Please read the entire post from start to end.. dont go by the length of the post.
It's a true story. I'll rephrase that.. Its reality.. ;) t.y
So this past week my bro and sis in law went for their honeymoon to Thailand. And like a good brother I went to see them off to the airport. Well of course there is nothing much to talk about that, is there? Yeah, so it would seem. I mean you wish them well, hope they have a safe journey and enjoy their time and have a good, and much needed, holiday for them both. There, nothing much to write about it, ain't it? So why am I troubling my fingers to type about something which clearly doesn't require my, otherwise lazy, mind to take the pain of racking up my vocabulary to produce a singularly non-interesting or 'not worth blogging' entry?
Because may be this is not much about what happened while going to the airport and seeing them off (though i assure that was the prime purpose of my going, and the one of the two reason I went to the airport), but I'll remember it more for the experience and the stories I heard while coming back, which really intrigued me....
The driver of our car (the one who drove us to airport and drove me back) was quite a modest fellow. I guess i can tell his name 'cause not too many people who read my blog actually know of his name. His name is Biswajit. Quite an honest (so far) and trustworthy driver. He used to be a Cab driver, and still is sometimes depending upon the need.
You know of the many things Kolkata is famous for, people somehow, tend to forget, to mention "the Kolkata yellow Cab". No there is nothing extraordinary about the cars itself . Just plain old Ambassador, produced by Hindustan Motors. But what's interesting are the people who drive them! Kolkata yellow cab or taxi drivers are the most talkative, proud, hot headed and apparently highly knowledgeable drivers. Whether they are really educated or not is not the point (though most aren't). But if a cab driver gives you a lecture about sports, namely about cricket and football, always remember, they know more than you do, even if they actually don't, in reality!:) But all in all these guys are really experienced in judging people, 'cause they see plenty of people, quite closely in fact. Most have had some telling experiences, which they would be dying to tell you, but only if you are a trusted person of his.
Now coming back to where I was, so Biswajit is/was a cab driver and a friendly one at that, and as he knows me (calls me as Jijo da or sometimes Jijo Sir!:o) he started talking quite immediately as we left Dum Dum (the place in Kolkata where the airport is in). After talking quite a bit about the, then ongoing Euro cup, he became a bit quite. Later he declared, he is hungry cause he hadn't had any dinner (it was 11pm at night, at that point). I offered him an advice of stopping at any of the roadside food juncture and filling his tummy (for my Keralian friends, the food joints in Kolkata do not close before 11:30 at night!) Which he declined. He became quite serious and even a bit gloomy after that. And then after a while he started to talk. let me quote the entire thing he said.....
"You know Jijo da, for past few days I've been called upon quite frequently by a certain gentleman. Obviously for driving purposes. Actually the days when I'm not driving for your aunt, I'm a cab/taxi driver those days. And some people have my cell number to call me up to drive them in my taxi. I like doing that. But of recent times this elderly statesman has been calling me up, do u know why? (you wouldn't have guessed this right even if you were a genius) To drive him to the famous restaurants in the city!! Now isn't that surprising or what?"
"But what's so surprising about that?" I asked.
"True. but the surprising part is this has been happening for every Saturday-Monday for past 2 months!! Yes I know there is nothing surprising if a person is wanting to go to famous restaurants quite frequently, but this is been happening for 2 months now and not only that, but its always those 3 days. But this is not the most interesting part. No not at all. The most interesting part is, in all those times that I have picked this person up, all these places were actually hospitals!! In the first month it was in front of PG(SSKM) hospital, in these last few times in front of Appolo hospital and Amri hospital.
I said 'may be he is a doctor'.
Yeah that's what I thought at first as well. Till i gathered up courage to ask him, whether he is one or not (I generally do not interfere, with my passengers life, you know), and he replied he is not, not related to medical Sciences at all. I thought may be this guy is another crackpot old fool. But to find that out I used to talk to him in the car, and he seemed completely normal. You know I almost stopped caring last few weeks, about this guy. I said to myself, 'let him be, all care about is the money I get in the end'. But this resolve of mine ended last week.
This last Sunday and Monday when your aunt called me up for shopping purposes of your brother's wedding I had to turn her down. I was booked in those two days by that same person. He made go to Kolaghat on Sunday. I would have turned him down but he promised to pay me quite a hefty sum. He made me go all the way to Kolaghat in the evening, do you know for what purpose? Just to eat to eat 2 Mughlai paratha's!!!:o He made me eat 1 as well (he paid off course). But imagine my anger at him! I gave him a piece of my mind!! Told him he should a buy a car of his own with a well paid driver. But I did not expect what he said next, 'I have a car. And i used have a driver. Not anymore. Can't afford to do that anymore!' Imagine my condition then Jijo da. What do u think, what is all this about? I am pretty sure he'll call me this week again, what do u think I should do? Should I say no? What do you think?
"Hmmmm. Most interesting!" I smiled. I did not knew what to make of this story. Most of me was disbelieving him. While some part of me was exploring the ideas of what may be the case, if this was true. He somehow understood what I was thinking, 'cause this is was what he said next,
"I know you must be thinking I am making up stories, or may be making fun of myself, but believe me its nothing as such, what would I gain doing that? You may complain to your brother or your Aunt, that may even result in me loosing my job. This is true. what's troubling me even more is that I have found out nothing about this guy! i don't know his name, his address, who he is, what he does, nothing! Absolutely nothing"......................................................................
Even if he was telling the truth, I thought may be we wont get to know the reality behind this mystery man ever again. I thought that was the end of that.................
P.S- 25th june- the day I went back to the airport, to pick up up bro and sis in law, back from their honeymoon. It was again Biswajit.
"Jijo da, I found the story behind that mystery man's life, the one I told you about last day. It's too much sad.. That guy is battling from pancreatic cancer. He was diagnosed with cancer January this year. He lost his wife in an accident last year. His daughter's live outside the country, USA probably. Apparently he doesn't have much time left. And no he didn't call me to drive for him this week.
That night he didn't uttered a single more word, after this.. no stories no Euro cup, no politics, nothing..................
It's a true story. I'll rephrase that.. Its reality.. ;) t.y
So this past week my bro and sis in law went for their honeymoon to Thailand. And like a good brother I went to see them off to the airport. Well of course there is nothing much to talk about that, is there? Yeah, so it would seem. I mean you wish them well, hope they have a safe journey and enjoy their time and have a good, and much needed, holiday for them both. There, nothing much to write about it, ain't it? So why am I troubling my fingers to type about something which clearly doesn't require my, otherwise lazy, mind to take the pain of racking up my vocabulary to produce a singularly non-interesting or 'not worth blogging' entry?
Because may be this is not much about what happened while going to the airport and seeing them off (though i assure that was the prime purpose of my going, and the one of the two reason I went to the airport), but I'll remember it more for the experience and the stories I heard while coming back, which really intrigued me....
The driver of our car (the one who drove us to airport and drove me back) was quite a modest fellow. I guess i can tell his name 'cause not too many people who read my blog actually know of his name. His name is Biswajit. Quite an honest (so far) and trustworthy driver. He used to be a Cab driver, and still is sometimes depending upon the need.
You know of the many things Kolkata is famous for, people somehow, tend to forget, to mention "the Kolkata yellow Cab". No there is nothing extraordinary about the cars itself . Just plain old Ambassador, produced by Hindustan Motors. But what's interesting are the people who drive them! Kolkata yellow cab or taxi drivers are the most talkative, proud, hot headed and apparently highly knowledgeable drivers. Whether they are really educated or not is not the point (though most aren't). But if a cab driver gives you a lecture about sports, namely about cricket and football, always remember, they know more than you do, even if they actually don't, in reality!:) But all in all these guys are really experienced in judging people, 'cause they see plenty of people, quite closely in fact. Most have had some telling experiences, which they would be dying to tell you, but only if you are a trusted person of his.
Now coming back to where I was, so Biswajit is/was a cab driver and a friendly one at that, and as he knows me (calls me as Jijo da or sometimes Jijo Sir!:o) he started talking quite immediately as we left Dum Dum (the place in Kolkata where the airport is in). After talking quite a bit about the, then ongoing Euro cup, he became a bit quite. Later he declared, he is hungry cause he hadn't had any dinner (it was 11pm at night, at that point). I offered him an advice of stopping at any of the roadside food juncture and filling his tummy (for my Keralian friends, the food joints in Kolkata do not close before 11:30 at night!) Which he declined. He became quite serious and even a bit gloomy after that. And then after a while he started to talk. let me quote the entire thing he said.....
"You know Jijo da, for past few days I've been called upon quite frequently by a certain gentleman. Obviously for driving purposes. Actually the days when I'm not driving for your aunt, I'm a cab/taxi driver those days. And some people have my cell number to call me up to drive them in my taxi. I like doing that. But of recent times this elderly statesman has been calling me up, do u know why? (you wouldn't have guessed this right even if you were a genius) To drive him to the famous restaurants in the city!! Now isn't that surprising or what?"
"But what's so surprising about that?" I asked.
"True. but the surprising part is this has been happening for every Saturday-Monday for past 2 months!! Yes I know there is nothing surprising if a person is wanting to go to famous restaurants quite frequently, but this is been happening for 2 months now and not only that, but its always those 3 days. But this is not the most interesting part. No not at all. The most interesting part is, in all those times that I have picked this person up, all these places were actually hospitals!! In the first month it was in front of PG(SSKM) hospital, in these last few times in front of Appolo hospital and Amri hospital.
I said 'may be he is a doctor'.
Yeah that's what I thought at first as well. Till i gathered up courage to ask him, whether he is one or not (I generally do not interfere, with my passengers life, you know), and he replied he is not, not related to medical Sciences at all. I thought may be this guy is another crackpot old fool. But to find that out I used to talk to him in the car, and he seemed completely normal. You know I almost stopped caring last few weeks, about this guy. I said to myself, 'let him be, all care about is the money I get in the end'. But this resolve of mine ended last week.
This last Sunday and Monday when your aunt called me up for shopping purposes of your brother's wedding I had to turn her down. I was booked in those two days by that same person. He made go to Kolaghat on Sunday. I would have turned him down but he promised to pay me quite a hefty sum. He made me go all the way to Kolaghat in the evening, do you know for what purpose? Just to eat to eat 2 Mughlai paratha's!!!:o He made me eat 1 as well (he paid off course). But imagine my anger at him! I gave him a piece of my mind!! Told him he should a buy a car of his own with a well paid driver. But I did not expect what he said next, 'I have a car. And i used have a driver. Not anymore. Can't afford to do that anymore!' Imagine my condition then Jijo da. What do u think, what is all this about? I am pretty sure he'll call me this week again, what do u think I should do? Should I say no? What do you think?
"Hmmmm. Most interesting!" I smiled. I did not knew what to make of this story. Most of me was disbelieving him. While some part of me was exploring the ideas of what may be the case, if this was true. He somehow understood what I was thinking, 'cause this is was what he said next,
"I know you must be thinking I am making up stories, or may be making fun of myself, but believe me its nothing as such, what would I gain doing that? You may complain to your brother or your Aunt, that may even result in me loosing my job. This is true. what's troubling me even more is that I have found out nothing about this guy! i don't know his name, his address, who he is, what he does, nothing! Absolutely nothing"......................................................................
Even if he was telling the truth, I thought may be we wont get to know the reality behind this mystery man ever again. I thought that was the end of that.................
P.S- 25th june- the day I went back to the airport, to pick up up bro and sis in law, back from their honeymoon. It was again Biswajit.
"Jijo da, I found the story behind that mystery man's life, the one I told you about last day. It's too much sad.. That guy is battling from pancreatic cancer. He was diagnosed with cancer January this year. He lost his wife in an accident last year. His daughter's live outside the country, USA probably. Apparently he doesn't have much time left. And no he didn't call me to drive for him this week.
That night he didn't uttered a single more word, after this.. no stories no Euro cup, no politics, nothing..................
