She will melt your heart

I was so eagerly waiting for my dearly beloved. I read every news article that I came across. I even read the magazines, that I normally stay away from, cover to cover, when they reviewed her. Through all the controversies and the debates, I was proud of what she stood for.

And yet, despite all this and more, I must say that nothing prepared me for what I saw yesterday. As I was riding in the cab back home, I saw her in front of me. In a bright yellow avatar. The cutest little thing I have ever seen. And my heart melted.

Welcome to the world dear Tata Nano!

Small Wonder

The Tata Nano is out. I haven't booked it yet. A lot of people seem surprised that I haven't booked it. I know it is just a matter of time. I've been reading reviews of the car and I think the word that would best describe this little beauty is: CUTE.

Somehow I still find a lot of people who haven't warmed up to the idea. I am still the object of ridicule at get togethers because I am the one with the lowly ambition of wanting to own a Nano. Because, you see, the one little Nano that I buy will clog the roads. Believe me, if I told people I wanted to buy a Merc or a BMW, I am sure they wouldn't think of it as something that would clog the roads.

I've now confirmed (to myself) that it is the fact that "everyone could own a car" that's driving the anti - Nano sentiment. It didn't happen when everyone got cell phones (or phones for that matter). We like it that our milkman, maid and newspaper vendor have phones. Yet, we grudge them the luxury of a comfortable commute, should they be able to afford it.

I put off buying a car until I absolutely needed one. I continued to use public transport or a car pool long after we had our car and long after I started driving. (I still do.) I might not buy another car until I absolutely feel the need to. I have nothing against people who own more cars than they need to. I have a problem when these very people start their Nano-bashing. Is it that we want to maintain the difference between the haves and the have nots?

I am sure that everyone will have their two bits to say when I do get my Nano. Yes, it will be an inexpensive (not cheap) car and maybe my milkman will have one too. But I doubt this will make any difference to someone who's been ridiculed for 2 years now for owning a "taxi". People forget... or they simply don't know... that Mercs are also used as taxis.

Small is Beautiful

I am extremely excited about the Tata Nano. I am unable to contain my excitement. My mother promised to gift me one whenever it is released. But that's not the only reason I am excited.

I have always been worried about the scooter or the motorcycle being the complete family vehicle. This car will change that. OK, the basic model doesn't have an AC... but no motorcycle or scooter that I have seen has one. In the last 24 hours, I have met so many people who feel this car shouldn't be on the roads. That this is the biggest mistake the Tatas are making. That our roads will be congested. That too many people will be able to afford it. Somehow I think the fact that everybody can afford something that would make their lives a little easier and a little safer is a good thing. Not something we should complain about. But maybe people in India think of cars as a luxury. Why, even I did, for a long time. But maybe the people's car will mean that it will cease to be a status symbol. Maybe that's why people are worried.

If you ask me, it is the huge Mercs and BMWs that congest our roads. Not the likes of the Nano. There's no hue and cry about the number of luxury limos that come into the country. Our roads seem to be OK with them. But when there is a small beauty that everyone can afford, it becomes something we are not OK with. I am more convinced that we are either a nation of hypocrites or one of confused souls.

At the end of the day, I feel that most of the criticism for the Nano is because it is a Tata car. When we bought our vehicle last year, there were so many people, including some of our "closest" friends, who asked us if we were planning to start a taxi service. Just because we own an Indica. I have never felt my pride dip even once. I'd much rather drive a Tata Car than any other. I was all set on the Marina as our next car, but now I think I'd love the Nano more.

We plan to go and check the baby out at the Auto Expo. I was least excited until the news of Nano's release came out. Babies take 9 months and mothers and grandmothers do get excited. So, it is normal for my mother and I to feel this way. We shall await our little one.

It is a huge step forward for the car industry, for the Tatas, and for India. It is a bonus that it is as cute as it is. Maybe we can have Nano autos. And maybe more people will make fun of me then for driving around town in it. But I will never be ashamed to be seen in a Tata car a.k.a. a People's car. I hope this car meets with success. I hope for a safer and accident free India. I can only wish Ratan Tata well. What I (and millions like me) dreamt of, he has achieved. I hope that it will replace the two wheeler as India's family vehicle.

When luxury becomes necessity…

I’ve always wanted a car of my own. But each time I weighed the pros and cons of owning a car, I always ended up deciding against it. The public transport systems in most cities that I have lived in have been more than decent. Gurgaon is, probably, the only exception.

This is the only place I have lived in where the only means of public transport is the cycle rickshaw. A lot has changed here. I lived in this place in the late 90s. Life was tough in many ways back then. I had to travel to Delhi for any kind of shopping or entertainment. Now people from Delhi travel to Gurgaon to spend weekends at what has come to be known as the “Mall Mile”. But in more ways than one, this town or village (call it what you will) has remained unchanged. Some parts of Gurgaon feel like Singapore. No kidding! But some parts retain their rustic touch just so you don’t forget that you’re in Haryana. Its like a town that’s got one foot in modern India, but whose other foot just refuses to budge. I have digressed.

What are my options in a town like this? I can travel by cycle rickshaw. I can walk. I can sit with random public in a share auto. (I’m not snobbish… I have traveled by buses in rural areas and by the local trains in Mumbai). But I find it difficult to sit with 24 other people in an auto meant for 7. Moreover, I’d be forced to travel in the direction that the majority in the auto is traveling… not really in the direction that I want to go.

And having weighed all our options for a very long time in this town that we now call home, my husband and I decided that what we considered a luxury earlier is now a necessity. After having come to that decision, we took our time deciding what car to buy. Just about everyone who knew we were researching cars gave us their unsolicited advice. And when we finally zeroed in on a car, we saw another one… a little bigger, a bit more expensive… and we fell for it. But we needed a car. What we were looking at was going to more than just serve the purpose. We walked the fine line between luxury and necessity for a couple of days. Good sense prevailed and we bought the car that we needed, not the one that we wanted.

And we drove home in it last night. I’m on a high!