Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Anecdote 2

"Sir an auto driver is here to see you" My PA came in and announced. I assumed it to be BS's auto-driver who comes everyday to pick him up and drop him at his work place. But BS did leave with him in the morning, what's it that he wants I wondered as I asked him to be shown in. The guy who walked in wasn't the same driver. I didn't recall seeing him earlier. "Sir, do you remember you came by my auto with another lady three days back?" he asked me. I couldn't recollect. I gave him a blank look. "Is this another ploy to swindle money?" was my first thought. What plan it was I couldn't fathom though. "You got down first sir and the lady got down near your house", he continued. 'Ah, yeah, I remember" I exclaimed, "It was my sister with me"! "Yes Sir, but madam forgot a book in my auto". But Kumi hadn't even mentioned having left behind or lost anything. She'd even left for the UK the previous day! "This book Sir", he showed. It was surely what Kumi and I had bought at the Gangaram's. A book on infant dermatology. "Yes I remember that book" and I gleefully accepted the book.
"If it were a cheap book Sir I'd have probably sold it off. But I saw that it was expensive. I even came twice to your place while on this side but there was none at your place. And, the servant couldn't speak either Kannada or Hindi. Then today she said, 'saar's aafice is opposite'. I could understand that much telugu of hers and came here". I really was touched by what he said. I was lmoved by his act of honesty and his integrity. I asked him his name. 'Chaand sir, Chaand Pasha'. Two preconceived notions that one can have about people were crumbling right in front of my eyes.
I offered him money. He refused all that and said, "Sir just give me the auto fare as I'd to specifically come here this time and it'd be 20Rs" he said. I paid him as he asked, took a snap of his along with his auto. I was left speechless for quite a long time after...Later in the day, Kumi called to say, 'Su I think the bokstore people did NOT give me the book I'd bought the other day". "No Kumi, they'd given it. You'd left it behind in the auto. The driver brought it to the office today". "WHAT???" she screamed.

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1 Comments:

At 9:22 AM, Blogger Unknown said...

1) Salute to the AutoDriver's honesty, his perseverance to hand over the book to u. His sense of practical judgment was brilliant when he said that he would have sold that if it was cheap.

2) Kudos to ur gesture of taking a photograph in front of his auto.

My suggestion. Why don't u put the photo in ur blog?

 

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