JWB Thanks The Auto-Walas This International Men’s Day

Sunday, August 28 2016, 03:37:02

JWB Post

November 19, 2015

This one in the #InternationalMensDay series is about the men with the teen-pahiya vaahan, and the fancy musical horns of those teen-pahiya vaahans!

I am expressing gratitude to the Autowalas: the men who transport us from here to there in their tuk-tuks!

I dressed up all shabbily and funnily in the attire of the autowalas; it was my turn now to be the subject of all sorts of snorts and laughter at the office.

But when I met Ravi Ghusar, the real one of my sort, all those jokes and mockery went brrrr trrrr grrrr, just like his auto RJ 45 PA 1001. [BTW you can contact this good man at +91-9928520473 for a fun ride around Jaipur!]

I waited no further and got into the tuk-tuk. Now, getting into an auto wasn’t really a new thing, but getting into the driver’s seat and actually attempting to drive was a once in a lifetime experience.

Uh oh, but all was not as rosy as it seemed.

Kickstarting the ignition of an auto was no easy task! What was required was to literally ‘kickstart’. I fetched a rope and went behind the auto to start it while Ravi ji guided me about the whys and hows of it.

Now I totally understand the significance of the towel around their necks!

Phew! I had never realized that driving an auto was a task that needed its own kind of skill. All I ever did was sat on the back seat and gossiped over the phone. Gosh! Ravi ji and the others like him must be so accustomed to hearing these silly chit-chats, and yet these kind fellas never eye us or make faces out of exasperation.

I found my first passenger. I gave him a free ride, err, pretended to give him a free ride.

Next, I handed over my letter of gratitude to Ravi ji and wished him a Happy International Men’s Day. Seeing his wide smile on receiving and reading the letter was an unmatched experience for me.

Dear Auto-wale bhaiya,

Today we want to thank you for all those things that you do for us and for which we have never expressed gratitude. The way you safely drop us to our doorstep… the way you enter as heroes saving us in the mishap-prone dark and deserted lanes… the way you bear our bargaining and offer us special rates thereby saving our pocket money… the way you have always put up with our chit-chat, gossips, and emotional conversations with our boyfriends while we are on the phone.

But most importantly, we want to thank you for protecting us and cooperating with us always. We wish you a very Happy International Men’s Day!

Your Auto-mate, Jaipur Women Blog

Raviji lives near the Diggi Palace. His contact number is 9928520473. Should you find yourself in the area or in a difficulty and in need of an auto, feel free to contact him.

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