There are some stories that have no significance at all, but you know that you're going to be telling it for a long time to come. This is one of them.
It was a usual day. I was in a hurry to go to some usual place. I'm always in a hurry.
Now, I wish I had an alternative mode of transport that comes as easy. But since I don't, I spend half my salary on auto-rides. So, I was waiting for an auto like any other day. One was parked a few metres away from me, but somehow I did not want to approach the driver standing next to it. After a few minutes of looking about like a homeless person, checking the time a million times and stomping my foot down in frustration as my phone continued to ring, he came. The auto driver standing and eating ice cream next to his parked vehicle came to me. He asked me where I wanted to go, I gave him vague directions and he nodded.
I seated myself and we took off. About 20 metres into the journey, he stopped the auto and said "bere aato thagoli madam" (take another auto, madam). By this time, I was anxious and had thrown my phone into my bag, to stop myself from checking the time again. I continued to sit inside, wondering how much longer it's going to take me to find another auto. I was imagining excuses I could give to the people that have been waiting for me. I was about half an hour late already. If I didn't get another auto in the next 5 minutes, including the transporting time, I would be over an hour late!
I don't know how long I sat there thinking, but I was interrupted when the driver finally looked back at me. I could see that he wasn't going to move. I had to get off. I thought to myself that there must be some problem with his vehicle and that's why he wanted me to take another auto instead. I climbed out of the auto and started looking around desperately once again.
I was searching the roads frantically and giving dirty looks to the tailor that stares a lot, when I heard an engine revving. There was no mistaking it. The distinct sound that old-fashioned autos (the ones with no electric meter or green exteriors or mobile-charging points) make when they're about to take off. My hopes of reaching in time to catch people before they leave and convince them to stay, were soaring high. I turned dramatically, with the hair swishing and everything. And almost immediately, my eyes widened in horror.
The auto that I had just climbed out of, was starting to move. I began to jog towards it. May be he had fixed the auto. If I manage to get his attention in the rear view mirror, may be he will drop me. I might actually reach my destination before everyone left! I almost had a relieved smile on my face, when I stopped abruptly in my tracks. The auto had halted a few metres before me. The enigne was still on, but he had stopped. I was smiling now. He had seen me in the mirror and stopped for me.
I took another step and before I could register what was happening, the auto driver had picked up another girl and sped off into the dirty bi-lanes of JC Nagar. As I stood there gaping behind the auto, almost waiting for him to come back, I could've sworn he smirked at me in the rear view mirror!
I stood there in utter horror, trying to tell myself that this was not one of those things that never happens to others. This is not one of those stories that would contribute to the reasons my life "should be on primetime".
Another auto soon came by, and I climbed in. I had a long way to go and very little time to do so.
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And thus is the story of the time I got dumped by an auto driver. It will be told in excruciating detail, may be even in the exact same words (with a few classic strange expressions thrown in), for a long long time.
