Where is the thrill of buying your first car, I ask!

The last month of this year has been a particularly harried month. It all began when I announced, to no one in particular, that I was looking at buying a car. "But its December!!" exclaimed my colleagues. "Nobody buys cars in December!" they said.

Well my criteria for buying cars was different - it was more need based and there was that element that one tends to get cars cheaper in December. Then the news reports started appearing that car prices will rise in January, some even rising in mid Decemeber itself and I started panicking.

Rushed to the first Maruti (always a first preference) showroom and walked in to announce to the first salesperson that we wanted buy two cars (A colleague was also to buy a car so we both decided to use the numbers as an advantage). The result predictable - his eyes lit up and he nearly pulled us into a room and sat us down and then began negotiations. I mean how often do people walk with an intention to buy not one but two cars.

Little did I know how tiresome these negotiations were going to get in the weeks and even days to come. Interest, tenure, EMI, down payment, insurance and my favourite "how much discount? This terms made a halo around my head and went round and round and round till I almsot said here take my money and give me car, I do not want to know anything else.

We finally arrived at figures that suited us three and then began the whole rigmarole of arranging for relevant papers. That headache began full flegded but I was determined to buy a car. Ha! What did I know?

Two days into negotiations and my co-car-buyer comes upto me excitedly and lists out a scheme where we could get a Santro Xing (the first instance were Maruti Alto - two of them - did i mention that before?). So without disappointing Hitesh (the salesperson who we told we would buy two cars at Maruti, sorry Hitesh) we headed to across town to negotiate another deal.

Another table, another salesperson, another headache for papers - different ones this time. Some factors started increasing to levels I could not handle - down payments increased, EMI started inching upwards and I could visualise myself sitting in the car, without having enough money to buy fuel, thanks to the high price the car was costing me.

Again a meeting of minds happened, various factors were stretched and again another scheme was designed and I nearly parted with some of my money before I was told that the colour I wanted was not available and hideous other were available and I turned around and just said no. They almost threw me out of the window.

Sheesh! The people at the car dealerships all over Delhi, I think, were black listing our duo, which was waltzing in to buy two cars no less and not buying any!! And who ever said nobody bought cars in December should try buying one. All cars are sold out! Or there are far too many people who like what I like.

We finally went to a third dealer, by which time, I was ready to give up and run like hell in the opposite direction by co-car-buyer persisted. We got the deal we wanted and at this point, the loan giving company decided to shut shop so the now am back to where I started.

Without a car. Without a car loans and loads of empty promises and to make matters worse, my co-car-buyer managed to make the purchase.