A Surprising fare

Today i had to travel from Kilpauk to Thousand Lights to collect dad's car from the garage. Since I had to catch an autorickshaw, i knew that i had to shell out anything upwards of 70 bucks for the distance involved.

But to my amazement, the first auto guy who came along asked for just 40 bucks for the entire journey! I was overwhelmed by this generous offer from a person belonging to a clan which is increasingly alienising itself from the general public....the auto men! They have become synonymous with their ridiculous driving etiquette, their exorbitant fare demands, and their brash attitude towards customers who try to bargain.

I took the liberty to presume that this particular guy was either drunk or doped out! He exhibited all indications, with eyes glowing a dark red and voice coming from way down below his voicebox, with a subwoofer like bass-voice. He didnt seem very enthusiastic and was constantly looking in the other direction while speaking.

But the fare was too irresistable for me to weigh-in other factors and immediately jumped in before my sub-conscious could tell me otherwise. Once the auto started moving, my mind slowly drifted away and I got absorbed into my own thoughts.

There was something rhythmic and periodical about a sound that shook me out of my day-dream. I woke up to the realisation that the auto was making some of the worst noises that any moving machine could make! Its joints were creaking like that of an old man's and screaming at me for having placed my entire self in it, thereby increasing its pre-existing burden of carrying itself around!

And the driver didnt wanna disturb the continuum either, so he chose to always ride in a straightish direction. No swerves, no cuts, and no overtakes either!..Rather unique...

By the end of the ride, I had received a much deserved workout, something that my body had been wanting for a quite a long time now. And trust me, travelling by a rickety auto in Chennai is even better than a few hardcore laps in a pool! It juggles you in every single angle out of the possible 360 and in the process massages every single muscle, bone and tissue in the body! It would be a wonder if the organs don't switch places!

The driver gave me a broad smile after receiving the fare, without any sort of disappointment. I still wonder what it meant!