If you ever take a black and yellow rickshaw from one of Bandra's many bylanes, look for a man in white, with a broad forehead, and a hint of English lacing his dialect. He'll ferry you alright, and if you're willing to listen, he'll sell you a story or three. Of Mumbai's lusty couples that seek refuge in a rickshaw running in circles. Of young school girls who won't have their equations right, but will have a man on each side. And, of older married women who's illicit romances are known to no one, but the local rickshawwala .
It's a sorry state, he laments. This is a young, heady generation with too much money, and too much 'oversmartness.' That's the root of all problems, he stresses. And, if the young women could be excused, the married women certainly couldn't be. He wants to write a book, he tells me. If only he was a writer...he would write of Bombay's girls. And, the city's old grown women. And,their tales of debauchery.
He wishes he had money, he tells me. What a fine example he'd be then, he claims. But, oh what money does to some of us. Ah, what would he know. An Economics Major student from Bihar, his fate is destined to his black and yellow rickshaw and the lives of people who scurry into the backseat. He's had his good times, he tells me. And, he's had his times when he's gone out of his way to help someone out. Like the man who missed his flight, only to come back home and find his wife had packed off for the night. My rickshawwala sat with him for hours, and they wept.
He's a good man, this rickshawwala. And, truth is, he's happy with his life. He's resigned to his fate...though like me, he's a bit of a dreamer. And, a bit of a writer. But, there's nothing else he'd rather do, he tells me. Nothing else, but ride his rickshaw through Mumbai's rickety streets... with the young and old. It's when you can see life as it really is, he tells me.
Life as it is, through the eyes of as common a person as you can get in Bombay! Gotta meet this rickshawala!
beautiful post.... :)
You remember his name? I have heard about him before, just cant recall his name dammit!
rickshawalas are awesome :D ... wen i was goin for the roger waters show, the rickshawala actually knew bout pink floyd. Turns out, he too was an Eco Major frm but circumstances led him 2 ride a rick. He asked me if i could get Water's autograph. he waited outside the venue 2 take me back 2 the station. When i met him, i said sorry, i cudn get the autograph. i was in another partition. He said it's ok. He thanked me for choosing his auto from the station. According to him, those were the best 3 hours of his life. He made do with the music spilling out of the venue. We shared a joint and sang SHINE ON YOU CRAZY DIAMOND!!!!
@shesturningblue - me 2. had kinda forgotten bout it. thnx for reminding me :)
:) It's people like this rickshawallah and cabwallahs and dhoodhwallahs who make this world a wonderful people. I told you in your last post. When we are humble and keep our eyes and ears open and our heart warm, there is absolute joy around every corner.
Fantastic post as always:)
@arvindiyer - Thank you. These people are wonderful, aren't they! Bring a smile to an ordinary day!
Nice post. It is funny that we start considering rickshahwalla as just 'rickshaw' and feel strange when they behave like humans and tell their stories. Many times, I have listened to the stories of cabbies and rickshawalls while returning home. Their grumblings, cribbing and opinions. I remember when I was in Chandigarh, I used to often travel in one rick, this rickguy used to tell stories of Ramayana & Mahabharata, almost like a mystic.
@copyrioter - :) Rickshawalas, and cabbies sometimes share the most amazing stories, really.
Comments (11)
Uff.. :)
Life as it is, through the eyes of as common a person as you can get in Bombay! Gotta meet this rickshawala!
beautiful post.... :)
You remember his name?
I have heard about him before, just cant recall his name dammit!
rickshawalas are awesome :D ... wen i was goin for the roger waters show, the rickshawala actually knew bout pink floyd. Turns out, he too was an Eco Major frm but circumstances led him 2 ride a rick. He asked me if i could get Water's autograph. he waited outside the venue 2 take me back 2 the station. When i met him, i said sorry, i cudn get the autograph. i was in another partition. He said it's ok. He thanked me for choosing his auto from the station. According to him, those were the best 3 hours of his life. He made do with the music spilling out of the venue. We shared a joint and sang SHINE ON YOU CRAZY DIAMOND!!!!
@emotionally_eccentric - Thank you:)!
@manav84 - :D I love your rickshaw story! Made me smile!
@shesturningblue - me 2. had kinda forgotten bout it. thnx for reminding me :)
:) It's people like this rickshawallah and cabwallahs and dhoodhwallahs who make this world a wonderful people. I told you in your last post. When we are humble and keep our eyes and ears open and our heart warm, there is absolute joy around every corner.
Fantastic post as always:)
@arvindiyer - Thank you. These people are wonderful, aren't they! Bring a smile to an ordinary day!
Nice post. It is funny that we start considering rickshahwalla as just 'rickshaw' and feel strange when they behave like humans and tell their stories. Many times, I have listened to the stories of cabbies and rickshawalls while returning home. Their grumblings, cribbing and opinions. I remember when I was in Chandigarh, I used to often travel in one rick, this rickguy used to tell stories of Ramayana & Mahabharata, almost like a mystic.
@copyrioter - :) Rickshawalas, and cabbies sometimes share the most amazing stories, really.