earful from the trainer.
Even a mole can strike back. Those daily rebukes were already getting accumulated on his nerves. One day the space scientist could not bear it further. He got exasperated and shot back, "You know we send rockets to space, and you are teaching me how to drive?" The trainer stopped the car, came out, forced open the driver-side door and firmly asked the gentleman to get down. He had a parting sermon, “You go and fly in a rocket. You are not capable of driving a car." The scientist never learnt to drive a car and remained a scooter-ist till the old Bajaj scooter models became obsolete.