On Why We Should Still Have Faith!

We do fight with them, we think they fleece money, we think that they drive in full speed to take our lives but we cannot do without them. I am talking about Auto drivers. Yes, we do have a long saga of fleecing auto drivers and there is a sweeping generalization that all of them are just waiting to get a chance to extract money.

Mornining was hectic as usual. On top of that, some confusion with the office cab pick up. So, I decided to take the auto to office. Shared auto's are the lifeline of Hyderabad in the Hi-tech city area. A fixed rate and anyone can get in. I got into one - why do I need to take a metered auto for just a 10 min journey. After about 10 mins, I fumbled around for my phone. Nops, it was not in my hand. It was not in the small pouch either. Panic strikes - I assume I left it back at home and try not to think of the possibility of losing it. Now, I have a long history of losing stuff - from watches, wallet, driving license, election ID card to credit cards - I have lost them all. I desperately did not want my Nokia N72 to be a part of that list.


I ask the auto driver to stop, pay him and gallop (with my dupatta, a stole, a handbag and a laptop bag) across the road to get another auto to take me back home. Meanwhile, I see a co-passenger of the shared auto waving somewhere frantically, passing him off as a possible eve-teaser, I chose to ignore him. Soon, I see the auto driver running across the road. Within a flash of a second, he comes to me and hands me over the mobile. I hold my mobile and almost do a mad happy dance on the road. I am overwhelmed and manage only an embarrassed 'Thank You' to the auto driver, who smiles and says a polite 'Welcome Madam' and runs back to his auto.

I am about to thank him and tell him that he is a nice person and there are only a few people like him. Before that, he is back in his auto and speeds off. For him, its just another day!