The battery of my phone was about to die. This was the worst thing that could happen to you when you’re stuck in a place you have no clue about…. there goes Google Navigation down the drain. The hangover from the last night’s party was pretty rough. You know how Bangalore Saturday nights are! Dehydrated body, with brain not functioning actively, and to top it all you find yourself clueless as to where you should be heading.
I am a big fan of BMTC for their super connected bus services seldom let your down. This day, however, was an exception. Constant thoughts of regrets for taking the wrong bus filled my mind. Darn! I should have waited a li’l longer for G2. It is presently the only bus from Agara bus stand to Koramangala Sony Signal. However the wait was probably killing me, and I boarded 347z which would drop me then to Koramangala Forum mall. The only problem now was that I did not how to reach the Sony Signal where I would get another bus to Indiranagar. The weather conditions however were favorable, that should count as the only respite I had.
At 8 on a Sunday morning, the city was still asleep. There were very few people on the roads except those Autowallahs. Over the years that I had been in Bangalore, there was only one thing that I genuinely followed “Stay away from the Autowallas“. I had a serious aversion to these auto drivers. If you’ve lived in Bangalore, you should know what I am talking about. Although, these autos do look a tempting choice when stuck in a situation like this. I gave in, all I had to do was to get home quickly. My love for home was way stronger than my hatred to the autos. I called one of them and what transpired is as follows:
Me: Indiranagar?!?
The Autowala nodded.
The auto started and took the next left turn. Turned left again, and after 300 meters, turned left again. We were there right n front of the Forum Mall signal. Now this, was a #facepalm moment. I thought he could have just taken a U-turn on the road and saved me Rs. 5. But my savings is his loss. However, the condition in which I was in, I did not feel like yelling at him. Soon enough, we were at the Domlur signal and I knew exactly where I was. Finally, there was a traffic board displaying where Indiranagar was, but it wasn’t needed. The auto started taking another left, and I was in no mood to spare him this time.
Me: Kya kar rahe ho yaar? Seedhe lo na!
Autowala: Le raha hai saab! Traffic bahut hai, aapko jaldi jana hai lag raha hai, isliye doosri side se free left turn lega, nahi to police khada hai, jaane ko nahi dega. Pehle bhi Forum mall ke paas U-turn nahi liya kyunki divider aage milk factory ke paas jakar khulta, isliye left se le gaya, wo chhota hota!
Me: Theek hai (Understood what he was trying to do)
Auto: Saab! Hum mehnat ki khata hai. Yahan log aata hai doosre city se, hamare hi log usey lamba ghumakar bewakoof bana kar zyada rupaye leta hai. Par kya fayda saab, Allah sab dekh raha hai. God fearing aadmi hai saab!
Me (Smiling at the nice thoughts of this autowala): Ye to sahi kaha bhai!
Autowala: Wo kya hai na saab, aap jaisa kayi log aata hai, par kuchh autowala ki wajah se hum sab badnaam hota hai. Log bhi samajhta hai ye baat. Par laat to hum sabke pet par ek jaisa padta hai. Isliye hum jaise autowale ko dikhana padta ki imaan bacha hua hai.
Me: Baatein to achhi kar lete ho! Kahan ke ho?
Autowala: Yahi Bangalore ka saab! Poora total Bangalore ka. Aap kahan ke ho? Yahan job karte ho?
Me: Haan, yahan ITC me job karta hun. Lucknow se aaya hun.
Autowala: Arre waah saab, Lucknow jaisa to koi jagah hi nahi hai. Log wahan ka achha hai. Time hota sabke paas, sab theek se bolta, yahan to kisi ke paas koi time nahi. Koi marr raha hota road par to dekhta bhi nahi. Insaan hai saab, jitna bada jitna chhota ho jaye, par aadmi aadmi ke kaam nahi aayega to kaun aayega. Aur jab aadmi sab kuchh luta dega ek din tab maloom padta ki paisa nahi kha sakta.
Me (Remembering the infamous quote from the Cree Indian Prophecy): Baat me dum hai tumhari.
Auto: Saab, baat achhi hi karni chahiye. Hamare jaisa kuchh log bade aadmi ko gaali deta, chor kehta. Par saab, unhone paisa lagaya apne upar doctor, engineer banne ke liye, isliye aaj paisa kama raha hai itna. Humne padhayi nahi kiya isliye auto chala raha hai. Padhayi kiya hota to aaj main bhi peeche wali seat par baitha hota. PAr saab, ek baat aur hai, sab agar bada adhikari ban jayega to chhota kaam kaun karega? Auto chalane ke liye bhi to koi chahiye na.
He had tremendous amount of self respect and did not feel he had, what many would call, a lowly living. But I think this person lived it big.
Me: Yaar, aadmi chahe jitna padh le, agar baat achhi nahi kar pata to padhayi likhayi kaam ki nahi hai. Tum kayi logo se zyada achhe aadmi lagte ho! Bade bade office jaane wale log apne senior, junior, sath walo ko gaali diya karte hain, wo aadmi itna padh likh kar bhi anpadh hain. Tum kam se kam baat se hi dil jeet lete ho, aur kya chahiye!
Autowala: Dhanyawaad saab. Aisa sab log sochne lage to duniya me problem kam ho jayegi. Aadhi problem sirf aadmi ke sochne se aati hain aur sochne se jaati hain.
Suddenly this autowala was looking so much wiser to me. This was an exceptional day!
Autowala: Kal hi mere ko ek aadmi road par mila. Buri tarah piya hua tha. Chor log usko maarke saare rupaye mobile sab le gaye. Lag raha tha ki mar jayega. Road par ek PCO se uske baap ko phone milaya, bola Devanahalli me rehta hai. City ke bahar samajh lo, 1000-2000 rs. ka to petrol hi lag jata aane jaane me. Uske baap ne bola ki usey chhod do, marne do. Hum kaise chhod deta usko! Uske paas rupaye bhi nahi the… par ghar chhod ke uske baap ko dekar aaya. Usse kaha ab jo karna hai karo iska. Pata chala to wo bewda teacher tha. Ab teacher hi aisa hoga to bachho ko kya padhayega! PAr maine usse paisa nahi liya, achha lagta hai jab koi kaam achha karta hai to.. utna jeene ke liye kaafi hota mereko.
Me: yahan rok dena bhai! Mera stop aa gaya.
Autowala: Theek hai saab. Aapka joota ka lace khula hai. KAl party me aapka shirt bhi kharab ho gaya, daag pada hai. Par theek hai saab, achha laga aapse baat karke. Ghar jakar khoob paani peena, theek ho jaoge.
I was stunned at his observational power. Now here was a guy who could have made it big if he was given a chance, but here he is driving an auto. I took out a Rs. 100 note, and gave it to him. Although, the meter read Rs. 85, I did not mind giving him the extra bonus.
Me: Theek hai bhai, allah barkat kare tumhare.
Autowala: Thank you saab!
He drove off the auto, but made my Sunday. It is amazing how a few words said in a right manner can make this world a better place. I think we educated ones are just ignorant to the values of these small things. We can handle an MNC, but we still have a long way to go to handle humans.
Taamasya 