The Stranger Who Cried...

A few days ago, I was in Satya Niketan with Green Boy. It was a fantastic evening, and we had spent the afternoon together, post which we had come for our usual maggi and milk shake tuck in to one of our favorite spots.

As per our original plan, GB was to drop me back home. However, a meeting came up because of which he had to hurry back so he got me an auto instead. As usual the meter wasn't working, but the guy wasn't exactly trying to rob us, so they settled the fare, post which I got in.

The man asked me in a very polite soft spoken way as to where exactly I had to go in RG so I explained. And so we started from SN.

We had just started, when I heard a sniveling sound, that made me look into the rearview mirror. The  auto driver seemed to have tears in his eyes, but I couldn't be too sure due to the dark so I went back to texting on my phone. By this time we had hit the Ring Road, and were passing under the flyover.

Suddenly, the man said, "Kabhi kisi par bharosa nahi karna chahiye beta, kabhi, khaas taur pe agar wo tumhare apne hon.." Now, for all my social graces, I NEVER know how to behave in such circumstances. I was trying to figure out whether I should remain quiet, or ask him if something was amiss, if something was wrong with him. But before I could decide, he was repeating the same thing. "Kabhi kisi ko apna samajh kar unki madad na karna beta. Tumhari zaroorat ke samein, wohi log tumhe bhool jaate hain. Karo bhi to, kisi anjaan ki madad kar lo, magar apne khud ke logon ki madad na karna."

We were crossing the Dhaula Kuan stretch and were waiting at a signal. I happened to look in the mirror again, and this time there was no mistaking the tears. The man was definitely upset, and quite badly so. He was wiping them with his right hand, but there was no stopping them. And once he had started talking, there was no stopping him. It was like he had found the outlet he had been looking for. "Duniya bahaut buri hai beta, bahaut buri. Apna apna nahi hai. Uski madad karna theek nahi.." I was about to ask him what happened when he started again.. "Meri beti ka admission ho gaya hai Hindu College mein. Bas paise maang rahe hain. Aaj last date thi. Kisi tarha se unse kal tak ke liye baat ki hai.."

By this time we were on the Delhi Cantt road, and he had started driving fast. "Maine apne bhai ko 50,000 rupay diye the udhaar par. Socha bhai hai, use zaroorat hai. Jab chahiye honge usse le lunga. Aaj main usse paise waapis maange to usne dene se saaf manaa kar diya. Kehta hai mere paas kya saboot hai maine use paise diye hain. Koi kaagaz hai? Kisi ke saamne diye hain?" And we were cruising, literally talking to the wind. "Mera apna bhai beta. Aur meri beti. Itni mehnat ki hai usne. Itni umeed hai use mujh se. Kya kahunga?" We were at a signal again, and he was trying hard to control himself, when he got a call.. "Haan beta. Nahi beta, paise nahi mile. Chacha ne dene se mana kar diya. Kuch karta hun beta, tu ghabra mat. Kuch karunga. Ghar aakar sochta hoon. Tu chinta mat kar."  

Throughout the call, he somehow held himself. Soon as he kept the phone down, he was crying again."Meri beti ka phone tha. Pooch rahi thi. Kya bataunga main? Kaise karunga main?" And he was holding his forehead, running his hand through his hair, holding his forehead again..

We were at the Naraina flyover. And we were zipping across it. Flying. I love the speed usually, I love the wind rushing at me, but at that point it was all different. Some of his despair had rubbed off on me. I was feeling sorry for him, very sorry. But at the same time, it was a little scary. I was fully convinced that we were either going to collide with another bigger vehicle, OR the auto was going to slide down and turn over.. Proof? The fact that I was home in 15 mins by the watch. Yep. I had taken about one third of the time that it usually takes to get home. Heh

I don't know whether it is just me, or whether this is how everyone functions, but someone's misfortune touches you more deeply if the person otherwise seems to be nice, honest and well spoken. Even when it seems he just might accidentally kill you! I don't know if it was just what he had been telling me or what, but the fact that I couldn't do anything to make things better (even if not okay) was making me feel pathetic, like somehow I was cheating him as well. I didn't know what else to do, so I ended up paying him 30 bucks extra by refusing to take the change. Like that would have helped him! But well.. That action made me feel a little better as well as extremely silly at the same time.

The incident happened almost 2 weeks ago. And I often wondered about the man.. My thoughts varied between cynical (was he simply trying to dupe someone, if he could? Had the brother simply refused to give him a loan and not REPAY his own loan? How could his daughter get an admission MID TERM like this?) and sorry (Did his brother change his mind? Could he arrange the funds? How many others suffer like him?) and dramatic (hope he didn't try to commit suicide!)

And then, suddenly my questions (at least some) were answered today. I saw him again, standing with the other auto walas in the market area. He was talking to another auto wala, a sardar ji. Thankfully, that woeful look was gone.

For a moment I actually thought of going up to him and asking him if he recognized me, if his problem had been sorted. But then I put the idea away, dismissing it as hair brained.

But you know, more than anything else, I was amazed that I even saw him again. It happens very rarely, if ever, that I come across same strangers twice. Ah well.. Providence!