The journey from 42nd milestone to Dhaula Kuan was both smooth and bumpy in turns — a few roadblocks, pedestrians scurrying past, trucks weaving their way through rush-hour traffic, and confusing signages.

We hit the best part of the journey at 6.40 pm: the newly opened RTR-Palam flyover. It took us 40 minutes to get there, but getting to Dhaula Kuan was faster than it has ever been at rush hour.

But, back to the beginning. When we hit first gear at 42nd milestone, the empty eight-lane stretch promised a dream ride. And it was, till we reached Hero Honda Chowk, 4 kilometres into our journey. The speedometer dropped below 30 kilometres per hour (kmph), as the lone traffic marshal helped pedestrians cross the expressway. Many still preferred to slip under the ‘median crash barriers’, installed a couple of days back.

Pedestrians out of the way, we stepped on the gas again, driving by slow-moving phatphats and whizzing trucks. The rush increased towards exit 13, with traffic heading for mini-secretariat, slowly making their way off the expressway.

6.20 pm. The orange façade of the toll plaza appeared. It’s an awe-inspiring sight on city roads: 32 lanes wide open, and red taillights flashing by.

And then just as suddenly, back to the crawl. Commercial vehicles entering Delhi stopped at the counter to pay tax. And the bumper-to-bumper ride continued past confused signage of an airplane looking like an arrow at the IGI exit and another signpost much ahead of its turn.