I headed back homewards with dark clouds looming ahead. Soon it started to rain. Gently first and then harder. Ghazipur crossing was flooded when I crossed it. I had to crawl in the traffic at the traffic signal for 30 minutes. Nizamuddin bridge seemed to pass by quickly till I hit the water logged on the bridge a few meters before the T-point. Outer Ring Road was free and fast but the Bhairon Road turn was jammed up. I drove straight towards the DDA Building. Then the fun began. It took another 30 mintues to reach the traffic signal the end of Barakhamba Road. From there I headed towards India Gate. Couldn’t enter Ashoka Road because of the traffic. Tried Raisina Road. For some reason they were turning traffic back at Shastri Bhawan. The next day I learnt the Metro site at the Rafi Marg-Raisina Road roundabout had sunk. I spend the rest of the evening just wandering around the broad avenues of the New Delhi area. Traffic at all roundabouts had stopped. In the evening many Air force Gypsies and Esteems were also stranded. The senior officers returning home were stuck in the traffic. The stars on their light blue vehicles reminded me of the lines form the song Starry Starry Nights. Strangely I didn’t feel as tired or irritated as I thought I should have. Maybe because it was Friday. After about 4 hours on the road I looked around for a tea stall. None was to be found. I drifted to Barista in Khan Market. Hot Coffee and Baked Potato Chips fueled the rest of my drive home. The next day I read all about it in the newspapers. On Monday I reminded everyone in office of the photographs in the newspapers and with glee said, ‘I was there!’

Total time taken from office to home – 6.5 hours, only!!