The Little Elephant

MP20CD7228 – Grey Hyundai i10

Our first car.

The one Papa learnt to drive in.
The one Mummy tried her hands at.
The one in which I and my little brother, who isn’t so little anymore, learnt to drive.

Our little elephant.

I still remember the day it came home,  the joy and excitement that filled the air.

When it was new, we’d double-check the locks every time, just to be sure.

We remember how carefully we’d drive through traffic, eyes alert from every side, not a single dent tolerated.

It witnessed endless family debates over whether the AC should be on or off.

Its music system evolved with us, from CDs to aux cables to Bluetooth, syncing with our changing moods, our changing lives.

Its windows demanded a bit of arm exercise, rolling up and down by hand, but it never bothered us.

Most Sundays, we’d join the cleaning ritual, washing and wiping until it gleamed like new.

And then one fine day, came the first dent, a small one, and with it, the acceptance that our new car had become just a car, slightly old, slightly lived-in.

It took us on countless journeys and made countless memories — to the waterfalls of Bhedaghat, the winding roads of Pachmarhi, our grandfather’s home in Seoni, and many more along the way.

It dropped us to school, sent us off to college, and welcomed us home for festivals.

It saw us grow, from children to teenagers to adults, and it aged with us.

Yesterday, we said goodbye to our old elephant.

Till its last day, the seats stayed covered with old sofa covers — worn, familiar, comforting.

We exchanged it for a new, bigger car that fits our lives better now.

But the little elephant will always hold a special place in our hearts.

15 October 2025