For years, I’ve navigated the Pune-Mumbai Expressway from the backseat of an Uber or while hitching a ride on BlaBlaCar. I knew every curve of the Lonavla Ghat and every tunnel in Khopoli—but always as a spectator.
Last month, everything changed. I stopped being a user of the road and became the admin.
The “Occupational Hazard” of Buying a Car
Most people suggest a second-hand car for a beginner. “Scratches won’t hurt as much,” they say. But me being me—and having a bit of a UX designer’s obsession with “Initial State” and “User Flow”—I just couldn’t see the value in a pre-owned machine.
After a deep-dive research session (the kind only a designer can justify), I chose the Hyundai Exter SX(O). It felt like the perfect “First Car” interface—intuitive, safe, and just the right size. Huge kudos to Mira Hyundai, Pune, for a buying experience that was actually seamless.
21 Days to the Expressway: The Leap of Faith
I learned to drive in a standard 21-day crash course. No months of practice, no hovering instructors. Just me, my license, and a brand-new car.
I started with “baby steps”—a solo run to Lonavla just to see if I could handle the incline. Once I realized I didn’t stall on the Ghats, I decided it was time for the “Boss Level”: The Solo Commute to Worli.
The 6:10 AM Sprint & The “Reverse” Save
To beat the traffic monsters, I rolled out at 6:10 AM. There’s a specific kind of quiet on the Expressway at that hour, but my mind was loud with one goal: The Atal Setu (MTHL).
Crossing that bridge was on my micro bucket list. But, in the flow of the drive, I missed the exit. In a typical “new driver” panic, I could have just kept going. But this was a bucket list item! Since I hadn’t gone too far, I did what every determined traveller does—I engaged the reverse gear, carefully retraced those few meters, and claimed my route. It was a “manual override” of my own mistake, and it was worth every second.
Driving on the Sea
The Atal Setu did not disappoint. As a designer, I admired the “User Experience” of the bridge—the sheer scale, the engineering, and the way the Mumbai skyline emerges from the haze. Driving solo over the sea felt like a true graduation from “student driver” to “highway traveller.”
Destination: Dentsu, Worli
Despite the nerves of the Khopoli descent and my little navigation detour, I pulled into the Dentsu office at 9:15 AM.
Total time: 3 hours and 5 minutes. For a seasoned driver, that’s a standard run. For a girl who just finished driving school and was soloing for the first time? That is a Personal Record.
