The petite headphone kept sliding off my ears as I tried holding on to the steel rod with one hand and the office bag with another. The music was more to block the loud noises from the 9 am office-going traffic than for amusement. The erratic movement of the 3 wheeler auto reminded me of a child who’d have recently started walking. With a little diaper on, he’d accelerate his way around the house, completely ignorant of his brakes. Combine this with the blazing sun opening its furnace doors at you; what you’d have is a perfect start to the day!
The actual seating space as usual went to the ladies, leaving every man for himself. You’d now sit right next to the driver holding on to whatever you’d find, to help you keep the centrifugal forces from dislodging you off the rickety little cockroach-faced vehicle. I tried positioning my hindquarters on the uneven plateau as the rocket propellant engulfed the atmosphere, marking the start of my journey heavenwards. The auto driver, an ardent fan of a south Indian superstar-turned politician pretended to be the coolest one in town, spitting more frequently than he’d blink his eyes. I was wondering why the course of the entire drive was so meandering when the auto took a sudden sharp right turn on a straight road. There was a gentleman on his way to office in his bright yellow Tata Nano. No way our driver would let a four wheeler cheaper than his leased vehicle get past us. This ensured a healthy competition between the two benefitting the 6 passengers who’d have woken up 5 minutes late than usual. As the two vehicles approached the finish line, the auto won by a whisker…fiery glares were exchanged, mothers and sisters greeted, and it was business as usual.
As I crossed the red light, a beggar tried deceiving people displaying acute pain from the limb that would have been amputated several years back. Another wait in the sun for the second auto meant more time for me to observe the urban crowd. The fair skinned twenty-something guy with tiny little eyes tried hard to look comfortable amidst hostile eyes staring at him. No matter if he hailed from Dehradun, Kathmandu or Imphal, or if his Hindi was impeccable, he was deemed to be a Chinese. The uber cool lady in her dark formal trousers and white striped shirt looked at the dark skinned women in salwars in a strange manner. Clearly she was way too superior. The young IT employee who had just elbowed a middle aged man to enter an auto first, just found himself sitting next to the same person. Covering half of his face with his hands, he looked outside, not with guilt for sure.
I got off the second shared-auto handing over a ten Rupee note to the driver. I had read the script in bold, well before it was being conceptualized. He slid his hands into the leather pouch that contained coins of all sizes and values. “Don’t bother about the change” I said as I walked off.
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2 comments:
Can't say how thoroughly refreshing it is to read about your rickshaw exploits! End result, soot covered sun tanned face (literally).
That reminds me of my first bus ride in Mumbai, trust me I was in complete awe during the entire ride, staring in every possible direction, trying to take it all in, but quickly realizing there is never enough time to absorb it all. There is so much going on around you, it’s unbelievable. Most admirable thing is that, amidst all the madness, everything has a way of working itself out. The vehicles come within millimetres of brushing a bus, or a rickshaw, or a pedestrian or dog, but somehow all pass untouched.
This is more like 'survival guide' post with a unique blend of humor and perspective!
Keep it coming :)
mothers sisters greeted. LOL. Nice read. We're surrounded by stories, aren't we?
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