Auto-Biography

I once took an auto and felt the fare the driver quoted was unfair. I told the driver as such, but he said he can’t do much. He continued that if it were Uber or Ola one would call it surge fare and one would pay and not hold a grudge. Just because we are ‘app’less you feel we are unfair. But see the potholes and plenty of traffic ‘jams’, we can’t earn our bread and to our utterings, nobody spreads the same.

Those who develop these apps are the only ones who are happy. We are not only hapless but are also less happy. We only earn the wrath of customers.

Commuting on these roads is spine-chilling and we need at the end of the day pain killers to soothe our spine. We as family men too pine for a good living. By the way, I am known as auto-Emanvel in my friend's circles. But I am like a square peg in a circular hole. At the end of the day don’t even earn enough to have a peg for which I need to beg the shopkeeper.

I get tense about auto maintenance as the cost always goes up month after month. My wife quarrels saying she can’t maintenance the family with my earnings. Last month we had to pledge her earrings to borrow money.

It is said that a customer is a king. When it comes to fare payment like a scorpion they sting.

I am a graduate of English literature. But my degree hasn’t lit up my life. This driver occupation disagrees with my constitution. It only drives me mad. My life is becoming a comedy of errors. This drama I could call it much ado about nothing. To err is human but not to forgive is my wife Divine Mary. Wonder why did she marry me? I am auto Emanvel, an oxymoron, one could say. My life has become a proxy for Hamlet-like a tragedy. 

I live in a small hamlet called Yellapur. If you come there you can hear both my wife and me yelling at each other. Very apt you would say. I am in a dilemma to beat or not to beat her. But her dad being a beat officer in police, I think I should rather run.

I bought my auto on a loan and made repayments by EMI. These have become like painful periods. I bleed literally to pay them. If I don’t pay, the manager from Ujjivan Bank would take my jivan.

Your destination has come Sir, and for patient listening, I won’t charge extra. You just pay as per meter.

I told him that I am a writer and I have a got a great story and paid him double. After listening to his story I don’t know what is fair or unfair in life. Would you not agree?