Driven to distraction

When we arrived we took over not just the apartment of one of Memsaab’s colleague, we also inherited the cook and driver. The cook is wonderful so more on him later. The driver situation was also wonderful but unfortunately too good to last. Due to certain “issues” between his employers’ company and Memsaabs employer we lost him barely a week after we settled in. Cue a string of replacement auditions.

Driver #1 lasted a day – his inability to understand directions to the gym and an insistence on heading to the office even when Memsaab is wearing lycra and a sports top ensured a redeployment to some other lucky soul.

Driver #2 was more exciting. Toll booths – they’re for losers, just shoot through ‘em. Security checkpoints at hotels – why stop unless you’ve got something to show? After four days of nail-biting adrenalin and growing concern that a multi car punch-up was only a matter of time, he too was sent to seek a brighter future.

Now we’re on Driver #3. He’s good. Calm, unruffled, a family man with no need to break any records from A to B. Also has the admirable habit of ensuring there’s a newspaper in the car and is willing to stretch the truth to Madam over when exactly the other half set off to meet her. He cemented his position the other week when after discussing the fact a leopard had been knocked down on the motorway near Gurgaon, he stated “Madam if we see a leopard, I shall throw myself in front of you for him to eat me first”