BACK FROM THE BRINK

Isolated during the lockdown, Meraj Shah’s search for a new car becomes a metaphor for a new post-lockdown take on life

- Meraj Shah

Because, in the end, you won’t remember the time you spent working in the office. Go climb that mountain. — Jack Kerouac I’ve read On the Road, — Kerouac’s seminal account of a road trip across America — over a dozen times over the years, and dropped this particular quote more often than I care to admit. I lived by that axiom, and knew most people didn’t seem to have the same luxury. In early 2020, the year seemed filled with promise. By March, after spending a month in Thailand and Jordan — writing and shooting video — future assignments were dropping from the skies. I poohpoohed friends who asked if I missed not having the time to take five, introspect a bit, and just take stock of life. ‘There’s not a moment to lose! Life is out there!’ I’d respond in disbelief.

The first lockdown, when it clamped India down in March 2020, didn’t affect my life directly. My girlfriend and I had each other for company, and, as part of ‘essential services,’ I continued to shoot and work for a news channel. Even my ride, a gorgeous relic, my pride and joy, an immaculately kept Hindustan Motors Ambassador Avigo, loved the empty roads. While the pandemic ravaged the lives of fellow denizens, we were lucky to escape unscathed.