I get down from the bus to see a line of taxis and autos waiting. I get into one of them. The city is lighted as if Diwali is here for good. It’s 2 O’clock in the night and the city seems to have just come to life.
The auto rickshaw is now flying at full speed. Heavy traffic on the road even at this time of the night. I see a few motor bikes parked by the roadside. People are having “cutting chai” being served by a guy who has bought the same on a cycle. His cycle is his shop. Some road repairing work is in progress. “Anda bhurji” stalls having the busiest time of the day. The owner might have just completed his day job a few hours back. But he has chosen this life for himself. This city boasts of people who chose a tough life rather than fate chosing one for them. My rickshaw fellow overtakes a guy on the cycle who’s driving right in the middle of the road. “tere baap ka rasta hai kya?” my rickshaw-walla screams. Slang is the poetry of everyday life for Mumbaiites.
We meet with some traffic when nearing the airport. “There are too many flights at this time. That’s the reason for this traffic.” My rickshaw fellow informs me, “They should have an evened out time table through the day for these flights”. In this city everyone has an opinion about things he has no say in. We cover just about a hundred metres in the next 5 minutes thanks to the traffic. “Is there so much traffic everyday at this time?” I ask. “Because everyone is in a hurry everything walks on crutches here.” I smile at the philosophical reply. “How much do you earn in a day?” I ask. “Thanks to the high fuel prices, with this rickshaw I earn lesser than the watchman of your building who would be fast asleep by now” He replies with all the sarcasm he could put in the sentence. “However I operate a garage which gives good money. Me and my brother take turns between operating the garage and driving this Mercedes.”
I reach my building and ask the rickshaw wala to halt. The fare comes to 93 rupees with the night charge. Before I remove a 100 rupee note from my wallet the fellow is ready with coins amounting to 7 rupees. Mumbai thy name is efficiency! I make a futile attempt to get in through the gate which is locked from the inside. I go inside the society compound by jumping over its wall for the watchman is fast asleep.
