Life - In a two minute conversation

"Where do you stay?"

"Near Chaturshringi."

"How do you commute?"

"By rick."

"Don't tell me! Don't you own a vehicle?"

"No! I spend upto 60 bucks daily in commmuting. That's why I prefer leaving office early and try not to come to office on weekends."

"Buy one; you need it in Pune."

"Yes, I'll. But that'sn't the only thing. Need to have a driving licence first."

"Man, that's easy. Go to RTO and renew it for Maharashtra!"

"That's not a big deal, coz. it won't be renewing in my case. I'd be obtaining a Lerners Licence!"

"What? You mean, you will learn to drive and then..."

"Yes! Now you got that right. So, everything seems in the offing, but it's definitely not like I put my finger on a Honda Unicorn and I start using it on Pune roads."

"Why don't you search for a house near by for rent?"

"Well, I might search for a house to own, but that'll take some time. I need to think about so many things....take crucial decisions of my life."

"Man, with this, your life looks to me to be real tough!"

"yes! Only a tough man deserves a tough life!"

The above conversation happened during the office lunch. I don't know why I put it here. No doubt, I am a tough man. More than that, the conversation kept my brain and heart busy in heated arguments later that evening. I left office my usual time and was thinking about all those things and decisions of my life I mentioned in the conversation, with my body acting almost subconsciously towards the surroundings. Suddenly, I was interrupted by a voice -

"Could you tell me the time?"

shocked, I looked around for none but the rikshaw-wala. It took me a while to digest that the question was asked in English by the rikshaw driver, while we were waiting for the traffic signal near the VetalBaba-Chowk (near Bhageerath building, Persistent Syst. Pvt. Ltd.)! I do not use a watch normally. The following converstion between us happened in English!

"I guess, it might be 8:30 pm to 8:45 pm"

"I bet, it must be past 9:00 pm"

"Let me take out my cell-phone...yes, it's 9:10 pm"

"See! I told you! You know, I have a good sense of timing and I never use a watch!"

"Wow! That's great!....How long have you been in Pune?"

"Four years, driving this rick....You know, I was a jockey. I met with an accident when I was 26. Ilost my legs in the accident."

I noticed his amputated legs, with walking devices mounted on them, as he turned his rikshaw.

He persisted -

"You know, what my mother used to tell me?....That, the life is tough and full of struggles. And only a tough man deservs a tough life! .... Should I drop you here?"

He dropped me near FASOS, where I planned to have my dinner. I paid him the fare and asked his name.

"Nilesh Apte, sir!"

I left my business card with him and moved towards FASOS.