BJP’s latest recruit — a Bollywood actor with roots in Bengal — has compared himself and themselves with “Cobras” in the Brigade Parade ground, Kolkata! The “Cobra” dialogue was originally delivered by him in a Bangla commercial pot-boiler. Since that Sunday, a very bad taste was lingering in the mind by witnessing such a moral verbal cultural degradation of political discourse in Bengal and India.
On this background, a very interesting incident has been witnessed on Tuesday morning acting as an eye-opener of sorts!
As I boarded the back seat of a shared auto rickshaw at a stand, I found myself beside a septuagenarian lady of non-privileged background. A large bundle was resting near her foot. As the auto was yet to get filled up, the ungroomed driver of late 50’s was standing outside while waiting for passengers and making fun with the fellow-drivers of the stand. Mentally I was getting very irritated by the delay amidst heat and commotion of the busy roadside. At last all seats got filled up and the auto moved. The talkative driver now starts conversation with the passenger seated beside him.
After traveling for 5 minutes, the auto stood at a signal turned red. Now he started joking with the driver of the neighbouring auto through invocation of that very “Cobra” dialogue which was getting on my nerves since that Sunday evening! Now my mental anger towards the driver was seeing no end and started praying when my destination would come and I would get rid of this man!
Again the journey commenced. After few minutes, my right-hand neighbour i.e. that poor resembling lady informed the driver that she would disembark on the next stop and handed him few coins with humble but straight declaration “I know that the fare is Rs 12, but presently I have merely Rs 10. Please take it, I will pay the rest on the next occasion”. Amidst the crowd of autos and people in this huge metropolis, the chance of their meeting again is remotest to say the least. I was wondering what would be the reaction of the driver! Would he burst into fury and demand the full amount or let her go but after delivering choicest of abuses! After all, quarrel with fares is very common in public transport! But to my utter surprise, I witnessed that he is allowing himself a wry smile and not only accepted the amount without a murmur but as the destination of the lady arrived, the driver jumped out from his seat and carefully brought down her bundle though she didn’t request him to do it!
I was already awe-struck by the gesture of the driver. But exhibition of his nobility didn’t end there. As the auto resumed in the final leg of the journey, the driver mumbles — “Had I said something bitter to the lady, could I have slept peacefully in the night”! The man was not engaged in such hard labour to make charity, but to keep his kitchen burning. Each and every penny is hard earned and of immense value to him. But at the end of the day, the driver has awarded greater pedestal to his conscience, heart and humanity over commercial interest! The highly moved myself now starts lamenting why my journey with this large-hearted man is coming to an end!
