How Simple’s car went into ‘overdrive’

How Simple's car went into 'overdrive'

Priya Arya's greenhorn driver loses control, rams friend Simple Kaul's vehicle into a bus

Sapana Patil Poojary

Simple Kaul, who was on a pilgrimage, was shaken out of her spiritual bliss on returning to the city. For that was when she got to know that her silver Accent was wrecked by her close friend and roomie, Priya Arya. Simple was travelling with her relatives to Balaji temple in Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh) and Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu at the time. While she was away, actress Priya Arya decided to drive her car to a party, but ended up slamming the vehicle into a bus.

Priya gives us a firsthand account of what transpired on that fateful day. She narrates…"I was on my way to the launch party of Left Right Left (in which she plays a warden) at Juhu. A friend had borrowed my car, so I had my newly-hired driver take me to the party in Simple's car. Now, my driver, at the time of hiring, claimed to have 11 years' experience on the job, and I believed him. When I learnt that he had lied to me, just to get the job, it was too late. I realised that he couldn't control the car and after narrowly missing two or three near-accidents, he finally rammed into a bus."

Priya had initially planned to keep the disaster a secret. She says, "I was shocked by what happened. The car's front portion was completely disfigured. The headlights, bumper and other parts in the front ceased to exist. I felt so guilty that I didn't know what to do. I called a friend, who helped me out. He suggested that I take the car to a garage immediately and get it fixed before Simple returned. I had decided to not tell Simple about the incident until she got back."

Luckily for Priya, Simple did not lose her temper. In fact, she was glad that Priya wasn't hurt. Simple laughs as she says, "I got to know about it when I returned. I was shocked to see my car looking different from what it looked like when I had left. And before I could react, Priya started off, saying that she was sorry and that she was having the car repaired. But if there's one lesson Priya has learnt from this episode, it is that she should always test a driver before giving him a job. What's more important is that she is safe."

Call it bad 'car'ma, but Simple's car had met with an accident before, when another of her friends had taken it out. "My car met with an accident some time before. I guess every time my friends take it out, it will end up getting damaged," she grins.


• Priya should always test a driver before giving him a job – Simple Kaul