Tale of Two Drivers

Ramesh Kumar  from New Delhi

The temperature was hovering at 35 degree celsius plus. Coming out of meeting Ranchodbhai Ahir Patel of Ratnal and his friend Danabhai Ahir at his Gandhidham Transport Nagar office, we found our throats parched. Though  we had partaken paani followed by garam chai proffered by the most hospitable host, the thirst for something cold to wet our tongue and throat was unmistakable.


Moreover, the next scheduled meeting with Deepak Thakkar of Gujarat Logistics was another hour away, whose office was in the near vicinity. How to pass time? As we reached our vehicle, Selvan Dasaraj noticed a sugarcane juice vendor and he jumped at the idea of downing a few glasses. Staffing Solution Manager  of TransportMitra Syed Kausar Hussain was more than eager to gulp down at least one glass of naturally sugary cane juice. I opted out, courtesy diabetes!

Sensing my seniority or age and the hot sun hit chehera, few young sugarcane customers seated in the vicinity vacated one of the stools for me to occupy. I obliged, profusely thanking those unknown do-gooders.

That's when noticed a haggardly bronzy fifty plus, unbuttoned person seated next to me.

Location Gandhidham, a huge transport hub. And am on the lips of Transport Nagar.

Casually, opened up the conversation with this gent, who turned out to be a long haul truck driver Devi Singh from Udaipur/Rajasthan, with a stuffed, torn canvass bag lying at his feet. He is going home for his daughter's wedding. How long? A month. Is it a paid home visit? "What's that?" he wants to know. I knew in the heart of hearts, no motormalik would have given a month long "paid leave" to truck drivers. It's not in their DNA.

By  the by, Devi has been working with the same motormalik for several years. Still, no paid leave to conduct his own daughter's marriage. Maybe motormalik has given a few thousand rupees as his "gift" for Devi's daughter kanyadaan. I did not ask him. But  hope at least that much insaaniyat from the nameless motormalik.

Selvan offered him a glass of cane juice which he refused, citing that the cane juice vendor hails from his own village and known each other for long. Kausar chatted up to know the drivers' living  and working conditions in the Gandhidham-Mundhra Kutch belt. We exchange phone numbers and promise to keep in touch with him. Wish his daughter a bright future and then scoot out.
**

Forty eight hours later, I land at the totally refurbished New Delhi Railway Station via Swarnajayanti Rajdhani Express from Ahmedabad. The booked Uber driverbhai backs out on hearing my destination: Greater Noida.

Overhearing the conversation, Raj Malhotra, owner-driver of 15 year old Maruti Suzuki Esteem (not yellow boarded one!), offers to drive me home at Rs.1,500/- Says, he can't receipt me! There is a long queue at the pre-paid taxi counter and touts chase passengers coming out of the station like flies encircling the cut jack fruit on the carts of street corner vendors.

I notice Raj passing a few hundred notes to someone nearby and we move out of the crowded taxi stand. None stops. No questions asked.

Why few currency notes to that guy? I ask. It turns out that beneficiary is a tout who does 'favors' to owner-drivers like Raj without yellow board. Possibly this booty is shared with the occupants of pre-taxi booth!

En route, it transpires, Raj owns two cars operated by him and his younger brother. He owns a factory in Bawana making ceiling fan parts, employing 15. "Everyone wants Modiji to generate job. If one looks around there are opportunities one can encash. Look at me. Am not  asking Modiji to give jobs. I run a small business. Give jobs. My father told me: Beta, let you  be the Provider. Not Receiver.

While we wait for a traffic signal, he flips open his dashboard to  show a wedding photo of his eldest daughter married to someone working in Dubai. "They are happy. Am happy. My second daughter wants to do medicine. I told her, "Do, beta! No worries about money. ... Son is  class 7th."

I simply enjoy this kind of interactions. For me rides be it truck, bus, auto or pillion rides mean conversational opportunities. More than the educated segment, these marginalized souls have a better understanding  of life. They struggle hard and realize their dreams and their parivar's too. With less chest thumping.

At the next signal, he waves at someone in another car. Who's he? I ask, the curious cat. His younger brother ferrying another passenger to another destination. What's his name? Raju.. What? You're Raj and he  is Raju? It's me.

"Every generation has its favorite names. When we were born, Raj was the pet of  every parents maybe. I was named Raj. He, Raju!"

Both of us heartily laugh.

By any chance, their wives names too the same? "Luckily, no sirji!", says he, living as part of joint family.

Achcha laga, you kept talking to me. Most passengers will be busy tweedling their mobiles. You did not.

Mujhe bhi achcha laga, having met Raj Malhotra.
🤓