With some difficulty I managed to get a chance to do an internship in a firm in Noida. The term was for 1 month..the whole of July 2012. Yea, it was a pretty large law firm. Supposed to be one of the best.
Living in Central Delhi and working in Noida can often turn out to be a big pain. This is owing to the, close to one hour travel in the very crowded metros. Had to change 3 metros to reach my destination. I used to home wearing a well ironed shirt and trousers and polished shoes. The first metro would not be so crowded. There wouldn't be any seats available ,which hardly mattered cos I had to get down at the very next station. The second metro would be crowded. But still I was able to move around, comfortably ,stand and read a book. The third metro, the yellow line happened to be the metro in which I had to travel for the longest time. The moment the door of the metro opens, people would start pushing. Then when the doors closed after a minute or two, one would get to experience the Wagon Tragedy of 1921 where the British packed 100 prisoners in a single wagon. Well, although the current situation isn't so bad, since we have sophisticated ventilation systems, Air Condition and also since its not exactly wagons that we have, its still tough to place your feet on the floor. I remember few instances where I was literally on the air for a couple of minutes due to the force that was applied on me from all sides. Crushed and squeezed. All throughout the journey. I had difficulty keeping my face away from someone's smelly armpit and hands from someone's arse. Gets even more difficult if the person standing nearby is a lady (Scared of the Women Protection laws of course) . By the time I reached Noida, rather than checking on my wallet and cellphone I would first see whether all my body parts were intact !
So,..here I am in the morning looking as if I had gone through a battle and done for the day. My black polished shoes would be sand brown, and my shirt obviously crumpled. When I step out of the Metro station there would be a group of Cycle-rikshawallahs all desperately trying to get people to ride on their respecitve rikshaws. (I get to groom myself by wiping the dirt on my shoes and inserting my shirt, etc. sitting under the rikshaw canopy)
In that group was a tall, very dark chap who had a fairly athletic body. And who like every other rikshawallahs used to abuse, his colleagues, to move out of his way. So one of these routine days, of my first week I got into this man's Rikshaw, and he took me to my office. After that I used to keep seeing him in the same road where my office was situated very often,. during the day, and late when I got out of the office till before 9 p.m.
He used to take people to the station from this street during the noon and evening hours. We met 2-3 times and soon started recognising each other. In the morning he would stand there amongst all the rikshawallahs, and at the very sight of me walking to the rikshaw stand, would simply glee and and run to the place where his rikshaw was parked. He knew I would get into his rikshaw because by then we were quite acquainted to each other. His grin was a sign of welcome and indeed a pleasant sight to see after the rough metro session in the morning. He would be ready to take me to the office or back to the station from office the moment he sees me. I did not have to tell him where I wanted to go. And if I happened to be unusually late he would ride his Rikshaw swiftly, and tactfully avoid the traffic and signals. I happened to miss him once, the next time when I meet him, he would say "Kal mein aapka bohuth intezaar kiya tha....Aap aaye nahi bhaiya?"(I waited for you for a very long time yesterday..Didnt you come bro?). And I would confess how late I was that day.
He used to take authority over the other rikshwallahs to drop me where I wanted to be dropped. Each ride would fetch him Rs. 20/- from me. And I would thank him every time. And I could always see that he was happy. I used to see Rikshawallahs getting involved in a physical brawl with each other . I asked about this to this Rikshawallah and he told me that fights happen daily and that it was nothing new.
It was much later that I finally ask him his name. "Mohammed Rustam Alam." That was his name. He once took me through a tough road,.
I asked him,- "Rustam, you usually go through the traffic, with ease. And the road is also pretty good. Why do you take this pathetic path full of stones and gutters?"
"There's this policeman who's standing there. He beats up people." he said. I wasn't surprised,. Rustam used to break all rules of traffic to get me to my destination fast always. Now he can't do that,. So,.. I kept talking to him and he started pedaling slower than his usual pace,..
"Rustam, it happens to be last couple of days here. I don't even know whether I'd get to see you after that." I told him.
"Where are you going brother?"
"Well I came here for just one month to work in this office. And now its getting over." I noticed the smile on his face fading.
So I told him that I stay in Delhi although I don't belong here.
"My native is also in a really far off place." he said. "It takes almost 20 hours to reach home for me." He told me some village name in Bihar and said he belonged there. "Since it is Ramzaan, and since, I'm fasting, I don't do much cycling these days. But I need to earn to look after my Ammi and Abba back home. They are poor. Most of the Rikshawallahs here have their own house, land, and so on. I have never been so lucky. My parents are illiterate so I couldnt do much as well. I wish I could read, write and study,.. If I had done that, even I would have been someone like you bhaiyya. Destiny stood against me."
By then I reached the metro station. I tapped him on his back and told him that everything will be allright. I gave him Rs. 10/- extra this time. And said - "I don't know whether I'll be meeting you again Rustam, But if I do, I promise that I'll come up and say 'hi'".I'm not sure whether it was tears that I saw in his eyes,. But he did say; "I'll not forget you sir. Even if I see you after 20 years, I will recognise you."
My last day in office got prolonged by a day due to certain unforseen circumstances. I got to meet Rustam one last time that morning. I told him I'll see him in the evening,. But that day I finished my work early and could leave by afternoon..I looked around for Rustom , but he was nowhere to be seen ......
Living in Central Delhi and working in Noida can often turn out to be a big pain. This is owing to the, close to one hour travel in the very crowded metros. Had to change 3 metros to reach my destination. I used to home wearing a well ironed shirt and trousers and polished shoes. The first metro would not be so crowded. There wouldn't be any seats available ,which hardly mattered cos I had to get down at the very next station. The second metro would be crowded. But still I was able to move around, comfortably ,stand and read a book. The third metro, the yellow line happened to be the metro in which I had to travel for the longest time. The moment the door of the metro opens, people would start pushing. Then when the doors closed after a minute or two, one would get to experience the Wagon Tragedy of 1921 where the British packed 100 prisoners in a single wagon. Well, although the current situation isn't so bad, since we have sophisticated ventilation systems, Air Condition and also since its not exactly wagons that we have, its still tough to place your feet on the floor. I remember few instances where I was literally on the air for a couple of minutes due to the force that was applied on me from all sides. Crushed and squeezed. All throughout the journey. I had difficulty keeping my face away from someone's smelly armpit and hands from someone's arse. Gets even more difficult if the person standing nearby is a lady (Scared of the Women Protection laws of course) . By the time I reached Noida, rather than checking on my wallet and cellphone I would first see whether all my body parts were intact !
So,..here I am in the morning looking as if I had gone through a battle and done for the day. My black polished shoes would be sand brown, and my shirt obviously crumpled. When I step out of the Metro station there would be a group of Cycle-rikshawallahs all desperately trying to get people to ride on their respecitve rikshaws. (I get to groom myself by wiping the dirt on my shoes and inserting my shirt, etc. sitting under the rikshaw canopy)
In that group was a tall, very dark chap who had a fairly athletic body. And who like every other rikshawallahs used to abuse, his colleagues, to move out of his way. So one of these routine days, of my first week I got into this man's Rikshaw, and he took me to my office. After that I used to keep seeing him in the same road where my office was situated very often,. during the day, and late when I got out of the office till before 9 p.m.
He used to take people to the station from this street during the noon and evening hours. We met 2-3 times and soon started recognising each other. In the morning he would stand there amongst all the rikshawallahs, and at the very sight of me walking to the rikshaw stand, would simply glee and and run to the place where his rikshaw was parked. He knew I would get into his rikshaw because by then we were quite acquainted to each other. His grin was a sign of welcome and indeed a pleasant sight to see after the rough metro session in the morning. He would be ready to take me to the office or back to the station from office the moment he sees me. I did not have to tell him where I wanted to go. And if I happened to be unusually late he would ride his Rikshaw swiftly, and tactfully avoid the traffic and signals. I happened to miss him once, the next time when I meet him, he would say "Kal mein aapka bohuth intezaar kiya tha....Aap aaye nahi bhaiya?"(I waited for you for a very long time yesterday..Didnt you come bro?). And I would confess how late I was that day.
He used to take authority over the other rikshwallahs to drop me where I wanted to be dropped. Each ride would fetch him Rs. 20/- from me. And I would thank him every time. And I could always see that he was happy. I used to see Rikshawallahs getting involved in a physical brawl with each other . I asked about this to this Rikshawallah and he told me that fights happen daily and that it was nothing new.
It was much later that I finally ask him his name. "Mohammed Rustam Alam." That was his name. He once took me through a tough road,.
I asked him,- "Rustam, you usually go through the traffic, with ease. And the road is also pretty good. Why do you take this pathetic path full of stones and gutters?"
"There's this policeman who's standing there. He beats up people." he said. I wasn't surprised,. Rustam used to break all rules of traffic to get me to my destination fast always. Now he can't do that,. So,.. I kept talking to him and he started pedaling slower than his usual pace,..
"Rustam, it happens to be last couple of days here. I don't even know whether I'd get to see you after that." I told him.
"Where are you going brother?"
"Well I came here for just one month to work in this office. And now its getting over." I noticed the smile on his face fading.
So I told him that I stay in Delhi although I don't belong here.
"My native is also in a really far off place." he said. "It takes almost 20 hours to reach home for me." He told me some village name in Bihar and said he belonged there. "Since it is Ramzaan, and since, I'm fasting, I don't do much cycling these days. But I need to earn to look after my Ammi and Abba back home. They are poor. Most of the Rikshawallahs here have their own house, land, and so on. I have never been so lucky. My parents are illiterate so I couldnt do much as well. I wish I could read, write and study,.. If I had done that, even I would have been someone like you bhaiyya. Destiny stood against me."
By then I reached the metro station. I tapped him on his back and told him that everything will be allright. I gave him Rs. 10/- extra this time. And said - "I don't know whether I'll be meeting you again Rustam, But if I do, I promise that I'll come up and say 'hi'".I'm not sure whether it was tears that I saw in his eyes,. But he did say; "I'll not forget you sir. Even if I see you after 20 years, I will recognise you."
My last day in office got prolonged by a day due to certain unforseen circumstances. I got to meet Rustam one last time that morning. I told him I'll see him in the evening,. But that day I finished my work early and could leave by afternoon..I looked around for Rustom , but he was nowhere to be seen ......
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| Couldn't get a pic of Rustam so some random internet photo of a typical Delhi cycle-rikshaw (Copyright violation may be poardoned) |
Very well written !
ReplyDeleteWell compiled thoughts...keep it up
ReplyDelete