The Rickshawwallah

I saw him first in my first year of college. Short, dark, with a large moustache, stooped back, he stood outside our hostel "rajendra bhawan", ready with his rickshaw. Ready to offer his services to the motely group of Facchas as we were called.

The first day me and my roomie used his rickshaw to travel down to civil lines to make some purchases, we were caught by a group of seniors who made us get down and ragged us. For the next one month, we of course were never allowed to use rickshaws and had to do all the walking around the campus.

After that however, it was always " Bhaiya, civil lines chalo", " Bhaiya, library", or simply " Chemical Department". And he would simply smile and start on his way. Oh and he always had a word of greeting for us. Always would ask us how we were or something. I remember once i was talking to my co-traveller, and mentioned something about the army, and he immediately butted in, saying he used to be a Subedar in the army. And then he started recounting somethings. Of course, restless as we youngsters always were, we rarely listened to him with full ears as he ranted about. So after awhile he would go quite.

There were times, when i did chat with him. Especially when i was travelling alone. And he would ask me " babuji kaise hain, padhai kaisi chal rahi hai" or a typical " kaafi dino se baithe nahin aap".

There were other times when if you got on his rickshaw, he would smell of alcohol. Those were the times he was quiet. He would just go about doing his job. drop you at civil lines, or the library or if you wish at the girl's hostel. And once you paid, he would salute in his trademark style and just cycle away, unless someone called him.

Years passed by and we kept changing our hostels from rajendra, to ganga, to govind finally. Every year one could find him waiting at the gates of one of the hostels. Like so many other things , i guess he too became an integral part of my college life. And when i left college, like the rest of the things, i found myself missing him too.

I bet hes still there, waiting as always at some gate or the other. Someday ill go back to my college meet him and well say " Thank you". He might not understand. Or maybe he will.