Uber Interactions in India: Part 3

 

#traveldiaries

While I was telling you about these wonderful Uber drivers I met recently in Mumbai I remembered another encounter I had, easily over 10-12 years back. There was no Uber in Mumbai at that time. Dollar was worth about 65 rupees at the time. Why I remember this ? It has something to do with this story.

I had arrived in Mumbai a few days before my husband and was staying with my maushi in Bandra until then. The day he was to arrive I had booked a room at the Holiday Inn near the airport because his flight arrived at odd hours and I didn’t want to disturb the family. Earlier that day I set out running some errands and meeting my friends. I met a couple of friends for lunch in Bandra and decided to take a rickshaw to the Holiday Inn near the international airport for checking into the room.

You must have realized by now that I don’t mind my own business when I hire a taxi or rickshaw 😂. Sure enough, true to my nosiness, I picked a conversation with the rickshaw driver. 

This one spoke in Hindi. His name was Daasharatheya ! He looked just skin and bones. Was hunched over. I couldn’t guess his age. He was probably younger than he appeared. Looked like he had not shaved in a week or more. Very humble and polite guy nevertheless.

Aap kahaanse ho? ( where are you from?)

D: Madam, hum UP se hai ( I am from Uttar Pradesh, near Benaras). 

Is your family with you in Mumbai?

D: No, they live in our village in UP. I can’t afford to keep them here .

Do you visit them regularly?

D: no, I don’t get to go much. I send them money. 

Where do you live here ?

D: I manage to live in a shared room here with other people from my village.

How much do you make each month ?

About 10-15k.

Before we realized we had arrived at the hotel. I had kind of bonded with D. I wanted to give him some more business.

My husband’s flight was late that night. I planned to take rest in the afternoon and again go meet a few people in the evening. I took down D’s number and told him to come pick me up at the hotel at 5 pm to take me to Powai. He promised he would be there outside the hotel premises at the taxi/ rickshaw stand.

I was ready on time after a refreshing nap and walked outside to find D. Little did I know about how territorial the taxi and rickshawallas were !! When D saw me he waved from the rickshaw and I walked over to him. Suddenly the taxi and rickshaw wallas started screaming at him for cutting the line. I had to explain to them that I had specifically called him because I know him. If I didn’t open my mouth they wouldn’t have spared him that day !! 

There we were again riding happily on the roads of amchi Mumbai from Sahar to Powai. He came to drop me back to the hotel once I was done with my work in Powai. After each ride I paid him per the meter reading. This was going to be the last ride. I didn’t have too much extra cash in Indian rupees that day to tip him. I thought for a moment , then decided I would just give him US currency. 

I pulled out a 100 dollar bill. Explained to him slowly that this is not Indian currency. It was worth 6500 rupees. He should not show it to anyone , just take it to his bank and ask for the exchange in rupees. If anyone tried to give him too less not to trust them . I must have stressed it multiple times to make sure he understood. He indicated that he did ! He thanked me over and over again. Told me to contact him next time I was in India. I promised I would. 

I had written his number on a small piece of paper .  When I got home to the USA I found it intact in my purse. I kept it on the kitchen desk planning to write it in a diary or enter into my phone later ! I should have known better ! The next day it had disappeared! My dear husband has this annoying habit to throw away papers, receipts etc wherever he finds them !! 

My connection to my friend was lost !! Unless some miracle makes our paths cross again there is no way for me to find him. I have wondered more than a few times where he must be , how he must be ? Was he able to cash the dollar bill ? May be he wandered around the Holiday Inn at times with hopes to find me ? I don’t know . All I can hope is he is doing well 🙏🏼🙏🏼

Saree is a Benarasi tanchhoi gifted to me by another cousin in Pune. When you have a lot of cousins who dote on you it is a blessing. When they have a good taste, the blessings are doubled 😃. Don’t you agree ? 

 The fog lasted all day yesterday. So I got more photos in the fog when I changed into this one.