17-05-2022, 10:28 AM
With the entry of this new member, the easy dynamic that had been established in our newly formed group was disrupted. There was awkward silence for a while.
"Would you like some whiskey?" Neel asked.
"Should he be drinking and driving?" Ajay asked, still not comfortable with the idea of a lowly driver sharing a social space with us.
"It's not like he is driving tonight." Anuj made a good point.*
Everyone looked at Bhola who seemed to feel even more awkward.
"No, it's okay saab. No need."
"Do you usually drink?" Anuj asked. The guy nodded. "Then have some."
Soon the driver had both his hands wrapped around a glass of whiskey-soda and was taking tiny sips, staring at the floor. The awkward silence returned.
"So....are you from Delhi originally, Bhola?" Anuj asked, trying to ease the awkwardness.
"No, saab. I am originally from Jharkhand. Shifted to Delhi only a few years ago."
"Oh, I am originally from Calcutta, so we are like neighbors."
Bhola nodded.
"Are you all from Calcutta?" he asked looking at the rest of us.
"I am from Delhi." Ajay said.
"Originally Chandigarh. Delhi since 10 years." Neel said.
"I'm originally from Jabalpur. Delhi since six years." I said.
"Oh okay. I lived in Jabalpur for a few years." Bhola said. I nodded and smiled.
There was a lull in the conversation again. Ajay decided that we had spent enough time talking with the driver. So he change the subject completely,
"Do you guys remember the presentation by that Japanese consultant? That was interesting. Do you think..."
And soon the conversation shifted to shop talk. Neel joined in, as did I. And soon Anuj as well, giving his perspective on why American business practices were better than Japanese ones. Bhola sat there quietly, sipping the booze, and enjoying the air conditioning. Occasionally Anuj or Neel would make some small talk with Bhola, refill his drink, ask him to have snacks. As time went by, he started feeling more relaxed. Didn't appear as awkward anymore.
After a while, Anuj and Neel went for another smoking break. Ajay started checking his phone. I looked at Bhola and smiled. He smiled back. I wasn't as good as Anuj at small talk so I asked,
"So.......did you like Jabalpur?"
"It was nice. Best rabdi I have tasted." he said.
"I agree. Delhi doesn't have anything as good. Where did you live?"
"Naya Moh,.'."*
"Ok. I grew up in Civil Lines."
"Nice area."
"But before moving to Delhi, I used to live in Nair Colony."
"Oh you lived in Nair Colony? A few years ago, I worked there on a construction site. A big 6 floor building."*
As soon as he said that, my ears perked up and my heart skipped a beat. But I didn't let it show on my face. Just nodded and looked at him casually while trying to decode his facial expressions.*As far as I remembered, there had been only one such big construction project in our colony. And you all know what resulted from that construction project. Was he...part of it? I was dying with curiosity. But I couldn't just come out and ask him. So I tried an indirect route.
"You mean that big building near the small pond?"
"Yes, that one." he said. He was silent for a few seconds. Then added, "Did you live near it?"
"No, my house was two lanes away." I said, trying to stay calm. "More whiskey?"*
"Thank you, saab." he said, slurring a little. I poured him another drink and he started sipping it.
I waited a few minutes to see if he would talk about what I had in mind. But instead he went down a tangent.
"Yes sir, I started off as a daily wage laborer. Weren't many jobs for uneducated people."*
Just as he said that, Anuj and Neel returned.
"Bhola, you were a daily wage laborer?" Anuj said surprised.
"Yes saab." he said.
"And now you drive your own cab! Very good. Everyone says America is the land of opportunities, but India can also be for those who work hard." Anuj was sounding like a politician.
Bhola seemed almost touched by the praise. And the booze seemed to have loosened his tongue as well.
"Thank you, saab. Yes, I grew up very poor. No education. Had to leave college in 4th standard. And not many jobs except like daily wage. But then I worked hard and prayed to god. Got better jobs. Waiter, then delivery boy, some times a cook. Then learned driving. Became a driver. Saved some money. Bought a second hand rickshaw......"*
"Would you like some whiskey?" Neel asked.
"Should he be drinking and driving?" Ajay asked, still not comfortable with the idea of a lowly driver sharing a social space with us.
"It's not like he is driving tonight." Anuj made a good point.*
Everyone looked at Bhola who seemed to feel even more awkward.
"No, it's okay saab. No need."
"Do you usually drink?" Anuj asked. The guy nodded. "Then have some."
Soon the driver had both his hands wrapped around a glass of whiskey-soda and was taking tiny sips, staring at the floor. The awkward silence returned.
"So....are you from Delhi originally, Bhola?" Anuj asked, trying to ease the awkwardness.
"No, saab. I am originally from Jharkhand. Shifted to Delhi only a few years ago."
"Oh, I am originally from Calcutta, so we are like neighbors."
Bhola nodded.
"Are you all from Calcutta?" he asked looking at the rest of us.
"I am from Delhi." Ajay said.
"Originally Chandigarh. Delhi since 10 years." Neel said.
"I'm originally from Jabalpur. Delhi since six years." I said.
"Oh okay. I lived in Jabalpur for a few years." Bhola said. I nodded and smiled.
There was a lull in the conversation again. Ajay decided that we had spent enough time talking with the driver. So he change the subject completely,
"Do you guys remember the presentation by that Japanese consultant? That was interesting. Do you think..."
And soon the conversation shifted to shop talk. Neel joined in, as did I. And soon Anuj as well, giving his perspective on why American business practices were better than Japanese ones. Bhola sat there quietly, sipping the booze, and enjoying the air conditioning. Occasionally Anuj or Neel would make some small talk with Bhola, refill his drink, ask him to have snacks. As time went by, he started feeling more relaxed. Didn't appear as awkward anymore.
After a while, Anuj and Neel went for another smoking break. Ajay started checking his phone. I looked at Bhola and smiled. He smiled back. I wasn't as good as Anuj at small talk so I asked,
"So.......did you like Jabalpur?"
"It was nice. Best rabdi I have tasted." he said.
"I agree. Delhi doesn't have anything as good. Where did you live?"
"Naya Moh,.'."*
"Ok. I grew up in Civil Lines."
"Nice area."
"But before moving to Delhi, I used to live in Nair Colony."
"Oh you lived in Nair Colony? A few years ago, I worked there on a construction site. A big 6 floor building."*
As soon as he said that, my ears perked up and my heart skipped a beat. But I didn't let it show on my face. Just nodded and looked at him casually while trying to decode his facial expressions.*As far as I remembered, there had been only one such big construction project in our colony. And you all know what resulted from that construction project. Was he...part of it? I was dying with curiosity. But I couldn't just come out and ask him. So I tried an indirect route.
"You mean that big building near the small pond?"
"Yes, that one." he said. He was silent for a few seconds. Then added, "Did you live near it?"
"No, my house was two lanes away." I said, trying to stay calm. "More whiskey?"*
"Thank you, saab." he said, slurring a little. I poured him another drink and he started sipping it.
I waited a few minutes to see if he would talk about what I had in mind. But instead he went down a tangent.
"Yes sir, I started off as a daily wage laborer. Weren't many jobs for uneducated people."*
Just as he said that, Anuj and Neel returned.
"Bhola, you were a daily wage laborer?" Anuj said surprised.
"Yes saab." he said.
"And now you drive your own cab! Very good. Everyone says America is the land of opportunities, but India can also be for those who work hard." Anuj was sounding like a politician.
Bhola seemed almost touched by the praise. And the booze seemed to have loosened his tongue as well.
"Thank you, saab. Yes, I grew up very poor. No education. Had to leave college in 4th standard. And not many jobs except like daily wage. But then I worked hard and prayed to god. Got better jobs. Waiter, then delivery boy, some times a cook. Then learned driving. Became a driver. Saved some money. Bought a second hand rickshaw......"*
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