Delhi Drama Act 25. e-rickshaws.

Scene 1:

I stood outside Trilokpuri metro station for an e-rickshaw to Mayur Vihar Phase 1 metro. After none came for 5 minutes, I walked a bit and asked an e-rickshaw at a junction about going to Mayur Vihar Metro.

"Yahi ruk jao, aate honge"
(wait here, they keep passing this place)

A couple of e-rickshaws passed and he stopped them and asked if they were going to Mayur Vihar Metro, they weren't.

"Hamko jana Noida hai, warna le chalte" 
( I am actually going towards Noida, otherwise, I would have carried you)

"Jana to mujhe bhi Noida hai waise" 
(I need to go to Noida too)

"Main sector 8 tak chorr sakta hu" 
(I can drop you till sector 8)

I sat in his rickshaw, and we waited for another 5 minutes, an old lady probably in her 80s came and started looking at the rickshaw. She walked as if every step took a lot of strain on her.

"Kaha jaogi amma?" he asked,
(Where do you want to go mother?)

"Jaana to yahi thoda aage hai, 14 ke saamne" 
(A little bit ahead, near 14)

"5 rupaye dedo, le chalta hu" 
(Give me 5 Rupees, I'll take you)

"Paise to nahi hai beta, isiliye to pucha nahi"
(I don't have any money, hence I didn't ask) .

The driver says nothing and the old lady continues to walk.
He continues to look at her.

No other passengers come, he moves and stops beside the old lady, who at this point has stopped to take some rest, only after a few meters. He asks her to sit.

"Par paise nahi hai mere paas!"
( But I don't have any money )

"Koi nahi amma baith jao" 
(No problem mother, sit)

she tries to get on to the rickshaw but her feet don't seem to rise even as high as the pedestal of the e-rickshaw.

I and get down and help her.

"Dua dungi tumko" 
(I'll pray well for you)

We start moving, and the old woman looks like she is sleeping, After only a couple of minutes we stop right where she said she had to go.

We help her to get down.

"Allah Talah tumhari sarri iccha puri kare" 
(May god fulfill all your wishes)

"Suno amma, paani peeti ho na jo, usko ubal ke piya karo" 
( Mother, drink your water only after boiling)

and we start moving again, he keeps smiling and in another 5 minutes, we reach my stop.

I get down and catch another e-rickshaw for Metro.

Scene 2:

Me and three other people sit in the e-rickshaw that moves towards sector 15 metro.

As soon as the e-rickhshaw gathers speed a biker take a rash U-turn, the e-rickshaw driver pushes the brakes hard and barely avoids a collision. The driver curses under his breath, I am unable to control shout.

"Dhang se chalaya kar chutiye" 
( Driver well , asshole)

The biker takes another turn aggressively moves towards the e-rickshaw and starts abusing me.

"Bhaag ja yaha se, galti teri hai hai" 
(move away, it is your fault)
another passenger shouts at him.

He still rides aggressively beside the e-rickshaw staring at me. The driver stops the rickshaw and starts cursing him.

"Madarchod, na tune helmet pehna, upar se Chaudhry banke chalayega, fir koi bole dhange se chala, to chadega aur. gaadi thukti meri abhi" ( motherfucker, you neither wearing a helmet, and you're driving like you own the road, and when someone tells you to drive better, you get aggressive, my vehicle could have been damage had ai not applied brakes in time) he says in a single breath.

He says in a single breath.

A traffic cop passes by on his bike.

"Ruk police wale ko bulata hu, helmet kaha hai tera?"
(Wait, let me call a cop, where is your helmet?)
I shout after the support from other passengers. He throws in another abuse and rushes ahead.

"Chutiye ke phatt gayi, char logo ko dekh ke" 
( Asshole got scared after seeing 4 of us)
The other passenger says, and everyone laughs.

and in a minute we reach my stop, and I get down.