I realized that I was in a different world when I found myself crammed along with 14 others in an auto rickshaw with a capacity of 6. After I alighted at the Patna junction, I saw hordes of people rushing towards me yelling at the top of their voice the different locations they ought to take us. I saw some of the rickshaw owners fighting over the passengers, as who is gonna take them to his vehicle, and in the meantime , the passenger walking away to a third one smiling next to them….cunning chap.
Welcome to Bihar.
I found my bag thrown at the top of the vehicle and someone nagging at my suitcase too. After a lot of struggle I finally made him realize that I had a costly “instrument “in my suitcase called “lappy”. So the auto had 14 passengers plus an added suitcase..(Forget about the luggage overhead)..!!! As the auto went through the lanes, I couldn’t cease myself from noticing the view outside. It was completely different from what I was used to see in Bangalore. Through the dusty roads what I could manage to see was the true Bihar…..
I had to keep maneuvering my foot and the edging suitcase so that they do no brush against any other vehicle. It is January and the mercury is below 10. I saw many children with just enough rags to wear, trying to peel off the flashy posters of movies with catchy names and burn those to keep themselves warm…..but ……..for how long? I could hear the voice of wailing children and consoling mothers. The aroma of some delicious food being cooked in a thatched roof, roadside stall filled my vehicle as it went past, and I could see some boys standing outside and looking at the dishes, with the hunger inside them still churning the stomach but no penny to satisfy it. Two fat ladies with a couple of shining shopping bags were sitting on a rickshaw and the poor man, hardly weighing half of the combined weight was pulling it with all the strength he had.
The auto went on to the highway. Brushing past different vehicles, big and small. The image of rural India had started to build afresh inside my mind. The farmers were busy in their fields, the children sitting atop oxen, in the lake, and the women folk collecting fire wood for the evening meal. Everything looked so natural. I could see the true colors of India but with a tinge of poverty.
My auto reached the outskirts of Hajipur, my stop. People stared getting down at different places. Among other people in the van, I had a blind old man as one of my co passengers. He had already told the person sitting next to him to take him along with him as they were going to the same destination. Both of them got down together, I turned back and saw the person going away….leaving the blind man alone. He was shouting at the top of his voice, calling for the man….but alas…!!! He was gone…..leaving him on his own. The auto started moving ahead and I could just see the blurred image of the old man looking around, helpless.
I got down at Hajipur, was hungry since long, and so went to a restaurant on the platform. Sat down for a while but went out as I wasn’t feeling hungry anymore…………..
