As I wrote a few days ago, though India is supposedly the biggest democracy in the country, it hardly displays any signs of being so. Every right of any citizen can be demolished in the garb of democracy. The biggest offenders are our dear leaders, who become leaders to lead India towards a democracticly divided country where, if they could have their wish, every citizen of the country would have his ver own personal state.

The latest example is today’s parliament session, where all of them wanted to garner some free points by asking for waivers for farmers, which will anyways be announced tomorrow. The end result – The session could not be comleted and the speaker had to end it by saying “You are all working overtime to finish democracy in this country”.

But I beg to differ Mr. speaker sir, because they are not working to finish the democracy, they have already finished it. Now, they are just working to get their own monarchy established here..

My friends told me that you cant survive in Dallas without driving and you can’t drive without an IDP (International Driving Permit)…
So began my crusade to get one. Left for chandigarh on thursday. The mission was simple:
1. Go to State Transport Office.
2. Give forms to officer (all forms already completed) for stamp and signature.
3. Come Back

But as it turned out later, the enemy was prepared. The 3-point agenda was just a trap to lure me behind enemy lines…
Each point branched off to several other points and to perplex and torture me further, even recursion was thrown in.

WARNING: For the weak at heart, this is a good point to stop. Cuz the details below are quite gory and graphic. Any resultant effects, like frustration, hair tearing, teeth grinding, etc, will not be my responsibility.

So, let the story begin…
Woke up to a melodious tone ringing in my cell. It was my alarm…
After such a long time, I had seen morning, yeah, I woke up at 7:00. Birds were chirping, a mild breeze blowing outside…The day seemed to be off to a good start…
Came out of my place to find a baba (saint) standing there, who, on seeing me, instantly uttered the words “Videsh yatra nikat hai baccha“. (Foreign travel is near, my child). The day was indeed good. I managed a smile…:)
Well, the first point went off well. Reached the STO (State Transport Office)….
Knocked at the door of the official who had to sign and stamp my papers. No response…
Waited a bit and knocked again. No Response. Opened the door and peered in.. It was empty.. A peon saw me and said, “Madam Chhutti pe hai” (Ma’am is on leave). Is it starting to go wrong? I thought.
Met another officer and was told “Since wednesday and thursday were holidays, so she took the friday off. She’s the only one in this office who can sign ur papers. However you can go to another office near high court. One Mr. X is also authorised to sign.”
Nothing to worry yaar, i told myself..
Went to the office and what do I find, Mr. X is absent. Why? Same reason as before…But then you can go to DC’s office. ADC will sign it.
At ADC’s office when the same episode was repeated I had started to crumble…
Someone told me to go to old STO but they said nothing was done there now. Then came back to new STO. Then a guy gave me a ray of hope. Gave me a slip and asked me to meet someone in the second office. Then in the second office i was given a slip and asked to meet someone in the first office and told that work will surely be done. And guess who was i supposed to meet.
I found out when I came to room no 3. It was the same room where I had knocked first thing in the morning…
Then I was told that my work would be done on monday…But alas, our merciful Government, Monday has also been declared a holiday and here I am, the tortured soul, back in my office, torturing souls like you and deriving sadistic pleasures out of it…