For Hire at 2 AM

First time for Mudita and Sunandini at TGIF on a chilly Friday night, and they were in love with the place. The ambience, the entire feel of the place, plus the warmth of it – they just wanted to run back inside, hoping the party would still be on.

Mudita was visiting her cousin after a very long time; 12 years had passed since they had last met. Sunandini did not even remember the last time. She had been a little pigtailed girl, unsure of herself at that time. Now, both Mudita and Sunandini had grown up, and acquired that confidence that comes with adolescence. Both had "experienced", somewhat, the effects of the teenage years, and lived through them. They had matured over the years, and left those childhood days behind for good.

The night had been filled with loud music, lots of dancing, and a lot of vodka. Both girls were buzzing slightly, and very giggly. Much of it was due to their excitement at the fact that they had enjoyed so much at the party, but if you ask them, they'd be sure to tell you it was the vodka. Mudita was acting tipsy, and she had been doing that even during the party. Sunandini wasn't sure if she was drunk herself, nor was she very sure of Mudita's drunkenness.

"Mudita, calm down!" said Sunandini. "You'll wake someone up from that giggling!"

Sunandini was giggling herself, but she couldn't understand just how loud they were. At 2 AM in the night, even the slightest of sounds seem a lot louder than they are really.

"I'm not being loud, you are!" said Mudita, nudging Sunandini. "I'm just having fun; night time rocks! Woohoo!"

"Mudita, seriously! You have got to calm down!" Sunandini was getting a little worried about her little cousin. "The cops will be after us, Mudita!"

But Mudita didn't care. She was a grown-up now, and there was nothing anyone could stop her from doing. No one could stop her from drinking vodka anytime that she wants; and no one could stop her from kissing cute guys she just met in a party. So what if she was half drunk, or if she couldn't remember his name?

"Harshal! Hah, that's what his name was!" screamed Mudita triumphantly all of a sudden. "His name was Harshal! See, I remember!"

"Alright, Mudita," said Sunandini. The cab they had called for was finally here, and Sunandini was mighty glad for it too. "Here's the cab. Let's get inside now, it's too cold. You'll feel a lot better back at Maasi's place in that warm bed of yours. How does that sound to you, Mudita?"

"Great!" said Mudita. "Can you call Harshal over as well, pwease?"

The cab stopped right in front of them, and the driver got out. It had been a busy night for him; lots of people had somehow chosen this particular Friday night to get drunk. The fact that it was slightly warmer than it had been the past few days seemed a good idea for all the rich folks to party like mad into the wee hours of the night. Still, the business was good tonight, so the cab drivers didn't really mind.

On coming closer to the girls, though, the driver could see that one of the girls was in much better shape than the other. She looked as though she could walk into the cab without assistance, which was good. The night was still cold, and his hands didn't want to leave his pocket.

"Madam, you can manage to climb in?" he asked, just in case.

Sunandini looked the cab driver up and down with an accusatory look, and replied coldly, "Yes, I'm pretty sure I can manage it. Thanks a lot!"

'Boy, he must be at least thirty years elder to me, but he's still trying to hit on me! The audacity of these cab drivers these days, honestly!' Sunandini thought, as she helped a swaying Mudita into the cab.

The cab driver dutifully touched his hat at Sunandini, and said, "Good evening, madam. Myself Jagdish. Where to, madam?"

'Oh, so now you're pretending to be all nice and polished, are you?' thought Sunandini. 'Don't think I can't see right through you!'

"First to Vasant Kunj. We'll drop off my cousin, and then over to Greater Kailash 2," said Sunandini. "And hurry up, please. I don't want to be too late." The little backlit alarm clock in the taxi chimed once; it was 2:30 in the night.

"Yes, madam," said Jagdish, and with another touch to his hat, they were off.

"Sunanidi," said a garbled voice next to Sunandini. Mudita's speech was intensely garbled, and it took Sunandini a little while to realize that Mudita was saying her name. "Sunanidi," Mudita repeated. "Theesh cab drivers, not shafe. This time of night, you hear all shtories. No, not shafe at all!"

"Nonsense, Mudita!" said Sunandini. "Don't worry, we can manage just fine."

They had reached Mudita's house. The cab stopped right in front of her apartment, and Sunandini saw Mudita walk unsteadily up the stairs. "Wait here for a while," said Sunandini to Jagdish. "Wait till she's inside her house."

Mudita groped around with the keys for a while, but got the door open alright. The stairway was lit, and Sunandini could see Mudita's fur coat.

"Bye, Sunanidi," called Mudita from the stairway. "Be careful! Cabs, not shafe… oops!" Mudita had almost tipped over. Without another word, Mudita slammed the door, and the lights were out. Sunandini heaved a sigh of relief, knowing that Mudita was safe at home.

She turned her eyes back to Jagdish, and found him looking at her. Maybe she was imagining things, especially after what Mudita said, but she did not like the look in Jagdish's eyes. Was she just drunk and paranoid? She thought about all the stories she had heard about life in Delhi; of what happened to girls who were out alone at night. The vodka quickly evaporated from her system, and she was left clutching her seat thinking what might happen to the two girls.

'He might be a killer. Or a rapist! Or both! Oh, my god! Why didn't I ask one of the boys to come with me? How am I ever going to survive this cab ride?'

"Greater Kailash now, madam?" asked Jagdish, still looking at her from over his shoulder.

Sunandini found that her voice was choked. It took her considerable effort to unclog her throat and mutter, "Yes, please."

She sat petrified on the seat. Every passing second scared her more and more; she thought soon, she would burst with fear or anxiety or whatever the hell it was that was beginning to possess her so. She tried looking outside at the road to relax; it didn't work. She tried opening the window a little bit, let the wind play on her face for a while; the air outside was so cold, she felt worse off than she was before she had tried opening up that window.

"Madam, winter night very cold here in Delhi. Keep window closed, you catch fever otherwise," said Jagdish to Sunandini. She turned to look at Jagdish, and saw that he was smiling and waiting for her to close the window.

'Look at him, leering at me like that! Bloody, good for nothing loafer! I can see it in his eyes; he can easily be a rapist. Sunandini, what have you gotten yourself into?'

She slowly closed the window, and the stuffy cab air attempted to nauseate her again. She forced herself to focus; knowing that passing out in this situation would not be the best thing to do.

"First time in Delhi, Madam?" asked Jagdish. "You have seen the city yet?"

"It's not my first time here," said Sunandini. "I was born and raised in this place. I know Delhi inside out."

For a fraction of a second, Jagdish's eyebrows shot up. "Really, Madam?" he asked. "You know Delhi inside out? Very good. Delhi, beautiful city. So much history, so many kings and queens stay here."

'Great, now he's going back in time. Where are the sane people in this city these days?'

"Today, I go to Chawri Bazaar. Old Delhi side, behind Jama Masjid," said Jagdish. Somehow, he knew this girl sitting in the back seat thought she knew the real city, but she didn't. She couldn't; she lived in another Delhi. The Newer Delhi, as Jagdish used to think of it. So, he continued.

"That side, very old. Old houses, old roads. Cows and buffaloes walking with the men. Crowded place, very old. Beautiful place, many colors. Tasty food too. You go there sometime, I think you like it. Red Fort, very near. You've gone to Red Fort? Very nice place. Beautiful fort; Mughal kings lived there. Delhi is old, very old. You should see. Jama Masjid, Old Fort, Chandni Chowk, Chawri Bazaar, Shahjanabad. You like history?"

'Aah, this old man's giving me the creeps. I wonder when he's going to shut up! Should I humor him, and answer his questions? No, I shouldn't do that. Maybe he would think I'm interested in his stupid stories. I'd just pretend to be not interested at all; maybe that would get him to shut up.'

Thinking so, Sunandini turned to look at Jagdish, and defiantly said, "No. I hate history."

Jagdish's face fell, and Sunandini was satisfied to see that. 'That shut up the old bugger!' she thought triumphantly. For all she was concerned, she had to keep herself safe. For that, the minimal interaction she had with the driver, the better it would be for her.

They zoomed across the empty Delhi roads in the night. The sight was slightly eerie for Sunandini; where she saw snarling traffic jams every day, now the roads were empty and barren. Not a soul could be seen at this hour on the streets, and a thin layer of fog lay on the city roads. The streetlights shone bright, the rays piercing through the fog. Sunandini could see the fog rolling down the streets, and she felt as though she was flying through the clouds. For a while, she forgot where she was, forgot that it was so late in the night, and that she was in a cab, alone.

"Funny time, the night," said Jagdish. "Funny people at this time, too. Strange people, most of them. Like the gentleman before you, Madam. Funny man. Not bad man, Madam. Just, strange."

Sunandini was still floating in the clouds, and the words of the driver came slowly floating by to her. She was curious, in spite of knowing the potential dangers of asking anything to the driver, but she couldn't resist. She was too curious, so she just went ahead and asked, "Strange, how?"

"This gentleman, who come right before you," continued Jagdish. "He coming from a party. Quite drunk, couldn't recognize anything. Couldn't walk straight. Said wanted to go home, could not remember right address. Said it's in his bedroom; tell me to take him there. His friend, stand outside the car. He tell me address, then his friend walked away. I started to drive, and the gentleman thought I was friend, kept telling me about wife. Then he start talking about his friend's wife. When reached address, told me to come inside. Wife waiting for us, she cook dinner. Took me fifteen minutes to tell him the fare. Then, gentleman started crying, sitting in front of open door. Wife screaming from behind, gentleman still crying. Wife had to pay fare, and I think gentleman had to hear lot of screaming too. Yes, people very strange this time of night."

"That's an interesting story," said Sunandini, a bout of laughter threatening to burst through. "You meet a lot of people like this?"

"Yes," said Jagdish. "Part of life as taxi driver, Madam. Must go out at night, when customer calls. Must be able to drive him to destination."

'Seems like he's got an interesting life, this guy. I wonder what it's like, to be a taxi driver,' thought Sunandini. After hearing the story, she wanted to hear a little more about the life of a taxi driver. So, she thought of asking him a little more about his life.

"What other sorts of people do you meet? I mean, it must be a completely different side of life that you see at night, isn't it?"

"Yes, Madam. Very different people at night. Daytime, no problem. Night time, have to be careful. Some people, not very nice. They come at night."

Sunandini was starting to relax a bit now, even though she didn't see it coming. The night, although a bit too quiet to her liking, was very calm and peaceful. 'It's strange to see Delhi so calm. It's so hard to imagine that just a few hours from now; there would be a hundred cars with a hundred people screaming at each other at this very spot! The driver was right; Delhi really is a beautiful place. I wonder why it took me such a long time to notice that.'

"Delhi is a strange place, isn't it?" Sunandini asked the driver.

"Yes, Madam. Very strange place. So many people come and go in taxi. Some strange stories these people tell, too, Madam. Delhi a city of strangers, yes!" Jagdish said, with a small chuckle, apparently surprised at his own wit. "A city of strangers. All strangers walking around here. Day and night. But when they come into this taxi, Madam, those people not strangers anymore. They feel good inside taxi. I feel good inside taxi, too. Not my first taxi this one, Madam. Driving taxi in Delhi for thirty two years, I've seen Delhi well. No strangers for me, Madam. At least, not while they're inside the taxi."

They took a right turn, under a flyover. The lights were still twinkling, and Sunandini saw that she was almost home.

"What about when the people reach their destinations?" she asked.

"Then, they get lost amongst the strangers again; and my taxi becomes empty. I look for another stranger to make friends with, for a little while again. But, in the end, the city swallows all the strangers back again."

"You make friends with your passengers? How can you make friends so fast?"

Jagdish didn't say anything; he smiled, and took the turn towards Sunandini's house. Jagdish's words were still ringing in her ears, and she was wondering what Jagdish would be telling her future passengers about her. 'Good thing, he didn't get to know that I thought he was a murdering rapist! That would have been some story,' she thought to herself.

The taxi stopped, and she saw they had reached. Jagdish got out of the car and opened the door for Sunandini. She got out of the car, and found that she didn't feel remotely drunk anymore. All the alcohol in her system had evaporated after that cab ride, and she felt much better now that she was standing in front of her house.

"Here's the fare," she said to Jagdish, handing him the money. "I guess that makes us strangers again, no?"

Jagdish smiled, and said, "Yes, Madam. It was a pleasure to have been driving with you. Goodnight, madam."

"Goodnight…" said Sunandini, but she couldn't remember his name. She stopped herself before it became obvious.

Jagdish got into the car again, and the engine throbbed to life. From inside the car, Sunandini could hear a raucous voice singing loudly, "Chalo ik baar phir se, ajnabee ban jaaye hum dono…"

The cab drove away, and the song faded into the night. They were strangers again.

Humming the song quietly to herself, she walked into her house. She closed the door, gently, and the night went all quiet again.

***

This story has been greatly inspired by Jim Jarmusch's Night On Earth. I wanted to acknowledge that film, and the filmmaker, somewhere in the story itself. However, I couldn't do that, because I knew Sunandini or Mudita would never watch that film, and Jagdish would have a lot of language problems if he wanted to see it.

Also, I would be highly obliged if somebody could translate the lines of that song for me. Roughly translated, the line means "let's become strangers again," but somehow that does absolutely no justice to the original line; and my translation skills are horrible. Thanks in anticipation…

***

Update: For a wonderful translation of the last line, take a look at Ice Maiden's comment. It includes a translation of the entire song, from which the two lines were borrowed. Thanks, Ice Maiden.

Comments

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  3. As I read the story, I couldn't help but smile at Jagdish, and his description of Delhi. It was like talking to you, listening to you speak of the city you are so in love with :)

    Lovely read. And here is your translation :

    These lyrics were written by a man called Sahir Luhianvi, and he was deeply in love with a singer called Sudha Malhotra. Sudha's father was a strict man who didnt approve of their relationship. Sahir decided to accept the fact gracefully and decided to move on. These lyrics were dedicated to her --

    (now that our relationship is not going to go anywhere)

    chalo ek baar phir se ajanabi ban jaye hum dono....

    let us not keep any more expectations from each other..
    come, let us become strangers once again...


    Na main tumse koi ummeed rakhoon dilnavaazi ki
    Na tum meri taraf dekho galat andaaz nazaron se
    Na mere dil ki dhadkan ladkhadaaye meri baaton mein
    Na zaahir ho tumhaari kash-ma-kash ka raaz nazaron se
    chalo ek baar phir se ajanabi ban jaye hum dono....

    I wont keep any more expectations of warmth and love from you
    And you wouldnt look at me with eyes full of affection
    My heartbeats wouldnt falter with my words when I talk to you
    Nor would your eyes reveal the secrets of the struggle that you face
    Come, let us become strangers once again..


    Tumhen bhi koi uljhan rokti hai peshkadmi se
    Mujhe bhi log kehte hain, ki yeh jalve paraaye hain
    Mere hamraah bhi rusvaaiyaan hain mere maazi ki
    Tumhaare saath bhi guzri hui raaton ke saaye hain
    Chalo ek baar phir se...

    Something has held you back from giving yourself completely
    I too fake my emotions, or so I am told
    The disgraces of my past are my constant companions
    And the shadows of the spent nights keep you company.


    Taarruf rog ho jaaye to usko bhoolnaa behtar
    Taalluk bojh ban jaaye to usko todnaa achchha
    Voh afsaana jise anjaam tak laana na ho mumkin
    Use ek khoobsoorat mod dekar chhodna achchha

    When knowing someone becomes a painful, then it is best forgotten
    When a relationship becomes a burden, it is better to end it
    A tale of love that cant be brought to its final destination
    It is better to bring it to a beautiful turning point, and leave it there...


    chalo ek baar phir se ajanabi ban jaye hum dono....
    Come, let us become strangers once again..

    Gumrah came much later and thats where Sahir decided to use these lyrics.

    ReplyDelete
  4. As I read the story, I couldn't help but smile at Jagdish, and his description of Delhi. It was like talking to you, listening to you speak of the city you are so in love with :)

    Lovely read. And here is your translation :

    These lyrics were written by a man called Sahir Luhianvi, and he was deeply in love with a singer called Sudha Malhotra. Sudha's father was a strict man who didnt approve of their relationship. Sahir decided to accept the fact gracefully and decided to move on. These lyrics were dedicated to her --

    (now that our relationship is not going to go anywhere)

    chalo ek baar phir se ajanabi ban jaye hum dono....

    let us not keep any more expectations from each other..
    come, let us become strangers once again...


    Na main tumse koi ummeed rakhoon dilnavaazi ki
    Na tum meri taraf dekho galat andaaz nazaron se
    Na mere dil ki dhadkan ladkhadaaye meri baaton mein
    Na zaahir ho tumhaari kash-ma-kash ka raaz nazaron se
    chalo ek baar phir se ajanabi ban jaye hum dono....

    I wont keep any more expectations of warmth and love from you
    And you wouldnt look at me with eyes full of affection
    My heartbeats wouldnt falter with my words when I talk to you
    Nor would your eyes reveal the secrets of the struggle that you face
    Come, let us become strangers once again..


    Tumhen bhi koi uljhan rokti hai peshkadmi se
    Mujhe bhi log kehte hain, ki yeh jalve paraaye hain
    Mere hamraah bhi rusvaaiyaan hain mere maazi ki
    Tumhaare saath bhi guzri hui raaton ke saaye hain
    Chalo ek baar phir se...

    Something has held you back from giving yourself completely
    I too fake my emotions, or so I am told
    The disgraces of my past are my constant companions
    And the shadows of the spent nights keep you company.


    Taarruf rog ho jaaye to usko bhoolnaa behtar
    Taalluk bojh ban jaaye to usko todnaa achchha
    Voh afsaana jise anjaam tak laana na ho mumkin
    Use ek khoobsoorat mod dekar chhodna achchha

    When knowing someone becomes a painful, then it is best forgotten
    When a relationship becomes a burden, it is better to end it
    A tale of love that cant be brought to its final destination
    It is better to bring it to a beautiful turning point, and leave it there...


    chalo ek baar phir se ajanabi ban jaye hum dono....
    Come, let us become strangers once again..

    Gumrah came much later and thats where Sahir decided to use these lyrics.

    ReplyDelete
  5. @ Ice Maiden... First up, a big Thank You for that amazing translation, not only of the one line used in the story, but of the whole song! I still can't believe you actually searched for the song and translated the whole thing... :)

    You know how crazy I am about Delhi. I couldn't help but share some of my favourite spots of the city with Jagdish as well. He deserved it, having driven a taxi in the city for the past thirty two years...

    Thanks a lot... for the translation, especially :)

    Cheers...

    ReplyDelete
  6. @ Ice Maiden... First up, a big Thank You for that amazing translation, not only of the one line used in the story, but of the whole song! I still can't believe you actually searched for the song and translated the whole thing... :)

    You know how crazy I am about Delhi. I couldn't help but share some of my favourite spots of the city with Jagdish as well. He deserved it, having driven a taxi in the city for the past thirty two years...

    Thanks a lot... for the translation, especially :)

    Cheers...

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hey..

    for one...I dont think there is one clear protagonist in this story.. for like the first half, Sunandini seems to be the protagonist.. but somewhere in the between the focus shifts to the cabbie..

    So I think it would be difficult to identify with any one character in this story..

    For two.. technical error.. a story must 'never' have two point of views going parallel with each other. this story has sunandini thinking in one line and the cabbie thinking in the other sentence.

    Three.. How many times have you used the word 'stranger' in this story!!

    Since I assume it was an experimental kinda story, I like the concept. But as a general read..I think it got a bit draggy in between, but since the ending was nice and kinda sentimental atleast for the hindi speaking Delhi born and raised people..it kinda made up for that.

    and the song is beautifu;. thanks for reminding that.

    Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hey..

    for one...I dont think there is one clear protagonist in this story.. for like the first half, Sunandini seems to be the protagonist.. but somewhere in the between the focus shifts to the cabbie..

    So I think it would be difficult to identify with any one character in this story..

    For two.. technical error.. a story must 'never' have two point of views going parallel with each other. this story has sunandini thinking in one line and the cabbie thinking in the other sentence.

    Three.. How many times have you used the word 'stranger' in this story!!

    Since I assume it was an experimental kinda story, I like the concept. But as a general read..I think it got a bit draggy in between, but since the ending was nice and kinda sentimental atleast for the hindi speaking Delhi born and raised people..it kinda made up for that.

    and the song is beautifu;. thanks for reminding that.

    Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  9. that was a wonderful tale. i could feel her tension and then her calm. cab drivers have such an interesting perspective. and lots of great stories to tell.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thanks so much for the great post. I've been searching for blogs like this now for 30 minutes and i finall found one
    that's worthwhile. I'm really into video games, do you have any information on the new Call of Duty? I know this
    is off topic, but I thought I'd ask. Thanks...oh also, I have some video game writings if you want to check them
    out. Here are a few of them

    WoW Hunter Pets
    Shaman Builds
    Feral Druid PvP

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thanks so much for the great post. I've been searching for blogs like this now for 30 minutes and i finall found one
    that's worthwhile. I'm really into video games, do you have any information on the new Call of Duty? I know this
    is off topic, but I thought I'd ask. Thanks...oh also, I have some video game writings if you want to check them
    out. Here are a few of them

    WoW Hunter Pets
    Shaman Builds
    Feral Druid PvP

    ReplyDelete
  12. @ Niti... It's funny how you mentioned those very things in the story; read an article about the rules of writing, which, obviously I hated. I didn't know those two rules are such dear ones for pro writers! No offence meant when I wrote this one, but I somehow wanted to bend the rules. That is probably the reason there's no clear protagonist in the story, and the parallel lines of thought.

    The reason it seemed a litte draggy is, well, probably 'coz I've been seeing too many Jim Jarmusch films. They all have that feature too, but the interesting bit is that in spite of knowing that the story is draggy, you still go on with it. You enjoy his films immensely, without being able to put your finger on exactly why you do.

    Finally, yes, the word stranger has been used many times in the story, but it's been concentrated only in one line by Jagdish. He likes that word a lot; what can I say? ;)

    Loved the ananlytical comment here, and to be totally honest, I was hoping someone would notice those things I did there. Thanks for making the wait worthwhile... Cheers

    P.S. The idea for the song came about quite abruptly to me. The other day, I took an auto for coming back home, and that guy started singing this song, which got the entire story in motion. Weird, how the most mundane things can inspire you to write... something!

    ReplyDelete
  13. @ Niti... It's funny how you mentioned those very things in the story; read an article about the rules of writing, which, obviously I hated. I didn't know those two rules are such dear ones for pro writers! No offence meant when I wrote this one, but I somehow wanted to bend the rules. That is probably the reason there's no clear protagonist in the story, and the parallel lines of thought.

    The reason it seemed a litte draggy is, well, probably 'coz I've been seeing too many Jim Jarmusch films. They all have that feature too, but the interesting bit is that in spite of knowing that the story is draggy, you still go on with it. You enjoy his films immensely, without being able to put your finger on exactly why you do.

    Finally, yes, the word stranger has been used many times in the story, but it's been concentrated only in one line by Jagdish. He likes that word a lot; what can I say? ;)

    Loved the ananlytical comment here, and to be totally honest, I was hoping someone would notice those things I did there. Thanks for making the wait worthwhile... Cheers

    P.S. The idea for the song came about quite abruptly to me. The other day, I took an auto for coming back home, and that guy started singing this song, which got the entire story in motion. Weird, how the most mundane things can inspire you to write... something!

    ReplyDelete
  14. @ Brian... Thanks a lot. Yeah, cab drivers do have a lot of interesting tales. And, somehow, I've noticed this trend - they always seem very talkative when I'm going some place alone. I have no idea what it is about me that makes them talk so much :D They have very interesting lives, no doubt...

    Glad you enjoyed the tale. Cheers...

    ReplyDelete
  15. @ Brian... Thanks a lot. Yeah, cab drivers do have a lot of interesting tales. And, somehow, I've noticed this trend - they always seem very talkative when I'm going some place alone. I have no idea what it is about me that makes them talk so much :D They have very interesting lives, no doubt...

    Glad you enjoyed the tale. Cheers...

    ReplyDelete
  16. Cab/ auto drivers are so interesting man!!! I mean I can write an entire book on my conversations with them!! Lol!!

    As a kid, alright, till just a couple of years back, I really had plans of driving an auto for a month at least. Just to explore life you know, in general. Not too feasible, especially being a girl, I was made to realize. :|

    Anyway, I LOVED the story! And yeah, Jagdish and you seem to like the same places in the city. ;)

    Cheers

    ReplyDelete
  17. Cab/ auto drivers are so interesting man!!! I mean I can write an entire book on my conversations with them!! Lol!!

    As a kid, alright, till just a couple of years back, I really had plans of driving an auto for a month at least. Just to explore life you know, in general. Not too feasible, especially being a girl, I was made to realize. :|

    Anyway, I LOVED the story! And yeah, Jagdish and you seem to like the same places in the city. ;)

    Cheers

    ReplyDelete
  18. @ bondgal... Yes, auto and cab drivers do have very different lives from ours. There's definitely a certain charm to that sort of life... and I guess, at some point of life, every kid goes through the phase where they want to live that sorta life...

    Cheers...

    ReplyDelete
  19. @ bondgal... Yes, auto and cab drivers do have very different lives from ours. There's definitely a certain charm to that sort of life... and I guess, at some point of life, every kid goes through the phase where they want to live that sorta life...

    Cheers...

    ReplyDelete
  20. No offence taken either :)

    Just that to bend the rules..you need to know them.. that was just an attempt to put the rules down.. but since you know them already.. break em away.. :)

    ReplyDelete
  21. No offence taken either :)

    Just that to bend the rules..you need to know them.. that was just an attempt to put the rules down.. but since you know them already.. break em away.. :)

    ReplyDelete
  22. Iddy, No, never judgement. Who am I to judge anyone? Why would any of us be equipped to judge? I work against that. It was just a curious thing you laid at my place. No one else had a perspective such as yours. You fresh perspective intrigued me, is all.
    xo
    erin

    ReplyDelete
  23. Iddy, No, never judgement. Who am I to judge anyone? Why would any of us be equipped to judge? I work against that. It was just a curious thing you laid at my place. No one else had a perspective such as yours. You fresh perspective intrigued me, is all.
    xo
    erin

    ReplyDelete
  24. You have a very soft touch in your hand. You care about these people. And you do worry of judgement even here, don't you, with your own characters? You should not, I think. Your soft touch, your hand, your creations, these are your own voices, your own language, I do believe, and you do live beautifully amongst them.

    I enjoyed this story, your voice, immensely!

    xo
    erin

    ReplyDelete
  25. You have a very soft touch in your hand. You care about these people. And you do worry of judgement even here, don't you, with your own characters? You should not, I think. Your soft touch, your hand, your creations, these are your own voices, your own language, I do believe, and you do live beautifully amongst them.

    I enjoyed this story, your voice, immensely!

    xo
    erin

    ReplyDelete
  26. @ Niti... That makes me sound like an anarchist of sorts! :D Hehe

    ReplyDelete
  27. @ Erin... Thanks, although I didn't know that was a fresh perspective there...

    About the story, the characters... somehow, I do start caring about them. Worrying about judgments, not so much really. Like you rightly said, they are, at the end of the day, my creations. I'm just glad to know that :)

    Happy to know you enjoyed the story... Cheers

    ReplyDelete
  28. @ Erin... Thanks, although I didn't know that was a fresh perspective there...

    About the story, the characters... somehow, I do start caring about them. Worrying about judgments, not so much really. Like you rightly said, they are, at the end of the day, my creations. I'm just glad to know that :)

    Happy to know you enjoyed the story... Cheers

    ReplyDelete
  29. ahh auto drivers...cab drivers...bus conductors r my best frnd!!! luv talkin wid dem!

    luvd da way u maintained da language style of da driver till da end!!!

    nicely done

    ReplyDelete
  30. ahh auto drivers...cab drivers...bus conductors r my best frnd!!! luv talkin wid dem!

    luvd da way u maintained da language style of da driver till da end!!!

    nicely done

    ReplyDelete
  31. Its a lovely story, and I liked the fact that the narrative and language was kept simple and yet it could touch a chord!

    Being a girl who has traveled alone many-a-times and having felt those same fears and devils in my head that Sunandini does in the story, I could relate to her instantly;though I could very much empathize with Jagdish as well.(Kudos for making that possible)

    This story especially reminded me of the one time when I had to take a cab all alone to the airport in Argentina and the driver was 30 yrs older to me(just like in the story). He spoke broken English and started asking my details, my age, why i was here etc etc.. he then began sharing the stories of his 4 daughters, his life when he used to drive taxi in Europe and dreams for retirement.. It did freak me out at first,but then it made me realize that deep inside, we all crave for a feeling of belonging-ness and one-ness from every single person we meet/come across in our lives.. even if it is just for the blink of a second...

    Just like sometimes, a smile from a stranger can make your day! ha ha... I am so filmi! lol

    Good one, will keep coming back to your blog!! Yipppeeeeeeeeee :)

    ReplyDelete
  32. Its a lovely story, and I liked the fact that the narrative and language was kept simple and yet it could touch a chord!

    Being a girl who has traveled alone many-a-times and having felt those same fears and devils in my head that Sunandini does in the story, I could relate to her instantly;though I could very much empathize with Jagdish as well.(Kudos for making that possible)

    This story especially reminded me of the one time when I had to take a cab all alone to the airport in Argentina and the driver was 30 yrs older to me(just like in the story). He spoke broken English and started asking my details, my age, why i was here etc etc.. he then began sharing the stories of his 4 daughters, his life when he used to drive taxi in Europe and dreams for retirement.. It did freak me out at first,but then it made me realize that deep inside, we all crave for a feeling of belonging-ness and one-ness from every single person we meet/come across in our lives.. even if it is just for the blink of a second...

    Just like sometimes, a smile from a stranger can make your day! ha ha... I am so filmi! lol

    Good one, will keep coming back to your blog!! Yipppeeeeeeeeee :)

    ReplyDelete
  33. If I don't stumble across a new book penned by you in the near future it will be one of the greatest travesties I've witnessed in my lifetime.

    I envy like a Sunday morning.

    That was awesome.

    ReplyDelete
  34. If I don't stumble across a new book penned by you in the near future it will be one of the greatest travesties I've witnessed in my lifetime.

    I envy like a Sunday morning.

    That was awesome.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Brilliant writing. Being in love with Delhi and the life here the way I am, I and I'm sure most of us Delhiites can relate to it.

    I really like the way you've impersonated Jagdish. Yes, cabbies and autowalas are such :).
    And that sentence with multiple "stranger" is befitting. It didn't irk me a bit that Sunandini seemed the protagonist in the beginning and then the focus shifted to Jagdish. Its a conversation between two people who have different lives and they've departed with different cab ride experience that night. Both deserved equal share in the story. Thumbs up to you for that.
    Yes I might not be a pro writer and not know the rules of writing but a good story is something that makes an interesting read. :)

    ReplyDelete
  36. Brilliant writing. Being in love with Delhi and the life here the way I am, I and I'm sure most of us Delhiites can relate to it.

    I really like the way you've impersonated Jagdish. Yes, cabbies and autowalas are such :).
    And that sentence with multiple "stranger" is befitting. It didn't irk me a bit that Sunandini seemed the protagonist in the beginning and then the focus shifted to Jagdish. Its a conversation between two people who have different lives and they've departed with different cab ride experience that night. Both deserved equal share in the story. Thumbs up to you for that.
    Yes I might not be a pro writer and not know the rules of writing but a good story is something that makes an interesting read. :)

    ReplyDelete
  37. @ buckingfastard... Bus conductors are great to talk to as well. The first time that I had such a talk was the time when I was going to Nainital... alone... and I sat in the little cabin for the driver and the conductor, just like that. Didn't know that the rule for people to sit there is that they HAVE to talk to the driver throughout the journey, so that the driver stays up as well. Both of the guys told such amazing stories all through the way, that although I had thought it would be really tough to stay up for so long, I didn't even notice when we reached Nainital :)

    ReplyDelete
  38. @ Diva... Yeah, humans are social animals at the end of the day. They need that bond to be able to survive in the world, and to be happy. That is why, a smile from a stranger goes such a long way in making things so much better for us. If only we had more of them coming our way... :)

    ReplyDelete
  39. @ Cabo... :D I'll have to seriously start thinking along those lines now, don't want you comments to stop here... Thanks a lot man, for all the encouragement that's come my way from you.

    Cheers...

    ReplyDelete
  40. @ Cabo... :D I'll have to seriously start thinking along those lines now, don't want you comments to stop here... Thanks a lot man, for all the encouragement that's come my way from you.

    Cheers...

    ReplyDelete
  41. @ Shivani... Thanks for that comment. And, Delhi has that thing, making you love her in spite of some weird things about her. She has that ability to hug you tight and make you feel warm, even at the toughest of times. That's why, in some ways, she reminds me of my eighty-something year old grandmother :)

    Thanks for liking the story, but the real reason I wrote this one is just to see if those rules are malleable or not. Turns out they are, judging by the kind of responses I've got to this story... so yes, in a way, it becomes important to know some rules of writing which are prevalent in the world, even if your only intent is to break them :)

    Cheers...

    ReplyDelete
  42. @ Shivani... Thanks for that comment. And, Delhi has that thing, making you love her in spite of some weird things about her. She has that ability to hug you tight and make you feel warm, even at the toughest of times. That's why, in some ways, she reminds me of my eighty-something year old grandmother :)

    Thanks for liking the story, but the real reason I wrote this one is just to see if those rules are malleable or not. Turns out they are, judging by the kind of responses I've got to this story... so yes, in a way, it becomes important to know some rules of writing which are prevalent in the world, even if your only intent is to break them :)

    Cheers...

    ReplyDelete
  43. very nicely written...

    Normally when a post is too long, i tend to skip it, but this was catching from start and could keep the hold. Good one, keep it up :)

    ReplyDelete
  44. very nicely written...

    Normally when a post is too long, i tend to skip it, but this was catching from start and could keep the hold. Good one, keep it up :)

    ReplyDelete
  45. great story! i particularly like the phrase 2:00 in the night... but it does hold so much meaning, human fears. is it okay to talk to strangers? what about being a cab driver, how safe is that? who really takes the bigger risk here? Great story for discussion, really. And to answer your question on the song 'Schizophrenic Conversations' by Staind, I had not heard it before, but have now. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  46. @ Lopa... Thanks for sticking by with the story and reading it till the end. Happy to know that you enjoyed the story, I hope I can keep writing like this in the future as well...

    My posts sometimes do tend to be on the longish side, specially when it's fiction that I write... I hope you can bear with that bit :)

    Welcome to the blog. Cheers...

    ReplyDelete
  47. @ Lopa... Thanks for sticking by with the story and reading it till the end. Happy to know that you enjoyed the story, I hope I can keep writing like this in the future as well...

    My posts sometimes do tend to be on the longish side, specially when it's fiction that I write... I hope you can bear with that bit :)

    Welcome to the blog. Cheers...

    ReplyDelete
  48. @ Kay... 2 in the night somehow does sound like a very ominous time, somehow. I've felt it on more than one occassion.

    I wish there were some solid answers to the questions that the post raised. Unfortunately, none exists :)

    That song used to be a one of my favorites, a long time back. That poem reminded me a lot of that song, so thanks to you for writing it :)

    Cheers...

    ReplyDelete
  49. @ Kay... 2 in the night somehow does sound like a very ominous time, somehow. I've felt it on more than one occassion.

    I wish there were some solid answers to the questions that the post raised. Unfortunately, none exists :)

    That song used to be a one of my favorites, a long time back. That poem reminded me a lot of that song, so thanks to you for writing it :)

    Cheers...

    ReplyDelete
  50. It's a beautiful story, man. I'm glad I stumbled upon your blog.
    More than the story, I liked your narration very much. No matter how simple or complex the story is, narration is all that matters, and I wasn't disappointed here. Just too good.
    Will go through your other stories one by one.
    Cheerios! :)

    ReplyDelete
  51. It's a beautiful story, man. I'm glad I stumbled upon your blog.
    More than the story, I liked your narration very much. No matter how simple or complex the story is, narration is all that matters, and I wasn't disappointed here. Just too good.
    Will go through your other stories one by one.
    Cheerios! :)

    ReplyDelete

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