One-Way

On a humid May evening in Bombay, I step into an auto rickshaw and start chatting with the driver. We speak in Hindi but I've translated the conversation, mostly.

'Really hot these days, eh?'

'Tell me about it. Today was particularly bad.'

'I can't believe they made people step out and vote (a couple of days ago) in the midst of this terrible summer.'

'Yeah, I didn't vote. I have never voted. I don't trust the government. They don't care about us so I don't care for them. All they care about is staying in power. They won't do anything for people like you and me.'

'Okay?'

'Some road repair this! Been a year and a half since they came to power but they haven't finished anything they started. One street or the other dug up all the time. The work just never gets done. Look here, you call this a road?' He points to the road we're on, a patchwork proudly bearing the mark of various embellishments over time. 'It's a three-wheel auto rickshaw and you're sitting at the back, so you don't feel much. You have two wheels balancing you, but for me, I only have one. It's no fun driving around. I feel every bump intensely. Achanak se gaddha aa gaya to gaand phat jaati hai.'

'No, I understand what you're saying. It's why I don't ride my motorcycle in this city.'

'Anyway, you have these awful roads to drive on, and on top of that the cops, they fine you incessantly. Just yesterday I was taking a nap in my vehicle near Yoggers Park (Joggers Park). It was seven in the morning and two cops had walked up to have a cup of tea nearby. They saw me lying there and fined me for parking illegally. Drivers like us are easy pickings for them to meet their revenue targets.'

'Seven in the morning? I am sorry to hear that.'

'In a city like Bombay, they're always out to make a quick buck, so they'll catch you for some random reason, and make you pay even if you haven't done anything wrong. The government lets it happen.'

'Hmmm.'

'It's like that in Bombay, and somewhat like that in Delhi, but it's not like that in Yogi Baba's Lucknow.'

'Really? That's where you're from?'

'Yes, the cops there can't mess with you. I mean, sure they can fine you if you do something wrong, but they can't wantonly stop and extort money from you. Sarkar haalat tight kar degi. Because of the government's support, we can tell them to take a hike if they overstep.'

'Oh, nice. By the way, we need to go here.' I point to a narrow lane on the right. 'But it is a one-way, so take the next right turn. It will bring us onto this lane.'

'That's fine, it's right here.'

He zooms into the lane before I can ask him to stop. Wondering what just happened, I am lost for words. Fortunately, there's no traffic incoming and I've arrived at my destination in less than ten seconds. I assume he will turn the auto around, and go the right way after dropping me. 

'Here is good.' I get out. 'Okay, sir. Thank you.'

'Okay. See you.'

He continues straight, the wrong way up the one-way lane.