Catch the Bug

LET'S TORQUE

Miriam is hibernating. She does that every year at this time. This is the season when the battery leads are disconnected and she's kept away from moisture "" as humanly as possible of course.

Oh, in case you haven't figured out who I am talking about, Miriam is my brightest-yellow-on-Earth 1960 Volkswagen Beetle, the love of my life.

The rains are fantastic, but my only crib is that I cannot take my Beetle out on drives too often. Actually I can, it's just that I am too protective about Miriam. The monsoons mean atrocious roads. Even SUVs shudder to tackle the roads of India's so-called powerhouse of the Indian economy. Then imagine what it can do to a 46-year-old automobile.

I know that there are a host of other classic and vintage car lovers who have packed up their machines for the rains, biding for the time when God turns off the tap.

It will soon be followed by the excuse of a winter that Mumbai gets "" perfect weather to wheel out the oldies... bright sunshine, not-too-high temperatures. However, I can't wait.

So once in a while I wake her up from her deep slumber. Because driving my Bug is too irresistible, rains or not. I know that the water that collects at the base of the wheel arches and through the window sills down to the bottom of the doors will eventually lead to some rusting.

The brakes are a tad too weak for Mumbai traffic and slippery roads, yet I just about manage. The wipers can barely handle the volumes of water. The pockmarked roads kill her torsion bars and shocks, still... She is too beautiful to be left alone.

And then, when I park her back in my covered garage, there are a million droplets on her yellow paintwork. And I fall in love all over again. Sigh. The rains do that to you.

srini@business-standard.com