Mornings

My neck gets ample of exercise in the mornings when I leave for office. As soon as I step down from my first floor home in Lajpat Nagar, I am greeted by the incessant ringing of tring-tring bells by rickshaw walas and the I-have-stopped-the-rickshaw-for-you-please-come-fast look. That is when the exercise of the neck starts. Every minute you are on the road you nod your head left-n-right with the no-I-dont-want-to-get-in-your-rickshaw look. It is notable that almost every rickshaw wala will stop his khali rickshaw for a minute or so expecting you to honour the seats of his rickshaw.

Almost the reverse happens in the case of a auto rickshaw. It is not their do-you-need-a -auto look that meets me every morning but the i-do-not-have-gas attitude or the more egoistic this-auto-is-for-hire-only-for-far-off-places-and-not-for-very-near-places-like-high court-or-supreme court and the newest formula they have adopted is I-do-not-get-savaris-from-supreme court-so-I-won't-go. Some won't even take the pain of approaching and asking the name of the place if they see Afghani people, who are large in number in Lajpat Nagar and make sure to come to the so-called auto stand everyday to travel everyday to God knows where to, waiting for an auto. Humph... Even a threat of complaining to the police does not help the case. Well, you can never force them to take you to your destination when they don't have fuel in their vehicle. That could cost me my job also. So I stand there waiting for humanity to happen and a auto wala whisking me away in his auto to the place of my choice ;) And when that happens, I make sure to give him an extra 5 bucks for being my saviour in time of trouble. And when that does not happen, I take the liberty to use my thumb to flag down an already occupied auto with the oh-I-am-so-getting-late-for-office-would-you-mind-giving-me-lift-till-the-place-I-get-an-auto look. In short, the ever useful abla naari in distress look does get a heart or two melted.

All said and done, I anyhow reach my destination and start the day anew forgetting the turmoil and recollecting it only when I feel a scratch in the hand and an urge to pen it down.