UNLEARNING CURVE

The absurdity of the situation wasn't lost on me. Here I was, a man who's spent more than two decades behind the wheel, and yet, my palms were sweating. The reason? A driving test necessitated by a mix-up at the licensing office.

- ADITYA UPADHYAULA

As I sat in the sterile waiting room, surrounded by nervous teenagers and a few other bewildered adults, my mind raced. I'd driven thousands upon thousands of kilometres since my original driving test in India. The rules, the roads, the vehicles themselves had changed dramatically. But more importantly, I had changed. My driving, once a conscientious effort to adhere to every letter of the rulebook, had morphed into something far more intuitive — perhaps even, dare I say, complacent.

My biggest fear? The one-handed wheel grip. It’s a habit I'd unknowingly picked up, a casual comfort born of endless hours on familiar roads. Would this minor deviation from the prescribed ‘two hands on the wheel at all times’ cost me precious points? Would it brand me as an unqualified driver in the eyes of a stern examiner? The thought was genuinely unsettling.