In a dubious marketplace...

“My response to such people is that even if you give beggars a golden bowl, they’ll still beg.”

As I started guffawing my daughter immediately clenched my hand and cautioned me not to get into a laugh attack in the auto that we were in a little while ago.

But when something simple & profound hits you, one does have reactions like these.

I had waited for some time for an auto to take my daughter to her paediatrician in Mayur Vihar Phase 2 and was already resigned to bargaining with the auto driver and my negotiation range was to be between 40 - 50 rupees even though I was prepared for some asking even for 70-80 rupees for a short 3 km ride.

And yet as Babu stopped and heard of the landmark Neelam Mata Mandir, he said that he didn’t know of the place and that he’d still take us there if I directed him to the location.

And even before I could say anything he started the meter.

As soon as we reached the clinic I paid him a little more than the meter reading and asked him why he chose to drive by the meter.

His response: “Do paise ki imaandari ki kamai, haraam ki kamai se behtar hai.”

Of course I resonated with it but still prodded and said that most auto drivers and people for that matter would laugh at such a belief and think that people like us are fools.

And that’s when he said: “Bhikari ke haath mey soney ka katora de do toh woh tab bhi bheek hee maangega.”

24 year old Babu then let me know his name and that he spent the first 17 years of life in Gandhi Nagar in East Delhi and then moved to Rohini and was no living in rented accommodation in Geeta Colony.

He used to buy old bikes, repair them and sell at a higher price till he started loosing everything and ended up driving the auto.

He also shared the story of another auto driver who fleeced 4600/- rupees out of a couple of unsuspecting passengers a couple of times, late in the night for dropping them a short distance between old Delhi and the Hanuman Mandir there.

That person’s son ended up in a hospital and he ended up spending around 7 Lakhs in treatment.

Babu ended by saying that being dishonest can be considered only if such ill gotten money was to stay with him as well. What’s the point that he fleece people, earn their curse and loose all the money another way.

I then told him that my job is to write and share the extraordinary stories of ordinary people.

He said that I was looking for rare people.

I agreed and said that it’s that rarity that makes such people valuable gems of inspiration and hope in the world around us.

He didn’t say anything and just kept looking out of his auto windshield even as my daughter started nudging me to say that we have to be on time for her appointment.

We exchanged our numbers and then I took his permission for his photo to go with the story.

As I walked towards the clinic and reflected on his pose, I realised that he could very well have posed for it and looked into the camera.

He chose not to.

And in a world where it’s mostly about “Kuchh bhi kar aur Facebook par daal”, his choices about driving by the meter and the self-effacing pose speak volumes.

And as I end this, for whatever reason I happened to remember what my friend Mehul Mangal once said for me: “Mat poocho ki mera kaarobaar kya hai. Muskurahat ki chotisi dukaan hai nafrat ke baazar mey.”

And I can say this for people like Babu:

Mat poocho ki mera kaarobaar kya hai.
Imaandari ki chotisi dukaan hai, makkari ke baazar mey;
Ummeed ka guldasta sajata hoon, naaumeedi ke zamaney mey
Aasha ki kiran jalata hoon, loot aur phareb ke toofani mausam mey.

Mat poocho ki mera kaarobaar kya hai.
Imaandari ki chotisi dukaan hai, makkari ke baazar mey...

Sohum

_/\_

Auto driver Babu