“Our engineers burned the midnight oil to produce this car,” said the MD as he showed me into his factory in the outskirts of the city, “and after the lockdown, we thought this was just the car for your highly strained pocket!”

“And this car will cost less than a lakh?” I asked surprised.

“Less than fifty thousand!” said the beaming managing director as he took me to the workshop area, “There’s it! The cheap car the whole country wants!”

“It’s beautiful!” I chortled.

“The paint we’ve used is the latest in oven finish technology,” said the MD proudly. “The gloss will retain its sheen even after a month.”

“There must be somewhere you have cut costs to price a model so low” I whispered in disbelief.

“Safety belts with imported buckles!” continued the MD.

“Superb” I said in awe.

“No nonsense seats that will wear out the toughest butt, before wearing itself out!”

“Unbelievable!” I exclaimed.

“Fibre glass bumpers that will not damage the car in front!”

“Nor the car behind!” I shouted with glee.

“Headlights with screw-on-bulbs!”

“Brilliant!”

“Tinted glasses!”

“Awesome!”

The managing director of the automobile company looked at me with unconcealed pride. “This is what the nation has been crying for!” he said. “Our shares will hit the roof!”

“You will be listed on the New York exchange too,” I said.

“People will praise us for being thrifty but nifty,” he said, “they will now have money left to put in their banks!”

“Yes,” I shouted.

“We’ll teach a new global philosophy, that cheap is cool!” laughed the MD as he gave me a high five. “Will you mention this in your newspaper column?”

“Ofcourse,” I said.

“Let’s go to my office for some champagne!”

“Let’s take the car for a spin,” I said eagerly.

“A what?” asked the puzzled managing director.

“For a drive,” I explained pleasantly.

“It can’t be driven,” said the MD slowly. “For that you’ll have to install an engine.”

“It doesn’t have an engine?” I asked incredulously.

“What do you expect for fifty thousand rupees?” shouted the MD as he pushed me out of the workshop and onto the road outside. “A car with an engine?”

And as you chuckle, think about how we ourselves are fooled: “Are we fooled by political rulers who have no engine, which means no interest for the country? Policemen who sit in police stations, not willing to note down FIRS? Priests in religious places with no engine of spirituality in them? Corporate executives who do not have the growth of the company on their agenda?

Are we being fooled everyday with outer fancy work and no engines?

Look for the engine, the zeal and passion that should burn in people who lead and look after our welfare, and if we find no engine, throw them out; they are as useless as fancy cars that you cannot drive..!

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