Women Behind the Wheel: Harish Chinai

by Joann Talty and Friends photos provided by Harish Chinai

Sometimes I don’t know why I see what I see on social media, but one November day I came upon a video showing a pretty woman in a red dress surrounded by her friends. Her significant other, dressed sharply in a suit, urges her to pull the ribboned bow from a giant four-sided white box on the ground. Of course she has trouble and needs a little help, but as she releases the ribbon, the sides dramatically fall to the ground, red balloons rise, and a shiny red Porsche awaits. Yeah, I don’t even recall which Porsche sports car it was, but I showed this to my husband to put this fabulous idea into his head. Then again, I’m not the type of girl to not have a say in what my next Porsche will be.

Seeing this video had me thinking about how I enjoy hearing stories about how our members acquire their vehicles. Some scour sites to find exactly what they are looking for at the price they are prepared to pay. Some build their own on the Porsche website and anxiously await delivery. Some do it the old-fashioned way shopping at local dealerships. A very few lucky ones are given a Porsche. This is one of those stories.

At the first post-pandemic Happy Hour of 2020 in the parking lot at Jose, I met new member Harish Chinai. You should have seen jaws drop when he spoke about his silver 2004 911 Carrera C4S (996) with black interior and manual transmission. Yes, I write about WOMEN behind the wheel, but you’ll soon see my reason for sharing HIS story here. In fact, most of the words you’ll read are directly from Harish since he tells his story best. February’s Woman Behind the Wheel chose to remain anonymous, but I hope you enjoy this heartwarming story as much as I did.

When I first met my neighbor in 2017, she was driving a Ford F-150 pick-up truck. In her 90s, she said it was important for her to have enough metal around her, be perched up high when on Dallas roads for good visibility, and to easily be able to get in and out. I’d see her every day. We’d exchange pleasantries or at times chat for awhile. Over the course of a year, we became friends. Then one day, I saw her in a silver 911. I was totally blown away. When I asked her if this was a new acquisition, she said to me with an attitude of indifference that the car was an old “garage queen.” She then admitted the Porsche was both her biggest joy and disappointment. “Joy I can understand, but why disappointment?” I asked. To that, she responded with tears in her eyes, “this car is the last piece of my husband that I just simply cannot let go. Everything else I’ve been able to give away,” she said, “but the Porsche was my husband’s love and joy.”

She told me more. She shared how the car brought back fond memories of the numerous road trips they took. “We saw the bluebonnets one spring, Texas Hill Country, San Antonio, Santa Fe, Big Bend, and the famous Rio Grande Valley. Through the Porsche, my husband’s legacy is still very much alive,” she said as she wiped tears of sadness and joy in reminiscing about a distant past. The Porsche was not just a car. For her, it was a living, breathing part of her husband that brought great comfort every time she opened the garage. She further went on to tell me how difficult it was for her to get into the vehicle. Once inside the car, she needed help to get out. As a result, the Porsche sat in the garage for the last 10 years, and once each month she’d start her up.

I told her I fully understood how difficult it must be for her to part with the car, but she was doing her husband’s legacy injustice by not regularly driving the car. I further explained, “It’s important that you drive the car in a way that the engine oil heats up.” She asked if I’d like to drive the Porsche. I replied, “Of course, I’d love to, but are you sure you want me to drive it? Because I will drive it the way it should be driven,” I warned. “Show me what

Harish Chinai and his beautiful 996

you’ve got,” she said as we got into the car at 7 a.m. on a Sunday morning.

We merged onto the Tollway for the most spirited drive of our lives. I’m pretty sure her heart was still pounding fast afterwards when I returned the keys to her. She confessed to me that she now knew what her husband meant when he said, “Drive it like you stole it.” When I said goodbye and thanked her for letting me drive the Porsche, I suggested to her that if ever in the future she wanted to sell the car, to please give me first right of refusal. This was in the fall of 2018.

A year went by with no mention of the Porsche. Not by her. And, certainly, not by me. Then one fine day, a year later, in August 2019, she pulled up in the Porsche and asked, “Remember, Harish – you asked for first right of refusal?” “Yes, I remember,” I said, hesitatingly. To that she said, “I’ve thought long and hard about it, and I wish for you to have the car. The registration and title are in the glove box and have been signed to you.” My head spinning, I asked her to please give me a day to research the value to determine if I could afford it.” “No such thing, Harish,” she replied. “The car is yours. I don’t want any money. You cannot put a value to my husband’s legacy. I know you will look after it the way my husband did and enjoy it every moment the way it is meant to be.” Speechless, I recalled tears of joy streaming from my eyes in a state of disbelief wondering, “Is this for real?”

It was real and Harish began to have some fun with his first Porsche. His cousin flew in from Scarsdale, New York, to see the car and suggested Harish join the local PCA to meet like-minded enthusiasts. He’s put 14,000 miles on it in two years and joined the Maverick PCA in September 2020. He’s been to several socials, Mavs & Mochas, tech sessions, and drove his first tour to Revolver Brewery in 2021. Our anonymous woman behind the wheel is still driving her F-150 and accepts an occasional ride in the 911 often urging Harish to top their fastest speed.

Treat your portfolio like you would your Porsche

You wouldn’t leave your Porsche in the care of anyone but a certified service technician. Shouldn’t your financial portfolio receive similar qualified attention? Anyone can call themselves a financial planner. Only a select group can display the CFP® certification. Call Clark Randall at 214-890-4098 today for a complimentary financial evaluation.

10,000 North Central Expressway Suite 400 Dallas, Texas 75231 214-890-4098 Clark.Randall@FinancialEnlightenment.com www.FinancialEnlightenment.com Clark Randall, CFP®