For the past 10+ years Mumbai has been a city of discovery
for me more than anything else. This city has so many different shades to it
that it would take you forever to even get to understand or know all the
shades. The variety of people, conversations, and the cities warmth towards
strangers, all of these are part of this whole colour scheme.
The numerous rides that I have taken in the Mumbai cabs have
also been an experience and adventure in its own sense. So I thought of
accounting a few stories that come to my mind of the various cab drivers I have
met in this journey and the aspects about this city these conversations
highlight –
- The
city of rise and fall – So I met this cabby once who got chatting with
Russell (husband) and me. I don’t remember what started the conversation
but it eventually led towards how educated both of us were and what we
were doing currently. Having answered that the cabby told us that even he
had studied till the age of 10 in Bombay Scottish (one of the premier
schools in Mumbai) but due to unforeseen circumstances that his family had
to go through he couldn’t continue any further. The name of Bombay
Scottish got me inquisitive because the idea didn’t somehow fit in my
head. So I asked further and so he started telling me as to how his family
was originally from UP and that his father was a very well to do business
man but their business partner ended up cheating his father and one fine
day they were suddenly on the road and so they all went back to their
hometown in UP and started from scratch. The reason therefore behind
Bombay Scottish and then his current occupation of a cab driver. He
further continued to harp on the importance of education and so what if he
didn’t manage it in his life but he has ensured that both his son and
daughter have gotten educated. His son was a practicing lawyer in UP now
and his daughter was studying in
- 26/11,
Islam and the wrath that Muslims had to suffer – This was about a
month or so from the 26/11 attacks, again a cab ride home from work in the
evening. A Muslim gentleman driving the cab. He got talking about the
latest horror story of Mumbai the 26/11 attacks and how horrendous they
were. About how it was so unfortunate that for some miscreants who in the
name of god and religion slaughter people and an entire community or faith
gets questioned. He told me unfortunately he felt victimized because of
those people (terrorists). That people would always look at him
suspiciously after the gruesome event because he wore the Muslim cap, wore
a kurta and pyjama. He didn’t blame the public for treating him like that
but the terrorists who had ensured that people would question him. He told
me that even educated men and women would lose their head if it came to
their lives and which god tells you to kill the very beings he has created.
He told me that the terrorists killed more Muslims than any other
community in VT station as it’s a more Muslim dominated area. The very
people who fight for Islam kill their own people. Do they think people are
stupid that they would buy their logic. He felt ashamed at the fact that
few people had given such a bad name to his faith which never spoke about
killing or against any other faith. His best friend was a waiter in
Leopold café and was a victim of the terror attack that night. He said he
was supporting his friends’ family now as they had no other earning
member. He said he only wished that by having such conversations with
educated people like me he would try and make the general public realize
to not ostracize an entire community in the name of such acts as there was
no difference between them and anyone else. We are all children of God.
- Girls,
their short skirts and therefore the crime they invite – This by far
remains one of the most shocking stories and conversations for me. I was
returning home one of those late nights from office. And we cross Todi
Mills. Young men and women were waiting to head home after Blue Frog shuts
down. The taxi driver goes ‘Tch..Tch.. these rich girls. I don’t get why
do they wear such clothes and walk around.’ Obviously making me question
him instantly as to why would he say something like that. So he goes these
things invite all sorts of crime and why don’t they understand its better
to avoid bad things than invite them. So the argument continued and so he
told me that he would tell me a story that he hasn’t told many people.
Apparently one day he was driving late in the night and some drunken men
stopped his cab to go to Malad. Mid way they saw a girl walking on the
road. He said very decent girl in normal jeans and shirt but they were
drunk and they asked me to stop the cab. He refused to stop the cab
because he realized their intentions but they finally managed to force him
to stop the cab as they were three and he was one and he said he got
scared as they had a knife. They pulled the girl into the cab and in his
words did very bad things to her. He said that he prayed that there would
be a police check point on the way since it was a weekend and he could
stop over there but unfortunately there was none and so once they were
done they opened door and dumped the girl on the road. She was unconscious
and lying on the road. He finally dropped them to Malad and rushed back to
the place where they had dropped the girl. But she wasn’t there. He says
he doesn’t know what happened to her and till date he wished he had more
strength to stand for her and not get scared and selfish for his life and not
let what happened happen. He would be guilt ridden all his life and could
never forgive himself but only wished that god would someday give him an
opportunity to redeem himself from this guilt. And so he concluded by
saying so see this is why I felt the way I did when I saw those women in
those clothes. I reached home and the argument now turned into a shocking
story had to come to an end. I still think of that story and a shiver runs
down my spine.
Many more such conversations have happened and continue to
happen and it only makes me more aware of the world around me. The
conversations range from rich vs poor, politics, education, environment to
million other topics. It only helps to get a perspective beyond just yours and
is also quiet an experience J
2 comments:
Nice post.
Its quite interesting at times.
very interesting indeed!
and yes cabbies love to chat!
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