Take it from me

Yesterday, I returned from yet another trip to Mumbai. As usual I started off the conversation with the auto driver to beat the traffic jam boredom. He was knowledgeable on all the latest cars that were passing by. He talked about intricate details of cars - this car has 8 cylinders, what cars were popular in which part of the world and so on. He said he gained knowledge on vehicles while he served as a driver in Saudi Arabia for 15 years.

I asked him why he took to driving auto after making money abroad for 15 years. He said that he lost the money over the last three years. He never gave me a direct answer. He said, "Please take it from me, give your woman only the money she needs - never all that you have".

As I was getting down, he said that he has plans to return to Saudi - not for a moment regretting that he had lost the money. He said he is happy he still has a woman who supports him through the years of separation - regardless what she may have done to protect his interests.

As I left I noted that I had forgotten to ask his name.

Who says relationships have died in India. This is the land of paradox.

Life Goes On

Talk with auto drivers in Mumbai and Chennai during December 2007 and early 2008.

Mumbai December 2007

Suresh drives an own auto. In mid 20s he is excited with his vehicle and leads a care free life.

He is from a village near Sangli. He and his family shifted to Mumbai a long time ago. He bought an auto a couple of years ago. Since they lived in a shanty without ration card – he had to go in for a auto loan from a private money lender and not a bank. He took about Rs.60,000.00 as loan and repaying Rs.5,000.00 a month for three years. However, he is not displeased.

He spends all the extra money he gets on the auto. He has bought a cassette player a year ago with woofer and two speakers costing him Rs.5,500.00. This makes it difficult to find space for some luggage at the rear of the passenger seat, but music is more important for him. He brings out a new cassette almost daily. He is proud but says his next idea is to replace the cassette player with a CD player.

His is not yet married and his parents are unhappy with him because he spends a lot on the auto.He leads a hand to mouth existence living in deplorable conditions. After paying for the loan and the cassette he has anything hardly left to eke out a living. The airport is expanding the authorities have already issued notice for vacating the shanty. They would be provided with an accommodation outside the city.

Suresh is happy with himself.

Maharashtra – A Pilgrimage

Visit to Shirdi, Shani Shinganapur and Nashik.

It was first of sorts in several respects. I, Sridharan and Desi traveling for the first time together. We drove down to Shirdi starting at about 9.45 pm and arriving at Shirdi by about 4 am the next day (30^th December 2007).

At Shirdi had a good darshan of Baba. I’ve fulfilled the vow of giving away Rs.2.00 that I made during my previous visit to Shirdi in 2005.

From there we proceeded to Shani Shinganapur by afternoon. Do not miss the sugar cane juice on the way – the best that you can get, the freshest – the sugarcane is cut from the fields in front of you and the ox crushes them to give you the fresh juice.

The last stop was Nashik. We hired an auto to go around. The Kala Ram, The Gora Ram, Sita Gufa, The Triveni sangam (Aruna, Varuna and Godavari meet here). This place is known as Panchavati.

From there, we drove back to Mumbai. I drove part of the way – I felt it was a bit risky in the sense that I hadn’t slept the entire last night. I drove for about three hours from midnight to 3 am. First time in a highway in night. First time in a highway at night in ghat sections. First time in a highway in ghat section in a diesel car. First time in a highway in ghat section in a diesel car with extreme heavy truck traffic. But then all of us arrived safely.