It must be year 2005. It was a harsh summer day. I was travelling by my car from Aurangabad to Pune. I had a hectic day and it was 3:30 pm. I was passing by Manmandir square in Waluj, when I saw a young man standing in 43°C, waiting for a bus.
Suddenly I remembered my hey days as a sales engineer, waiting to catch bus in scorching heat of Ahmadabad. When I could not get a bus to travel from Chhatral to Ahmadabad, I ended up commuting by a small truck with no top, standing behind the driver's cabin.
I knew this young man must have gone through reeling day with some failed or successful sales call, dejected by some one to release payment or got the receivables, waiting to return home. I thought why he should go all through those pains which I went through some time in my life.
I stopped the car besides him and opening the window, I asked him "Hey, I am going to Pune. May I drop you on the way". He was surprised with this offer and asked me if I can drop him at Ahmednagar. I happily nodded.
For some reason, he thought I am a mere driver of car and not it's owner and had offered him a lift, probably to make quick bucks. It was not surprising for me. I do not look like a managing director of company. I mean I do not carry that aura. And he started asking questions like "How long have you been driving a car?" "Is it too often that you commute between Pune -Aurangabad?", "How many places you have been so far?", "Do you drive outside state as well?"
I did not disturb his thinking and answered his questions as if I am the driver of the car and for some reason had to drive alone and thus could offer him a lift.
He went to sleep in the air conditioned car. It was quite natural. After gruelling day in hot weather, he must be tired.
In another an hour, we reached Ahmednagar. I woke him up and asked where to drop. He said that I can drop him near the bus stand. I stopped the car. Before getting down he offered me Rs 100. Now this was really funny. I just told him that this is too less.
He: How much should I pay?
Me: Rs 500.😊😊
He: (Annoyingly) Oh! Why so much. It's too high.
Me: You traveled alone by AC car. You did not have to wait for a bus. It's worth 500.
He: (Angrily) You should have told me before getting in.
Me: You never asked me.
He: (Irritatingly) This is too much.
My acting ability was over by then. And I just offered him my business card. His eyes were beaming with surpise. He'd felt embarrassed to treat me as a driver. He promptly offered me a cup of tea. But, I was late and had to deny his offer. He shook my hand with a lot of affection, saying sorry. I patted his arm saying not to mind about what happened. We saw each other off.
I started driving to Pune with yet another memorable day with a beautiful feeling of reducing the physical pain of a young man, which I had undergone some years back.
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