Learn to Smile

Taxiwalas in Mumbai has always inspired me. Every taxi ride in the south Mumbai has been different till now. We were in Marian drive enjoying the sea breeze. I some how just love this place. I just can sit there for hours enjoying the breeze. That was a cool evening. Suddenly everyone start running. Where are the all running??? What is wrong? We still couldn’t find out, but I love the pattern in which they are running away from the marine drive. Suddenly I could figure out why they were running when droplets of water touched me. We suddenly found a shelter in the nearest taxi. He was in no mood to go anywhere. We asked him to take us to Churchgate, which he refused and asked us to be in the taxi till the rain ends. For a while we took this temporary shelter till it was raining.
Once the rain is over we decided to move ahead and have some food. Then the same old question came to our mind, where to go. Then we decided to go to Bademiya. We took a taxi to the destination. We were discussing about how we should believe people around us. We were talking about the trust factor. From there the taxiwala took it from us. He narrated his story, how he came to Mumbai and what was his experience.
He first came to this city of dreams with a big dream to make it big in Bollywood. But destiny had something else for him. He came here with his saving from farming. He was so confident about making it big. But he was cheated by someone who he trusted the most. That was the turning point of his life where he had to leave his dream and fight for his existence. He had to become a taxiwala in the streets of this dream city. Somehow he lost the confidence in his own people. He said the most non trust worthy people are those whom we believe are ours and will stand by our side for anything. Bu the reality is different, it takes a nasty turn, and sometimes they will be the first one to run from you, when they know your friendship is not good for them.
We argued to him that, it is not like that all the time; there are instances where we can get help from people whom you won’t even expect. He agreed with us and narrated an instance where he was struggling to pay the fees of his child. His son was good enough to get into one of the top colleges of the city but his admission will only be confirmed with an initial payment of fees, which he don’t have. But suddenly one of his passengers came forward and paid the fees. He still believes that was GOD came in human form. “Hum kabhi kuch nahi karte, Sab Malik ke hath mai hai” What ever happened, he still smiles. He had huge loan to be repaid, his wife is not well, but still he smiles and loves his job. There are lots of things to be learned from him and to be implemented in our life. How to smile in the middle of worst problems cannot be taught in a classroom. Your experience counts the most.

Mumbai Masala

Travelling in local train with a lot of cash is thrilling… But the thrill becomes terror in one sec of carelessness. What if fate has something else in store for you? You hand over the cash to the concerned person and move out to n’joy Mumbai night, but fate still follows you. .. Standing in the crowded dominos to get the order was fun. As they say there are two types of girls, Beautiful Girls and Very Beautiful Girls. Those of VBG types made the time count memorable. She was white like milk. She was standing very close to me that I could sense the perfume she used. Touch of her soft fingers over mine made me feel like heaven. My friend was standing next to a table to be free soon, but her soft voice made me forget about my friend. Her innocent request to use the table was irresistible. I became selfish for a moment and pulled the chair for the young lady as a gentleman. I could sense the anger in my friend’s eyes. I promised to provide him with a much better ambiance. I guided him to the beach, where we sat on a rented chattai.
Cool breeze from the sea made me feel like her soft fingers moving all over me. Necklace view of the marine drive reminded me that I’m carrying my Canon with me. I took some pics of the beach and way my friends were relaxing in the mat having Dominos with coke. I don’t know from where he came from but all of a sudden the guy who rents the mat came near me and told he has something to talk to me. He took me near the sea, and told me that he is a CID. He was shabbily dressed and he pulled out his identity card. During that process I got a glance of the revolver he was trying to hide between his belly and his pants. May be he got a clue of my observation and suddenly he covered it up with the mats he was holding. I felt as if the sand below my feet moving away.
He wanted to use my camera. He said he was following some one very notorious and is a threat to the national security. His mobile phone is not working in the night mode and wanted to capture something very important. As I refused, he suggested using his memory card in my cam. He was pleading me to use my cam. I was in a catch22 situation, will I be helping this man for the cause of national security and putting my camera in a risk. As he again showed me his CID ID card, I was looking around and hoping the camera man will come out and some one will make me wear the bakra cap. But nothing of that sort happened. Suddenly his phone start ringing and he took out his blackberry and started talking in fluent English.
Things were getting bad, I could see at a distance a cop in his bike exchanging something with another shabbily dressed man. Things were getting complicated. The only thing I wanted to do now was to get away from the hotspot and move my ass to my home. We slowly left the beach and went got back to Lower Parel. I was feeling a bit relaxed as I reached my home railway station, but only to see a dead body being moved away from the spot where he got killed.
But Mumbai was still so cool, nobody cares about anyone…. Life goes on here, what ever happens. Young VB girl I met in Dominos and the guy with a revolver in the beach, all are parts and parcel of Mumbai. As I slowly walk towards my home I could read the T shirt of a smart model like figure walking opposite to me… It read “I Love Mumbai”

Taxiwala2

Taxiwalas of Mumbai gives me ample stuff to be a novelist. The way back to SION from Kabutaarkhana (Dadar) along with my parents was not so eventful. Our taxiwala was in his early 30s. He had his hair neatly combed. His lips was coloured red and he still was chewing his Gudka . He was so energetic and enthusiastic to talk. He narrated his story, how he had to take up the responsibility of his big family after his father expired in an accident. He wanted to study further, but could his luck only permitted him to complete his 5th grade. He was so happy to know that I’m an engineer and my parents are with me. He talked a lot of things about his village. With in a small time span I was so familiar with every single person from his village, even his childhood sweet heart.
All of a sudden he gave me his mobile, and asked me to change the screensaver. He said he don’t understand English. As I was removing the screensaver from the Nokia phone, He said that, the phone was not his and he got it from his fellow passenger. Story as he said…
That day it was raining and middle aged man who was drunk to his nose asked him to drop him some 15km away destination. As they reached the destination, the bill was about 250 and he paid him only 180 and said that is the only money he has. But I argued with him that it is night and double charge is required. But he was not ready to give me the amount. The way back home, there was a strange vibrating noise from my taxi. I stopped my vehicle and checked the entire car thinking some screw was loose. I couldn’t find anything wrong and I started the journey again and it happened again, and it was one of my fellow taxiwala who found the phone lying on the floor. That time I didn’t know how to use it, then I got the call from the owner of the phone and he wanted me to go all the way back and give him the phone as lot of phone no: was saved in his mobile. I asked him to come down and get it from me after paying me the balance amount he was supposed to pay me.
I waited for 3 days and 4ht day I got a new sim and started using this as my new gadget. Thanx for removing the screensaver sir, you are in SION. Have a nice time sarkar. Kuda aap ka bhala kare….

Taxiwala

It was too hot. Sun was piercing and tanning my skin in front of the Phoenix Mall in Lower Parel. Then I Ravi and Mayank decided to take a taxi to Dadar to check more options. Mumbai is a city where you get tea for Rs.6 to $ 6. It was already decided to get a second hand TV. Taxiwala was around his late 50s. When he came to know about our intensions, he said his son was working in a TV showroom in Kurla and he can get us some big buck difference in the price. That was the starting of the discussions and it went all the way to Bihar. The story he narrated in his words as below

My wife is suffering from Kidney problem. Her dialysis is to happen 2day, I’m in need of Rs.5000 but as of now I have only Ras.2000. I don’t know how I’ll manage the money by the evening, but some how I’ll get it. I’ve invested a lot of money on my son, But is the use? He went to the coll and came back with a Muslim girl, which was against our rituals. I didn’t allow him to enter my home. He now stays with his in-laws. He knows his mom’s condition and won’t even offer any help. I also won’t ask him. I’ve another son also; he is brilliant in studies, but who knows that, one day he will also go away from us. Life is a journey; you start it alone and finish it alone. God is also very unfair towards me. I’ve been a true follower of the elephant god. He has also not helped me, He always help those who are not in need. What is the use of giving more money to rich people; People like me are the one who are in real need.

He said he was only 5^th grade pass but he was good enough in supporting his views with quotations from shakespear in English. Staying too much in this city may make u think and behave the way the city does.