Schhhuuummmm....

A deep breath...

The eyes blink...

Eyelids close, A moment of silence... Thoughts regarding the past few hours stream back to him...

Its the last pitstop before it ends... He's done this 49 times already... Just one more...

The path is seared into his memory... each contour... each straight...

He can do this.

The eyes open.

It is met with a rush of sound and fast movement... The engine is rumbling just under him... He can see some of the others... He knows which ones will cause trouble... That guy in the white car has a very reluctant engine... and the other one in the yellow stripes barely has the guts... Doesn't matter. Today is his day. Nothing is going to stop his glorious rush to the chequered flag. Today.... he will outdo his own past....

Its time to go! He barely lets the brown elixir into the starved engine and it shoots off!!! He cajoles his baby into the mainstream... Its time to RACE!!!

A slalom is coming up!!! A left and then manouvering in for a cut on the right!!!.... (that was close)... Audience starts noticing him... he can't hear it... but he's sure that individuals are heaving and sighing as they watch his show...

Its near!! The end is near...

He gives it his all... YES! He's bettered his own previous record! A surge of joy and pride within him goes unnoticed by all those not populating his mind... A satisfaction creases across his otherwise mundane life...

A screeeeeeeeeeeching stop.

Me: "Kitna hua?"

Him: "15 rupaya"

Me: "Arre roj tho 10 rupaya deta hoon... Yeh lo!"

He takes it... bends down, restarts his baby... looks at the fool who didn't think the ride of the day worth five extra bucks... ha! Fools ... all of them!! The evening rush is over anyway... made 50 trips today... a good day... time for some chai...

And so the great Indian challenger trudges on... phatt phatt phatt phatt...

P.S. A humble tribute to Surat's auto-rickshaw walaas... For the daily thrill ride to the office and back... :D