We are riding past the lights, the waves, the stars that surround Juhu Beach in Mumbai, when my rickshawwala decides to engage in conversation. An interesting little conversational escapade ensues. The rickshawwala politely inquires, "Do people actually win money on television lotteries, on channels like E24?" I answer, "Almost never." Perhaps, I want him to lose his child-like starry ambition. Perhaps, I want to dissuade him from squandering his hard-earned money on lottery tickets. Or perhaps, I am just as cynical as him. As we ride along, his curiosity rambles along.
Why does Sridevi (Who he spotted outside Shoppers Stop in Juhu) have a falling jawline? It must from an injection to help her look beautiful, I tell him. Why do call-centre girls smoke so many cigarettes, he asks me? I do not know, I tell him. And, can his nephew (who is studying in college) join a Call Centre? He must know English, I tell him. He is afraid his nephew's English has a Bhojpuri accent. He is perturbed he is destined to a life of a rickshawwala too. How much is the rent in Mumbai, he asks me? More than in Delhi, I tell him. But, you don't earn as much in Delhi, as you do in Mumbai, he states. I look at him, incredulous. Oh yes, you do, you do!
Not as much as Bipasha Basu, who earns 10 lacs a minute, he reasons. I smile. He goes on to explain how interest on a minutes' earnings, could earn her enough for a lifetime. He tells me about girls in his rickshaw who were going dancing on New Years' Eve. He advised them to go watch Bipasha Basu, he tells me. "But she looks quite simple," he adds. "Even my wife looks better than her. Only thing, Bipasha Basu uses make-up." I secretly hope, he returns home and tells his wife what he thinks.
As he keeps with his tales of city girls, and city stars - he stops to ask me if he can continue to talk. And, a little later, as I alight and pay him my fare, he apologizes if he has spoken too much, or asked too many questions. I walk away knowing I have met a thorough gentleman. One with a Bhojpuri accent, at that.
[30X30 is a series of 30 unrelated posts in 30 days by Gayatri Makhijani and Anuj Gosalia. One post everyday, for the next 30 days.Follow the string here]
Comments (2)
Um..ok.
@apple - :) you didn't like this much, did you?