The God we seek everyday – Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh (Maheshwara) – The Auto aka Rickshaw

The God we seek everyday – Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh (Maheshwara) – The Auto aka Rickshaw

Yes, indeed, this is the god of everyday life that I feel each and every Mumbaikar seeks out first thing in the morning,  be it rushing to the office, school, meeting, shopping – you name it, a mantra for everyday commute is Eh Auto or rickshaw!!  For me, my day begins with taking the auto to the station, from there train and once I get down at the station, it is again seeking out help to the TRINITY once again.  Mornings are rushy for the Trinity bearers as well, the effortless manoeuvring of the auto is done with such ease. He will manage to peep the nose of his auto amongst crowded streets.  I have also found names written behind autos really intriguing, it will range from Munni badnaam hui to Khuda se Darr.  It can be anything from Babli aur Bunty to Diljale.  Another funny quote was Ram Yug mein Doodh mila, Krishna Yug mein Ghee… Is Yug mein Daroo mili, Khub dabaa ke Pee".  “Boyfriend ke saath baithkar, bhaiya bolna mana hai”.

Once I read something even funnier and really had a good laugh first thing in the morning and that’s like a good dose of vitamin D. It read something like “She is my girl, so beware” !!!. Seriously!!  I am really at wits end to understand this.  But yes, when I am plunged comfortably in an auto, I look out for autos with funny quotes. 

The 3 gods have to really tackle a lot of speed breakers (I beg to differ) on this one.  They actually are like small hillocks and you need to really hold on to your karma if you do not want to be thrown out of the auto.  If you are lucky and you have got an autodriver who is on the other side of bad karma, karma struck(lolz) you would reach your destination safely and securely.  Reaching one’s workplace is totally karma driven (I believe).

With years of travelling by auto and having learnt to distinguish the good karma driver with the not so good ones, I generally am on time.  I have come across repeat drivers who know my place of work by now drop me to my office.  Similarly, I have had instances where they tell me Madam, mera rickshaw khaali hai, can I drop you?  It sounds like AAja meri gaadi mein baithja  (Anu Malik seriously would have travelled by autos I guess so)!! Feels as if the Gods have showered their grace on me.  This grace is restricted to specific timings and if I reach the station after 9 a.m. it can be an absolute commotion and that day even grace hasn’t descended on you.  And if one of them happens to say yes to drop you, that particular moment is a moment equivalent to winning a lottery or India making it to the World Cup) and I am serious about it.

There are different types of vaahanchalak (aka autowallahs)-ones who keep continuously chattering and expecting a reply when the earplugs are literally kissing your ears.  They would not spare you till you hear their harikatha (family history).  Few others do not respond to your directions and few of them actually having loud music playing on their autos.  I generally avoid such vaahanchalaks.

Recently, I happened to get into a disco auto, it was somewhat around 7 p.m.  It was all red and blue upholstery with lights bordered and photograph of every Bollywood actor on the interiors of the auto. I felt as if I was in some mela.  It was really weird and everytime my auto stopped at the signal, the onlookers looked and smiled at me.  I cannot but express how I felt at that point in time.  See the list can get really long, but I would stop here giving you all some breathing space from this long long post.  Thanks for reading such a  lonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng one.

Cya with yet another interesting encounter.  Till then, byee!!

Love

Rekha