Strange encounters of the Mumbai kind

In a big city like Mumbai where everyone is always moving, where the mode of address starts and ends with the jarring 'tu' (तू), where everyone is at once wary and unaware of you, the kindness of a stranger seems so out of place and bizarre. In this past year, I have had amazing experiences with absolute strangers who have helped me. I wanted to write two encounters that have stayed with me so I don't forget one of the many ways in which coming back home has been absolutely worth it.

About 6 months ago, I was stuck in an auto at the Juhu circle traffic signal near my house and a couple of hijras (eunuchs) came begging. I liked them a lot - they were dressed to the nines with a lot of attitude and were speaking in Tamil and passing hilarious comments on everyone. I understand Tamil and was enjoying their humorous swipes, especially at the men not paying them. When they came to me, they started commenting on my shades and how I looked like I thought I was a heroine (for my Tamil friends - Kallakitte -- was prominently used :) ). I started laughing and responded in my broken Tamil that they looked the same way and that their lipstick was REALLY kalaka . They stopped speaking for a whole 2 seconds and the auto driver just burst out laughing. Pretty soon they both broke out into excited exclamations and said that I didn't look Tamil. When I told them I was Kashmiri - they almost died! It was hilarious! They were so sweet to me! One of them got into the auto and started chatting about 'Sennai' and when I mentioned I studied there for 4 years - they just loved it. The auto driver was enjoying the entire conversation. Pretty soon they were asking me how I liked Mumbai and I said I did but I found it lonely here. They were super sweet to me and then as the cars started moving they both blessed me and wished me wonderful things. I know hijras are supposed to bless you only if you give them money - but this one was so heartfelt and genuine - the encounter made my day.

The second and most recent encounter was with the most interesting person I have met in Mumbai thus far. Just this past Friday, I had a meeting at 10 am in Worli and the skies opened up in Andheri around 8 am. At 830, I was not able to get a single auto and all the local taxis at the stand were booked. I was sure I would be very late to an important meeting and returned to the taxi stand to ask the drivers where I was likely to get a cab. They directed me and as I turned around it suddenly started pouring. My blow-dry had long since wilted from a respectable CEO-type professional into a geeky engineer and now my clothes looked like I had ironed them in vain. I was not looking forward to going into a swanky office late and looking like that! One of the cab drivers then called me back and offered to drive me to the next available cab for free. He was jovial and just said that he couldn't bear to see me in the rain trying to get to work on time. I was of course super grateful and just happy to be out of the rain and moving in the general direction of the meeting.

After about 3 Kms of not finding a single cab and me nervously wondering when the favor would run out - the cab driver just turned around and said he would just take me to the meeting if I came back the other way with him as well. Since I needed to get back home right after the meeting I was happy and extremely grateful for the offer. He actually requested a friend to take his previous reservation and shrugged off my gratitude with a 'I could not see a young lady in the rain'. I mean -- wow! does anyone think like that anymore?

I had noticed he had spoken in Gujarati to his friend and I asked him if he was from Gujarat. He said that he was a 'Gujarati-Marathi'. I asked him a little facetiously how that was and if the MNS let him use terms like that. He said that his father had lived in Mumbai for 50 years and after getting hassled by the MNS goons one time he had gone home and calculated all the tax that his father had paid to the Maharashtra government. According to him, the combined taxes paid were around 40 Lakh rupees. He also said that since he regularly paid his own taxes including the car tax, road tax and petrol tax he had more rights to call this city his own than some dude who had maharashtrian parents. It was flawless logic and quite awesome to hear after all the MNS jingoism.

I noticed a VCD of the movie 'Khuda Ke Liye' jutting from his glove compartment and asked him if he had seen the movie. He proudly said yes and said that he always keeps the VCD in his car for the times he meets radicalized muslims. He said that he always gives them the movie to watch so they understand how muslim youth are being swayed and fooled by radical elements. It was amazing to hear him expound on the qualities of media and how he wished there were more films made in India that better communicated these messages in a classy and real manner in India. Not to play into stereotypes - but here was a Gujarati muslim taxi driver claiming to be part maharashtrian and wanting to fix basic issues of understanding religion through media and education. And to top it all - he said that he loved reading and was currently reading Chanakya's Arth-Shastra!!! .. and that his favorite book was Osho - Volume 2! It was just the most wonderful taxi ride I have ever had and Irfan-saab's number is of course saved for any future long distance commutes in Mumbai.