Accupany low!

It was just another evening when I was standing in the usual street corner from where I normally hail a rickshaw to go home. Getting a rick in the evening is no easy task. I have had to wait for anything between 10 mins to half hour to get one. Today I was a little late and a wee bit edgy so all wanted was to just get home quickly!

Just after about 3-4 mins of waiting, an auto pulled up that was the fastest thought to myself and proceeded as usual to ask the driver “bhaiya maradpally jaoge”? That question normally drew a negative response and the auto drivers zoom away without as much as responding to my query. But this driver was more forthcoming, he said "meter pe 5 rupai dena amma". I would normally have not budged and spoken the law and said "kyun bhaiya meter pe jao, extra kyun dun"? But like I said I really wanted to get home, so after a little persuasion from my chauffer I relented!!

I got in and as usual went into my mobile, was peering into the street and relaxing after a long day at work. In between the driver spoke to me for directions and as he did he also mentioned his stand was close to the hotel. For the rest of the journey, until almost close home we were silent.

Just when we turned into the street in which my flat was, the driver began talking again. I often tend to avoid talking to auto drivers because I somehow feel its not very safe. Don’t ask me why, I don’t have an answer. But since this one has already begun I could not avoid conversation.

He nonchalantly asked me “Aaj kal hotel ka accupany low hain na madam”? I was completely taken aback, an auto driver asking about the hotel business and to top it using professional terminology. After the brief moments of shock I recovered soon enough to tell him it’s been bad for the city because of the current political instability. He promptly said his business had been affected as well, where he used to have at least 15 - 17 'savaris' in a day now he has only about 7-8. He then told me that the owners of our hotel had given the auto drivers permission to put a stand close to the hotel and that he operated from the stand for 10 years now.

After a pause in conversation when I had reached my flat and was pulling my wallet out to pay him off, he caught me off guard with another question. Madam “Srinivas sir nahin hain na”, he asked. It took me sometime to put into perspective his question and figure out whom he is talking about. By the time I stabilized and understood his first question he had his next ready, “abhi colnel sahab ayye hain na”? Only when he asked me the second question did I understand whom he was referring to question one. I gave him a meek jee han, paid him and went home.

Once I was home I kept going back to the conversation with the auto driver and could not stop myself from thinking he knows all the inside information about the hotel, in fact sometimes more than an associate in it may!!