Bhaiya...meter se chalo!!

For a 19 year old who doesn't know how to drive, the Auto walah's are the only respite. Despite of being pushed to attend driving lessons by both my dad and my boyfriend, I have simply been lazy to do the same. I mean ,with the numerous auto's and rickshaws running by I never really felt the need to drive.And driving in Delhi is the ultimate test of patience, which unfortunately I do not possess.

And I face the consequences of my laziness now.

Sometime back I visited a friend of mine in south Delhi. We were chilling at GK I, M block. After a wonderful evening I was out to find that one Auto which would take me home without any fuss.

AUTO 1:No madam, can't go to central Delhi

AUTO 2:Chalenge ,but apko CNG bharwani padegi (I mean hello!!)

AUTO 3:150 lagenge,bohot door hai madam

AUTO 4:blah!!

AUTO 5: blah !! blah!!

AUTO 6:Oh this one didn't say a thing, he simply nodded his head in negative

AUTO 7:120 me chalo (yeah seven wasn't too lucky for me)

and then came AUTO 8.There was nothing special about it.It was just like green yellow auto with the same annoying noise.But it stopped by, it didn't nod his head in negative and said

"100 me chalunga"

I knew it doesn't take more than 80 bucks to reach home and I so wasn't gonna part with anything more than that.

"80 me chalo bhaiya" I insisted.

"90" he said

"nahi bhaiye aap jada bol rae ho, yaha se 80 lagte hai" I explained.

"madam 80 to lajpat nagar se lagte hai"

I stayed silent,giving him the  "I would get another AUTO look"

And then he said those magical words!!

"CHALO METER SE BAITH JAO"

I hadn't heard them for ages now.I remember paying huge sums to the auto walahs simply coz I was getting late and I cared more about my appointment rather than the extra ten bucks.But this was amazing.

I smiled and sat.The inner walls of the auto was decorated with  Hritik Roshan's poster.It had a first aid box(I know coz I saw the red cross on it) which was stuffed with his supplies of tobacco.The radio blared with some odd old hindi movie song.I was looking at the meter as the figures tuned up with every passing kilometer.

I noticed that the driver was checking out the meter at every damn red light.Then he would look at me and give me the "IT WOULD BE MORE THAN 90 MADAM" look. It was a annoying.For a while I started doubting the meter (you never know what these people do to tamper it). As i reached closer to my place the meter figure grew closer and closer to what i had offered to him.He looked at the meter again and grinned at me.And I knew it was a silent war.My eyes couldn't get off the meter.(Honestly I didn't have anything great to do). 

72.45

72.90

..

..

..

..

I was still away from my place.The driver looked at it for one last time and gave me a stare.

74

..

75

..

76

..

77

..

78

..

78.45

"Yahi rok do bhaiya" I smiled...

He looked at the meter and hung his head low.

I had won!!

I looked into the mirror and gleamed.

I gave him a 100 bucks and smiled widely as he returned the change.I walked back home with an odd sort of happiness.

"CHALO METER SE BAITH JAO"

The sweet words still resound in my head.

I wonder when will I get to hear them again