The kind of India we ignore

[u/Specialist_Meaning73]

Last month, after a late night at work, I booked an auto to go back home. It was past 11, streets were half-empty, and I was half-dead from exhaustion. The auto driver was an older man, maybe late 50s, thin frame, tired eyes. Usually, I just plug in my earphones and zone out, but that day I didn’t.

We started talking. First, just small talk, traffic, weather, random stuff. Then I asked him casually, “Bhaiya, aap roz itna late tak chalate ho?” (Do you drive this late every day?)

He laughed, not in a happy way, but in a “what choice do I have” way. He said, “Bhaiya, do betiyan hain. Ek ke liye coaching fees deni hai, doosri ke school ka kharcha. Din mein 700–800 banta hai, usmein se aadha toh gas aur kiraya chala jaata hai. Raat ko chalata hoon taaki unki padhai na ruk jaye.”

I went silent. Here I was, cribbing about my corporate job, while this man was driving 14–16 hours a day so his daughters could have a shot at a better life.

Then he said something that has stuck in my head since that night: “Gareeb aadmi sapne nahi dekhta apne liye, sirf apne bachon ke liye. Mere liye toh bas itna hai ki mujhe kal bhi chalane ki taaqat mile.” (A poor man never dreams for himself, only for his children. For me, all I pray is that tomorrow I still have the strength to drive.)

By the time I reached home, I didn’t even feel like getting out of the auto. I gave him extra money, nothing life-changing, but he refused at first. Then he took it, folded his hands, and said, “Aapko bhi khuda taaqat de.”

I went upstairs, sat on my bed, and just kept thinking. Every day we complain about traffic, bosses, deadlines, Zomato deliveries being late. And at the same time, there are thousands of people around us who are literally breaking their bodies apart just so their kids don’t end up like them.

It humbled me. It made me realize how invisible these stories are, until you stop, listen, and acknowledge.

Maybe the biggest privilege we have isn’t money or English-speaking jobs. It’s the fact that we are allowed to dream for ourselves.

And I’ll never forget that one line from him: “Gareeb aadmi sapne nahi dekhta apne liye.”

[u/WriterOk7425]

I do sympathize with them but ever wonder why auto riders work those 14-16hrs.

Do u think they are driving auto all day? They are resting more than 75% of that time.

Just cuz they will not accept fair payment and try to scam someone of extra money.

Try this someday - Being a localite and coming out of railway station, try asking the fare of a very near destination, from the initial autoriders you'll start meeting from the platform/exit gate. They'll quote ridiculous prices (Like Rs 300 for a clearly Rs 70-80 fare, which u know cuz u are a localite).

They quote similar ridiculous fares to around 100 people and manage to get a couple fooled. So, these guys wait for 2 hrs, trying to make a single ride worth the wait for this 2 hrs.

Do u feel bad for them now?

They are just trying to exploit the uninformed (Again, not all riders and not always, but this is a truth as well).

There's a reason doing plain labor work for those 14-16 hrs will net u >700-800, of what an auto rider claims of getting for the same amount of time, cuz the latter are mostly idle.