There are multiple things happening in my life right now. I always used to snigger at people who said 'I wish there were more hours in the day'- but today, I'm going to be one of them. Of course, unsurprisingly, work has been one of my main preoccupations, but the mind is an amazing thing- it can process so much other stuff simultaneously. So even though I'm typing away at my computer (with the occasional poignant g-chat update about the meaning of productivity), getting home at 11pm after a late night meeting, jadoo maro-fying because we fired the maid 4 days ago, and reflecting on where my life and relationships are heading, how do I still have time to fit in a Dilli experience ? Well, the answer is, this is Dilli, and here- anything is possible.
Getting an auto these days in the morning has moved from easy to a challenge, to now, an all-out struggle. Nowadays, I'm left every morning staring at my watch, praying for an auto to arrive and then proceeding to call every taxi guy in the vicinity of Malviya Nagar out of desperation. Today was no different. It was 9.35 and I knew that if I didn't get in an auto in the next 5 minutes, I would be late for work. I gave up on my usual spot and then moved further down the market road. I saw an auto on the side of the road, half way down. The driver was wiping the auto down, and when he named his price (which was obviously way over what the actual price was), I walked away. I looked at my watch again. I usually would never give in, but today it was hot, I was late and I just did not want to start the day off on a bad foot. So I walked back, said alright and got in.
At that very moment, an elderly gentleman appeared out of nowhere and started beating the driver. He got into a physical fight, yelling at the driver, asking him where I was from, and why I was getting in. I tried to make him stop and to understand the situation, but the old man was hysterical. A small crowd gathered, and I explained that I had agreed to pay the driver more than usual, which is why he had agreed to take me. However, this man was so far beyond any explanation. He ignored me, screamed about how we would report this driver, and stormed off.
Very often, I have resented the ways in which auto drivers in this city have treated and judged me immediately, mainly by my appearance. I have got into many a conversation with multiple auto drivers about why everyone in this city is so rude all the time ( I have taken ALOT of autos over the past nine months). Today, I realised one of the reasons why they are often so hard- it's because the people of this city are on the brink as well. As I sit here and recall the look of hatred in that old man's eyes, I wonder how this city has the ability to erode the basic human traits of compassion and tolerance. It makes me sad that every day, when I get dressed, apart from my actual clothes, I pull on that invisible armour, that goes over my body, that helps me brave this city.
