Clash of two D’s - Dreams and Destiny

Habit of waking up late made me miss my cab today. So, in order to reach office in time I had take up an auto rickshaw but getting it was not so easy. As my office is quite far away, every rickshaw driver was reluctant to take me. But finally after toiling in the heat for about 15 minutes, I found a rickshaw driver who was ready to take me there but with a condition. He asked me to pay 50 rupees extra than the normal fare but I refused out rightly. With both of us being Indians, negotiation was always on the cards and finally we decided on 20 rupees extra than the normal fare.

The guy was quite loud with his words and expressions, was in his early 40’s but full of words. While I was in the rickshaw, he narrated his entire life story to me and I don’t know why he did so. Either he wanted to kill time or may be he was like that only. So, there he started his story . . .

“Sir, you might be wondering why I talk too much but I think that we should say whenever we feel like and I feel it now. My name is Abdul Kareem and I have been driving this auto for last few months only. I need to collect 20,000 rupees in next 3 months to pay to the agent and then I will be in Kuwait.”

I asked him if 20,000 was all they charged for giving him a job there and why is he going at this point of time in life when old age is not that far away. He replied . . .

“No sir, they charge 80,000 but I have 60,000 already and I have been in Oman for three years before. It was in 1996 and I used to work there (in Oman) in a company dealing with equipping buildings with things for fire safety like extinguishers, etc. But then I had to come back and now I realize there is nothing left here for me”.

My curiosity level began to rise and I asked him if he could tell me what exactly happened, only if he did not mind. He continued . . .

“I met a nurse in Oman and we were madly in love with each other. She too was from India but a Christian by religion. We decided to come back together to India and get married but it didn’t happen the same way – I got married but not to her. My father was not well at all and he was counting his last breaths. He took a promise from me to marry his friend’s daughter and be a father to my two younger brothers. Since my mother had expired a few years back, I did it but just for the sake of the family.”

I really felt sad when I heard about all this but again being selfish, I wanted to know more of what occurred to him. So, I pushed him to go ahead with his story . . .

“Then, I became the head of the family and took all the responsibilities. I never ever had courage to even call the lady I had once loved. From the money I had earned in Oman, I brought some land and started a general store near my house. Things were perfect till my brothers got married. Now, they wanted a share in everything even from the property I earned myself. But being the elder, I agreed. And at the end of the day, I was left with a house only. I sold off the big house and purchased a smaller one and got a couple of auto rickshaws.”

I again felt sad for the poor fellow but he seemed to me a very nice human being. For him, I had respect in my heart. The guy, sorry, I mean Abdul Kareem continued narrating his tale . . .

“My wife told me to take my brother-in-law as driver for the second auto rickshaw and I even felt that this was a nice suggestion. But a month later, my brother-in-law was getting married and my wife urged me to transfer the ownership of the second rickshaw to him and again, I agreed. Now, I was left with just an auto and a house. I realized the need for money and decided to move out of India.”

This appeared another typical Indian story to me and now I understood why he was going to Kuwait, money drives us all. But he had something more to say . . .

“My wife says that she does not trust me with going abroad and so, she wants ownership of everything I have. After thinking a lot, I transferred all my property to my two sons and gave my wife the guardianship. Now, I made all happy and it is my turn to be happy for sometime. I would earn a lot of money in Kuwait and come back after 10 years. I will own a big building and make apartments and give on rent. That way, I will live my life peacefully without having to sweat it out.”

I wished him all the best and by the time he ended his story, I was already near my office. I paid him 50 rupees extra than the 20 agreed. I though this drop might help him a little to fill up his bottle. With prayers in heart for Abdul Kareem, I said bye to the fellow.

As I watched him go, I felt that we all have dreams and we all want them to come true regardless of who we are.

Just as Abdul Kareem was taking a u-turn in this auto rickshaw, a big speeding lorry hit his auto and it got thrown over the pavements and crashed into the wall. All I could see was the auto crashed like hell and people shouting “call ambulance, “guy is bleeding”, “check if he is alive”.

I didn’t have guts to go and check or may be I never wanted to see Abdul Kareem’s dreams’ ending. I closed my eyes and just prayed . . .

According to Mamkol, “Everyone has a tale to tell, I hope anyone actually listens too”.