Biting The Dust !!!!

As I waved a bye to a friend I crossed on the road that fateful Tuesday morning hardly did I know that I would soon be waving out to him again in a few minutes, albeit differently!!. I started off on Baner road leading towards NH 4, my daily route to office which was 17 kms away; I looked at my watch and estimated a time of about 12 to 15 minutes needed to cover that distance.

After negotiating a small patch of slow moving traffic I came around a bend from where the last 2 kms to the highway was perfectly deserted and wide patch. Here I opened the throttle and came out from behind the slow moving 6 seater “dukkar” and zoomed off forward. This was the short home run stretch of the road and it was natural for me to finish off this section so that in no time I was out there on the highway zooming off towards my workplace. As I moved a few notches on the gearbox and reached 70 KMPH, I saw a lone white Santro on the extreme left hand side of the road blinking its indicators and signalling a right turn. Following standard road safety procedures I blew my horn loud and indicated by flashing my headlights that I am at a high speed and I need the ‘right of way’. The car stopped at the left as I accelerated forward, and then without warning darted across the road taking the turn. I looked down at my Speedo, 71kmph, HOLY @#$%!!!! Panic struck me, and I did the inevitable. HIT THE BRAKES. I applied both brakes simultaneously as I saw the car move across my field of vision. The bike maintained a straight line as it skidded for a few seconds before the front wheel gave way and I fell down on the ground, impact straight on my left shoulder, knee and left side of the head. My head scratched on the ground for about 15 odd feet, helmet rubbing against the tarmac. The Bike and I separated after the fall as the bike hurtled haphazardly to the right side across the road. The car now suddenly halted in front of me and I saw myself moving towards the car’s rear end, face forward. The first impact I clearly remember was my jaw on the rear bumper of the car, as I bounced off and then crashed again into the car a second time, with my forehead. The stunning blows kind of stopped the whole world around me in freeze frame.

By instinct the first reaction I did was to get up, and run to the side of the road. Since I could get up and run I was sure I hadn’t broken any limb seriously. I took off my helmet and noticed something was stuck in my face which also came off. The crowd came to the scene and someone helped me pick up the bike. I was seeing drops or red appear on my shirt one after another. Someone from the crowd told me that I was bleeding from the nose. I nodded and took out my kerchief and put it to my nose. Taking out my phone I made a few calls and knew that fellow bike-nomad and my trusted support system Praveen Shirali was on his way to the accident spot to help me manage the scene.

In the crowd I saw a helmeted rider wearing a Bajaj riding suit, and as I looked across the road I saw a plastic sheet covered, camouflaged bike across the road. I looked at the guy and asked him – yeh EXCEED hai na?”, he nodded back and muttered under his breath – “Kya aadmi hai!!, isko aisi haalat mein bhi kya soojhta hai!!”. I wanted to take a look at the bike but then, situation wasn’t so conducive.

Meanwhile, the man who had caused the whole drama was no where to be seen and I searched around to see the car parked inside a compound where some construction was going on. The man had the nerve to calmly drive away from the scene as if nothing happened. I managed to get his name from the security guard and also knew the information that he was the site supervisor so he would be there on other days also.

By this time I saw Praveen Shirali was there at the spot and we moved the bike to a safe spot near the road. By this time I could feel my face going numb and my whole kerchief was red. I thought I had broken my nose but the pain wasn’t as bad as I had anticipated, so a broken nose was ruled out. The moment Praveen Shirali hailed an auto and said we have to go to the hospital, did I realise, something was seriously wrong with my face.

We reached Medi-point hospital in some time and checked into the emergency. A surgeon came and inspected me all over. He asked me to be admitted to be administered some stitches on my face as it was badly cut open. It was here that I tried to figure out from my broken helmet visor what all damage could have happened. One look in the mirror was enough to let me know that I had gashes on my face all around the nose area, starting from the brow down to the lips. Major sections had gaping holes in the skin. As I lay there on the table in the OT closing my eyes, I was wondering if the doctors would actually put back my face together for me exactly the way it was earlier, or like they show in bollywood flicks, I would come out resembling Amitabh Bacchhan or some other hunk. It took something close to an hour for the doctor to finish off the stitching. The effect of anaesthesia had started wearing off by the time the entire process got over, and pain had started sinking in.

As I was wheeled out the shocked expressions I saw on the faces of my friends and family which had come to the hospital made me realise – “Saala !, kuch to jhol hai !” The Doctor explained to me his effort, 5 stitches to the bridge of the nose, 14 stitches to the nostril to stick it back, 9 stitches to the upper lip, and 3 stitches to the nose tip, total 31. Hmmm!!. Kya SILAI hai !! This doctor had done a great job however.

I remembered last time I had to go under a scalpel a few years back, the rurally capable doctor had anesthetised the wrong fingers and then stitched the ruptured ones with the finesse of a 75 year old drunk one eyed cobbler. Well at least the doctor knew what he had to do and had done it good. Ashwin Nadig and Rashmin, fellow Bikers came to the hospital and informed me that the damage to the bike was hardly anything. The loss was just limited to a badly bent gear lever, a bent crash guard and broken left rear footrest stay besides minor scratches on the bike. Hmm, manageable damage, I thought – “Lekin ‘THOBADE’ ka kya karoon !?!?” The Doctor asked me to come again in 2 days time and get things checked up. After being discharged, I was driven home from the hospital by Ashwin, who also got my bike home.

As I lay down on the bed, face stitched up and swollen just 4 hours from the time I had left home in the morning, I introspected on this incident which had drastically changed a lot. I quick audit of the damage done to health revealed some bruises all over the body, typical bike crash injuries, lots of damage to face, some minor pain in teeth, jaws, head and neck due to the impact. Small work needed on bike. Riding Confidence absolutely INTACT. Waiting to get back on the bike. Nothing else shaken.

I also realised that most accidents happen because there are some weird kind of people on the road who definitely do not care about the fact that there are others who also use the road and are on the road. They drive around like in a video game as if everything else is run-over-able. I also found out that if there is any vehicle ahead of you then it can and perhaps will change lanes and butt in, right in your line of fire so always keep an escape route ready.

Most important lesson however was the fact that it always beneficial to wear a helmet, but then even the visor needs to be of a good quality. So out goes my STUDDS JADE, its time to look at an AGV or a GP1. I wonder what the guys wearing Marlboro, Rakshak and other street-brands would say about that.

I deeply thank my friends, fellow BN riders who helped me in this situation and made sure I was well repaired even after the damage. Also to people who wished me and sent in their sms’s. Thanks a Ton to all!! I guess I should be up and riding in about a week’s time.

Here's the indicative foto of the extent of damage done to the face. Viewer discretion is advised.

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/praveen.sathaye/UntitledAlbum/photo#5109926711394535394

Till then keep riding..and remember to keep the lid on !!