I'm scared of driving over high bumps. The car tends to roll back and when I jam my foot on the accelerator, the tires screech, the car lurches forward and those on the road think I am a novice. I had been driving for over ten years till I got married and stayed in the US for four and a half years.

There I either took the subway or the buses but here in India I have no other choice but to drive and it scares the shit out of me as utter chaos reigns on Bangalore roads. Buses cut into the right without giving a signal, hordes of people cross roads like unexpected locusts and road rage abounds with car drivers vying for every little space available.

Its like a video game where we dodge through the traffic, brake when an idiot decides to gamble his life infront of a fast car or drum our fingers on the steering wheel while the traffic light changes and give dirty looks to beggers who prostrate themselves in front of the car.

Driving in Bangalore is a harrowing experience and one I'd love to avoid. We live outside the city and it takes us an hour to drive into the city due to the massive traffic jams. We generally find ourselves squeezed between trucks or buses and despite the close squeeze generally are surprised by bikers or scooterists who squeeze in besides us.

The fumes, pot holed roads, cloud bursts and cursing motorists make driving a nasty chore that I rather not do given a choice. But then again I have no choice, its either stay at home till Aaman comes home or venture out, put myslef through hell just to pick Aayan up from his play school or to buy groceries.

These are times when I miss Milwaukee and its air conditioned buses but enough bitching. Tomorrow I have to pick Aayan up alone and for that reason I will pull my breeches up, take a deep breath and assure myself that my car will not roll back over that big bump at the entry point of the community nor will I be bullied by those nasty buses.