My experiences with auto-rickshaw drivers have always been bad. I am not sure why i always used to land up in arguments with auto-rickshaw drivers. May be it was my bad luck, my behavior or just bad auto-rickshaw drivers. It would be fair to assume it was due to mix of all those. But now i can think beyond this jinx because few days back I finally met one auto rickshaw driver who was good enough to make you feel less cynical about this world.
I took an auto-rickshaw to office in the morning after thinking that i have missed my office bus. ( though later i came to know the bus was late ). The bill was Rs. 63. I gave auto-rickshaw driver Rs.100. He said he doesn't have change. My office is in a so called modern cyber city where all sophisticated means are adopted to make it look like a western world. Street vendors or shops are not allowed. It becomes very difficult to get a change. Sometimes i wonder about opening a business of tendering change & end up making more money than my job. I tired to get change from security people around & all those people i could see nearby. None had it. I kept on trying for couple of minutes. 'Baad mei de dena', said the driver. I couldn't believe it. There was calmness & assurance in his voice. I was surprised because a similar kind of incidence has happened with me before where the auto-rickshaw driver took Rs. 100 and told me that he will find me near my home to give me the remaining amount. I have never seen him till now. I asked the driver to keep Rs. 100 & give me the remaining amount later if he finds me next time near my home. He refused saying, 'Aap mujhe de doge, mei aapko nahi de payunga'. What indifference & honesty ! It was if he wanted to repair the trust deficit or wanted to challenged my values. I was nonplussed, felt helpless and couldn't force him to take Rs. 100. It didn't struck me to take his mobile number but as he went away i noted his auto-rickshaw number because now the onus is on me.
In this cynical world of self interests they say not all people are bad, you will encounter some good people in your life. It's TRUE.
