At last the long expected day of my life had appeared! For the past two and a half years I was saving my wage to purchase a four wheel car for myself, one that could carry six of us, that comprises me and my five friends, for our weekend trips.
I shortlisted several vehicles from the long list of 6 seater vehicles. My parents asked me to search for 6 seater cars, but most of the so-called 6 seat cars on the market could barely accommodate the massive bulk of my 3 friends in the rear seat. So I ended up with 2 off-roaders that can readily accommodate six persons, and also our vacation accessories such as tents, mountain bike etc.
The first on the list was Mahindra Thar, a classic 4-wheeler, with soft top that could be removed when necessary. The second one was an SUV called Sumo from the stables of Tata. I know both of them belong to different types, but their price tag compelled me to shortlist them. The former was available at a price tag of $12000 and the latter at $13000, a huge difference of $1000.
Thar looked more aggressive and was an extremely competent off-roader. Meanwhile Sumo looked more like a family man’s car and was not that great as Thar in off-roading. My mind was switched towards Thar, because I always had this passion for classic vehicles in me. I was puzzled between the two, my family was more keen towards the Sumo and my passion for jeep was burning inside me.
Then all of a sudden my Grandpa’s face came into my mind, he was a brilliant traveller and did travel from Leh to Kanyakumari, the whole length of India from North to South in his Royal Enfield. He always used to say “pursue what your mind desires, and you will never regret”, and that shed light into my puzzled darkness.
I decided to go for the Mahindra Thar, and ended up customising it for another thousand dollars and now she looks more gorgeous than a Mercedes! The following week we moved straight to Mysore via Munnar and Ooty, and conquered all the highest points in South India. Now the six of us are preparing for an Himalayan trip, following the trails left behind by my beloved Grandpa.