MUMBAI TO PUNE via HELL

22:29:00 in Driver, India, Journey, Mumbai, Night, Paan, Pune, Taxi

"Welcome to India Mr. kapoor" said the lady on Mumbai airport to which I smiled, it felt so good to be back to India after 5 long years damn my work of engineer and contract which didn't allow me I had to look India through news channels *sigh* I breathed indian air so much fresh so much and the smell of Indian soil wow amazing and thinking this i took my trolley and started walking my eyes were searching for the cab, I asked the security and he guided me to
taxi stand

I went there with my luggage and pressed the horn as the driver was not there "aaaya sahab" was a response from my left side he was smoking with his fellow driver friends he gave the cigarette to his friend and came to car opened dikki and kept my (luggage) looking at him I was worried he looked horrible curly long hair that covered his face plus unshaved mustache and beard plus those red eyes I kept looking at him for a moment thinking what if in middle of road he stops the car as robs me? "chalo saab" he opened the door and asked me to get in I got in with my fingers crossed  ,,, he prayed to ganeshji before starting the car and I was convinced he will not harm me , phew I was relaxed a bit and uncrossed my fingers and looked at my watch it was 2.30am he started the car and got the cab out of the airport on main road "kaha jaoge saab?" he asked with a humble voice I said DADAR ST BUS DEPO "theek he saab" he said as he changes the gear and as we move on 


I removed my blazer and tie and tried to sleep as soon as I close my sleep car was doing latkas and jhatkas i said "bhaisaab thoda dhire chaliye Mr. jo bhi tumhara naam hai" bit annoyed I requested "Ram Singh , Ram Singh naam hai humara saab kya karega sarkar sadak hi nahi banate na, apka naam kya hai saab ?" "mera naam bhi Ram hai, Ram kapoor " as I removed my phone and switched on the GPS just to check whether he is taking me through proper route "kya baat hai saab aap bhi Ram main bhi Ram aap bura na mano to ek baat puchu? Before I could answer yes or no he asked, I think he got exited " aap kidhar jaa rahe ho? apko receive karne koi nahi aaya?" I thought for a second but then answered " main Canada se aaraaha Pune ja raha hu meri behen ki shaadi hai, use surprise dena hai isiliye kisiko bataya nahi hai ki main aa raha hu" 


I plugged in the earphone and started the FM RADIO and old songs were playing as I was flipping frequencies I heard my favorite kishore Kumar’s song 'ek ajnabi haseena se..... ‘as I liked the song I murmured the song instantly he replied "saab kya akele akele gane ka maje le rahe ho loudspeaker on karo hume bhi sunne do" I thought "tum malik ho ya me mai driver hu" nevertheless I did not argue and switched on the speaker ,,,and to my worst he started singing in a bad voice , i held my head


After going a little ahead maybe a KM he stopped a car I wondered what happened he got out of the car and went to a small shop I also got out of the car and went there he had ordered a maawa " kya hai na saab ratme gaadi chalana beech beech mai jhapki na aaye isliye thoda refreshment " I was just looking at him "aap kuch loge saab kuch refreshment, maawa, cigarette, meetha paan, supari kuch bhi?" I looked the other side and said mujhe to teri supari dene ka man kar raha hai " saaab k liye banarasi meetha paan banao bina tambaku,chuna ke " he took his maawa and went to the corner and then opened his zip and started watering the bushes I was getting angry as toilet was right next to paan wala after pissing he came near me I got one step aside he took out that pudi, rubbed the pudi on his palm of unwashed hands and then inserted the mixture in his mouth .. I felt like puking yuksss I paid for both and said "chale?" "haan haan chalo" and by the time meter was on WTF



"Bhai saab jaldi chaliye meri bus choot jayegi maine tickets already book kar rakhi hai" i put a paan in my mouth and chew as it was metha paan with honey and all you can chew and swallow it as we crossed bandra kherwadi junction he said "saab ghai khiyoge" i said "kya?"
"ghai ghai" haan subhash ghai bakwaas director hai "ghai nahi khaai" I thought Bandra ki Khaai I replied "hmmm"   he stopped the car "gaadi kyu rukai, ab kya hua?" I shouted he spitted one glass of spit that
he had in his mouth and the road turned red "sahab main pucha to aap to bole haan chai" *facepalm* I gave him a tapli and said "chalo chup chaap kidhar bhi rukana mat" he looked back in anger but thank god didn’t do or say anything I remember that dangerous Nana Patekar in Taxi no.9211


And after 15 minutes again he stopped the car "Ab kya hua" I said in a gave up voice he got out went back and opened the dikki I checked out of the window the signboard of shop read DADAR I stepped out said "sorry" he smiled "kitna hua" "450 saab" I gave him 500 ka note and said keep the change , he wanted to shake hand I said Namaste by joining hands thinking of the unwashed hand since he peed


I took my luggage to a bus stand thinking of a journey from airport to here god watte driver he was and thanks to India where people can pee anywhere and spit on the boards written do not spit here , never in the world in any country it is written but it isn’t his fault he was illiterate I think RTO officers should instructions and explain these rules also to them ......And to interrupt my thoughts my Luxury buss arrived i went inside kept and straight away went to sleep .....

So how was my story please do reply and give feedback (check contact tab), this was the first part next part will be published next week

lots of love
Prem