April 21, 2009 at 12:50 pm · Filed under Cab Diaries
OK… I’ve met multi tasking cabbies, but mostly their moonlight jobs are travel agencies, or PIMPING. But yesterday, I was coming back home at 23:00 hrs, and still chatting up my cabbie, to have him ask me if I liked art. Being an art curator, my enthusiasm tripled. Then he started talking about the kinds of painting and sketching. I was hooked and intrigued and bloody flabbergasted!
When he dropped me off, he very politely said, “Btw, I take art classes in the day, here’s my card, call me if you need help. Also, I sell my paintings; come and have a look if you can!” Stumped, and in love, that’s what I was. He’s in my friends list now!
March 31, 2009 at 11:39 am · Filed under Cab Diaries, Travel
It was almost 11:30 at night, outside a very semi sleepy railway station in Nerul. I got off one station early just be safe and get a rickshaw ride home. A confident mirth started trailing me as I saw a huge trail of available rickshaws to me home, sweet home! I found me night rider!
Confined by my habitually ugly mannerisms, I start to this guy, at 11:30 pm on a lonely, barren and sort of eerie road home. I ask him where is he from, and to my shock and surprise he was not my home-land brotherin- he was a Marathi manus!
He spoke pretty well, and must have been a killer because he almost gave me a heart attack with his sudden spurts of well constructed sentences of English! I was beginning to construct my next cab diary entry!
It was short 10 minute ride. When he dropped me home, he very politely, slightly demurely requested me to ask around if anyone needs an art teacher. I was very confused! Then he explained, saying he was an art teacher by the day and a rickky by the night!
Two timing I say!
January 19, 2009 at 10:47 pm · Filed under Cab Diaries, do not want to see
Katrina Kaif is climbing the box office charts, but she’s working on the ‘biatch’ meter as well. She beat Kareena Kapoor at the tantrum throwing contest, where she faught Priyanka Chopra for the finale spot at a stage show. And gracious Piggy Chops gave way, saying she’s too big for these trivial issues. I guess spot won but respect lost.
On the other hand we have Esha Deol, who fought with Vatsal Seth <another one of those struggling actors> about whose school was better. 
Immaturity or pride- lead to same thing!
January 12, 2009 at 7:51 pm · Filed under Cab Diaries
This was a late night cab ride after work. I was heading to a new station, and had exactly 90 bucks on me. I didn’t know if that was capital enough to reap that route.
But my adventurous luck found me that genie; a cab pilot who said, ‘ FOR JOURNEYS THAT MONEY CAN’T BUY- THERE’S ANIL KUMAR.’ I smelled fun and jumped. I owed him nothing- I had put my wealth at face value. His way was the high way….as in it was the shortest way! And his weapon was the accelerator!
Then began a journey…a journey to the station and to Anil’s heart!
OK..I din fall in love with him. He spilled his life for me! And what a spill it was!
For starters, he is a kolkotta boy, grown up in Bombay. I say grown up and not braught up because he is his own parent, his own family. He is a rash and over-confident driver, wannabe Akshay Kumar (after CC2C, he can be our desi Kung Fu Panda), chills with boys in a bath tub, and is madly in love with Aneeti.
The story begins before he took up driving. He’s been through a course of cuisines as a chef. So when he was at a reataurant in South Bombay handling the tandoor, he his heart was roasted to perfection by this girl he saw…he saw…mind it…love at first sight! He didn’t know her name or even if she was a reality, but he followed her. The reality bit was established fast. Then after 2 days of following her (and his boss’ reprimanding!) he finally went, complete with Amitabh Bachchan attitude and said it, upfront, in one shot….”what is your name?”
He got a slap and her name as an answer. Satiated, he changed his job to a Continental and Chinese eatery near this girl’s-Aneeti’s work place. It turned out that she didn’t work here, but come to meet a man everyday. A MAN!@#!@@#!#
Heart wrenched, Anil investigated! During the course of his investigation, he learns that lady love is going back to her home town in another southern state. Infuriated, he traces the man. Finally; only to find that he just a fellow villager.
The James Bond in Anil buttered this stranger into a trip to Aneeti’s village. This strange man, battles three modes of Indian Transport to finally reach his village; for absolutely nothing but smooth talking. WOW! I don’t if he was a dodo, or an over benevolent guy. Moving on: Anil want and oiled and soiled another old lady’s charmingly battered house and parked his ass there for a week and a half, only to buy that place and rent a room for his survival cash and hash later!
Aneeti was falling faster than a comet for Anil’s romantic prances and glances. But her father was a little to stiff to crack. Father actually filed a complaint and got Anil behind bars for 3 nights. Anil-in true Anil Kapoor style, ran away from the jail, and came back to Mumbai.
He worked his strategy out, went back to Aneeti’ village and eloped with her, married her and telelgrammed Aneeti’s parents that they were in Kolkotta, if he cared enough he would forgive and forget and come and bless them and throw a party for them.
No party happened, but blessing were
sent via telegram!
Then,I reached my station, and Anil reached the end of his story! He showed me some photographs of his wife, and some old restaurant’s memoirs. I was touched and hungry!
