Well I had this sweet beautiful Phoenix Red Maruti 800, which I had bought in1998 in Ranchi.We and the kids had lots of fun in this car.Though the car was a base model without AC or music system,the places we stayed like Ranchi and Kulti (near Asansol) car was not at all uncomfortable.We used the car extensively and travelled far and wide.I had used the car to bring my 80 year old mother from Patna to Ranchi-a distance of about 400 kms,driving all by myself though the notorious 18kms "ghati" of Rajauli and 2 other less lenghthy "Ghati"s en route but no less tortuous,without once breaking down or giving any trouble. I remember a couple of years before I retired in2007,I was posted in the infamous Chasnalla,close to Dhanbad where the famous coal mine occured ,which was later picturised as "Kala Pathhar" starring our own ShotgunSinha.I had to stay alone in Chasnalla ,as I retained my bungalow in IISCO Colony at Kulti where my wife stayed back as she was teaching in St.Patrick's School,Asansol.The distance from Kulti to Chasnalla was 66 kms.which I had to drive on weekends,20 kms of this was through a Naxal infested forest.I remember I had to take diversions from the normal route over hilly track and not a single soul in sight during Jharkhand Bandhs,such that that if the car broke down there,I would have had no other recourse than leaving the car there and walking but God Bless,it never let me down.I remember, along my kids and wife, how we went for long rides often to adjacent towns like Ranchi to Jamshedpur where we had moved/shifted at the beginning of my career..This car I had bought in Ranchi,which was still part of Bihar,now the capital of newly formed state Jharkhand and the number plate bore the Registration number of Bihar-BR14F 4237.At the time of purchase,I had paid Life Time(15 years)Tax.
.Life was going fine ttill I shifted to Kolkata after my superannuation in later part of 2007.I managed well for a year since I had paid Road Tax for West Bengal at the entry point of West Bengal from Jharkhand but on expiry of that period,I contacted the Motor Vehicles Department at Alipur.The RTO kindly allowed me to pay the Road Tax at Kokata but asked me to get No Objection Certificate from Ranchi.That I got from Ranchi with some delay but without much difficulty but when I again approached the Transport department,I found the former RTO was transferred and the new ARTO was a different cup of tea.First he straight way refused, as my car was not Euro 3.When I pointed out that the previous RTO had allowed me to pay road Tax here and when I pointed out that as per rules,as a Central Govt.Public Sector Retired Employee,I was entitled to transfer my car on retirement,he then asked for my Service certificate.After showing which he asked for a technical examination of the car though there no problem and even many mistris had opined that they had not seen a 10 yr. old car in such a good condition.In general,he was being difficult and also hinted that I would have to pay through my nose if I wished to have my car registered here.My relatives suggested that to avoid any further trouble,I should give away my Maruti 800 in exchange and purchase a new car.I wondered if it was worth that much trouble at my advanced age and even if I got my car registered here and sell it after use for some time after spending a fortune to get it registered here,I will get a pittance.I decided on the side of discretion and after much test driving and market surveys,voila!!! here's my present beauty!!!-a Magna i10 Kappa Limited Edition car.It has all the features I had wished for-the size not as small as Maruti but not too big to to be difficult to negotiate thru' the narrow overcrowded streets of Narendrapur and Kamalgazi and not too big &difficult to park in the streets of Kolkata.Of course,AC with vents at back &front as well,Kenwood Music system with 4 speakers front and back,keyless entry,alloy wheels,foglights,Power steering,Power Windows,leather seats etc.etc.In general I am very happy.Wish me luck everybody!! 
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