There were two rickshaw-walas vying for our business when we wanted to go to Sankat-moc-han temple in Benaras. I agreed to go with the one who was about 20, seemed like a regular young rickshaw-wala, but I found something interesting about this fellow in his eyes. I was not proved wrong.
He wanted Rs 50, we said Rs 30. We settled for 40.
Here are the highlights of the conversation that ensued while he rode the rickshaw:
`aap kahan se aaye hain`
`Delhi`
`bijness ya kaam karte hain?`
`naukri karte hain`
`kismein`
`internet mein`
`humara bhi kuch wahin kaam lagwa do`
I just chuckled
`main try kar raha hoon engineering padhne kee. achchi naukri lag jaayegi tab`
`achcha?` I asked a little interested
`haan, delhi mein Guru Gobind Singh Indraprashta University mein engineering ke liye apply kara hai. achchi hai woh university`
`haan, achchi hai`, I agreed.
`haan, kal hee maine JEE bhi diya`
`JEE matlab, IIT ka?`
`haan, Joint Entrance Examination` he pronounced it perfectly just to make it clear to me what JEE stood for. `mushkil hota hai exam`
`haan, 2 saal toh log padhte hee hain uske liye, asaan nahin hai` I carried on the conversation
`Delhi mein Akaash coaching institute hain na?`
`haan, hai`
`aapne kya padhai kari?`
`main engineer hoon, aur phir mba bhi kiya`
`kahan se engineer?`
`IIT delhi se`
He swung back, surprised, a little delighted, and smiled. `Ok, aapke liye Rs 30`
Swati and I laughed
Swati asked `padhai kab karte they IIT ke liye`
`bas, rickshaw chalaane ke baad raat mein`. Then he added `kismein engineering kari aapne?`
`Chemical`
`toh aapki chemistry toh badi strong hogi`
`nahin, aisa nahin hai`
He continued `yeh bataiye....jab Mendeleev ne Periodic Table banaya tha tab kitne elements they usmein?`
Now it was my turn to get surprised. He was quizzing me. I said `shayad 70-80`
`no, 63` he said sharply. `kaunse element kee electronegativity highest hai?`
Swati was laughing, and I didnt try too hard and said `pata nahin`
`Flourine`, he said confidently. Without a break he asked,`kaunse element kee electron affinity highest hoti hai?`
Now I was laughing too and said `nahin pata`
`Chlorine. toh aapka kaunsa subject strong tha?` clearly having proven that my chemistry wasnt a strong point
`Physics`, I said
`achha, Newton`s second law of motion kya hai`
I knew this one I thought, `F=ma` I said
`Physics is not about formula, it is understanding concept!` he reprimanded me in near perfect english. `Tell me in statement`
I was shocked. Swati continued to laugh.
I said `ok, Newtons second law, er....was....`
` `was` nahin, `is`!Second law abhi bhi hai!` he snapped at my use of `was`
Surely, my physics wasnt impressing him either. `yaad nahin, I said`
`Force on an object is directly proportional to the mass of the object and the acceleration of the object`, he said it in near perfect english. `aapne mtech nahin kiya?`
`nahin, mba kiya`
`mba waale toh sirf paisa kamana chahte hain, kaam nahin karte`
`nahin, aisa nahin hai, paisa kamaane ke liye kaam karna padta hai`
He said `arrey, rehene do` or some words to that effect.
He didnt think too highly of me apparently anymore.
In a minute we reached our destination. We got off and I told him that he must and should definitely study more, and that I think he is sharp as hell. He took only Rs 30, smiled and began to leave. I got my camera out and said `Raju, ek photo leta hoon tumhari`. He waved me off, dismissed the idea and rode off before I could say anything more....leaving me feeling high and dry like a spurned lover. Damn, what a ride that was! India is changing, and changing fast...............!
`Delhi`
`bijness ya kaam karte hain?`
`naukri karte hain`
`kismein`
`internet mein`
`humara bhi kuch wahin kaam lagwa do`
I just chuckled
`main try kar raha hoon engineering padhne kee. achchi naukri lag jaayegi tab`
`achcha?` I asked a little interested
`haan, delhi mein Guru Gobind Singh Indraprashta University mein engineering ke liye apply kara hai. achchi hai woh university`
`haan, achchi hai`, I agreed.
`haan, kal hee maine JEE bhi diya`
`JEE matlab, IIT ka?`
`haan, Joint Entrance Examination` he pronounced it perfectly just to make it clear to me what JEE stood for. `mushkil hota hai exam`
`haan, 2 saal toh log padhte hee hain uske liye, asaan nahin hai` I carried on the conversation
`Delhi mein Akaash coaching institute hain na?`
`haan, hai`
`aapne kya padhai kari?`
`main engineer hoon, aur phir mba bhi kiya`
`kahan se engineer?`
`IIT delhi se`
He swung back, surprised, a little delighted, and smiled. `Ok, aapke liye Rs 30`
Swati and I laughed
Swati asked `padhai kab karte they IIT ke liye`
`bas, rickshaw chalaane ke baad raat mein`. Then he added `kismein engineering kari aapne?`
`Chemical`
`toh aapki chemistry toh badi strong hogi`
`nahin, aisa nahin hai`
He continued `yeh bataiye....jab Mendeleev ne Periodic Table banaya tha tab kitne elements they usmein?`
Now it was my turn to get surprised. He was quizzing me. I said `shayad 70-80`
`no, 63` he said sharply. `kaunse element kee electronegativity highest hai?`
Swati was laughing, and I didnt try too hard and said `pata nahin`
`Flourine`, he said confidently. Without a break he asked,`kaunse element kee electron affinity highest hoti hai?`
Now I was laughing too and said `nahin pata`
`Chlorine. toh aapka kaunsa subject strong tha?` clearly having proven that my chemistry wasnt a strong point
`Physics`, I said
`achha, Newton`s second law of motion kya hai`
I knew this one I thought, `F=ma` I said
`Physics is not about formula, it is understanding concept!` he reprimanded me in near perfect english. `Tell me in statement`
I was shocked. Swati continued to laugh.
I said `ok, Newtons second law, er....was....`
` `was` nahin, `is`!Second law abhi bhi hai!` he snapped at my use of `was`
Surely, my physics wasnt impressing him either. `yaad nahin, I said`
`Force on an object is directly proportional to the mass of the object and the acceleration of the object`, he said it in near perfect english. `aapne mtech nahin kiya?`
`nahin, mba kiya`
`mba waale toh sirf paisa kamana chahte hain, kaam nahin karte`
`nahin, aisa nahin hai, paisa kamaane ke liye kaam karna padta hai`
He said `arrey, rehene do` or some words to that effect.
He didnt think too highly of me apparently anymore.
In a minute we reached our destination. We got off and I told him that he must and should definitely study more, and that I think he is sharp as hell. He took only Rs 30, smiled and began to leave. I got my camera out and said `Raju, ek photo leta hoon tumhari`. He waved me off, dismissed the idea and rode off before I could say anything more....leaving me feeling high and dry like a spurned lover. Damn, what a ride that was! India is changing, and changing fast...............!