A Day with Babu

I have often seen and wondered that we as humans can go to any lengths to sustain ourselves and our families. Now that can be in the various forms, for example, you can be a professional, an auto driver, a bus driver, a vegetable seller, a restaurant owner or worker, a laborer, a coolie etc. etc. The thing which is similar in all of them is the urge and drive to earn a living and maintain their families. All these vocations require different skill sets, different mindsets and attitudes, and also different backgrounds.

Very rarely have we seen a highly qualified person driving an auto, or pushing a vegetable cart, or even doing a menial job. That does not mean that people who are engaged in these kinds of jobs don't have respect or are not hard working or don't deserve better than what they are doing. It is the general mindset of people to take them as granted to be uneducated, ill-mannered and rough as a whole. Well, that's not the case at all as I had an experience with one of the auto drivers who showed not only a brilliant intellect but also displayed maturity and understanding which is perhaps far more than anyone I know at least. 

A few days ago, I had to go someplace which is far from my place in Delhi and normally I drive, but that day due to some technical malfunction I had to look for another option which was an auto. So after waiting for a long time I finally managed to get an auto. Though the charge he was asking was too much he said that the distance was also very far and he was also running low on fuel, but he still said that he will manage somehow. I could not say anything on this as I knew that he was right, I just muttered slowly that ‘someday guys like one of you will be the reason for my heart failure'. I don't know how he overheard it and he turned around and looked at me and said while putting a reassuring hand on my hand that 'Sir, please don't say like this, I'll take you for free if you want because I don't care for the money, rather the kind of passenger I have on the back seat'. I looked at him not understanding what he meant by that when he said that 'for me, good passengers are far more important than money and on the other hand if the passenger is mean or bad, I charge extra deliberately'. I just laughed at him and asked 'how do you differentiate?', he said that he can by just looking at the passenger's face. I then asked him that how can he discern that whether I am a good passenger or not?, to this he said that 'by looking at your face I can make out that you cannot be unfair, harsh and mean to anyone'. I did not say anything after this though I was quite skeptic about the way he described me just to get his fare for the journey.

Anyways, as we are progressing towards our destination I started conversing with him to neutralize the cacophony the engine of the auto was made. We started by discussing general issues like the weather, traffic, pollution and even the upcoming elections. Generally, I have found people being passionate about the ruling party and the achievements of our current honorable Prime Minister and they are not ready to listen to anything else. But this guy seemed to be balanced and he said that 'If the opposition has someone better, they should bring him to the fore; rather than the one who is right now in public'. He seemed to be so confident in his driving and talking with me at the same time that I was astonished by the way he was putting across his points at the same time keeping an eye on the road. Gradually our conversation turned more personal and I asked him where he was from? where was his family and how were they?

He was so into talking with me that he very comfortably opened him before me and said that he was from Bihar and his family was staying there as they could not come here because of his mother who was paralyzed and needed constant care and could not travel. He also said that he had one son and one daughter and the son was staying somewhere in Delhi. I asked him why was he not staying with his son; he just looked at me and said that 'he has been misguided and left his education in the midway and however I tried to put sense into him, he doesn't listen to me and doesn't want to stay with me'. I looked shocked and thought that how can anyone be like this? when you have a loving and caring father like this, how can one just not stay together?. The driver who had introduced himself as Babu(fictional name), told me that every day he comes from another city crossing Delhi's border and drives his auto to earn his living and then at 9:00 p.m. goes back to his home; apprehensive that he might be caught.

During our further conversation, I learned that his son doesn’t communicate with his mother also just for the reason that she might try to influence him into staying with his father. Babu told me that now he has grown accustomed to living alone and the only companion he has is a television. He jokingly said remarked 'Biwi paas nahi to kya, TV to hain'. I asked him “Babu don't you feel lonely and wish that your family was here?". He took some time in answering this and while looking straight ahead he said 'Sir, people like me who am running from morning till night in search of food has no time or affordability to be lonely'. This remark of his struck a deep chord within me and made me wonder that if what he is saying is true; they are all the emotions we have are just the luxuries of the rich?.

That, in reality, people cannot afford to have any emotions because they have to struggle to survive? or is it just that different people have different methods of displaying their emotions?. He also said that he goes to his hometown sometimes twice or thrice a year and his family has also accepted this fact. I was just too surprised to say anything when he looked at me and smiled and said that he has already spent twenty years like this and he will spend the rest of his life like if he has to. Then we carried on our conversations into the lighter side as well discussing Bollywood and celebrities etc.

It was a journey of one and a half hours and I could tell when time flew so fast and we reached our destination. It felt like I was into a conversation with one of my friends who had come over for drinks and was in a luxurious mood. Babu's countenance never displayed any sign of tension, conflict or depression. It did not occur to him that he now would have to struggle to get another passenger or he would wait in long queues for refueling. He just had a pleasant smile on his face which kind of seemed to say " that bring on whatever you can live; I will not lose my calm". I was so impressed and influenced by his behavior that I decided to pay extra which he flatly refused saying that he will only take what is due and he has no extra desire. He just likes to talk and share his heart out.

We parted on the promise that we would again meet and share our experiences. Well, I learned a lot that day like to always maintain a calm and stoic attitude to whatever life has to offer and always keep on striving to be better, not bitter with everyday experiences.