Darshan Kumar, we salute you | Mumbai cab driver

Name : Darshan Kumar.
Age: 75
Occupation : Cab Driver.

“I, along with my friend, got down at Sion station and started looking for black and yellow cabs to IMAX Wadala to watch Avengers. But none of the cabs were ready to go. And then came this old man who agreed to take us along. As soon as I got in, I noticed that he was very old, shaky hands, stammering voice. I was really surprised to see how this old Grandpa was driving this black and yellow cab and why was he driving it? I couldn't hold myself from getting in conversation with him.
.
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(He first took another unfamiliar road, so I immediately asked.)
Me:" Ji, why are we going this way? Isn't Wadala the opposite way?"
He:"Beta, mai toh chhota rasta le ja rah huun. Imandari ki kamai karke khata hun. Agar aapko udhar se sahi lage toh gadi modlu?"(I’m using a shortcut and if you think I should go by the other way, you can tell me.)
Me:"Nahi ji, theek hai, aapko jaise sahi lage".(No, it’s okay.)
(after a while...)
Me: "Ji, how old are you?"
He(Grandpa): "Beta, I am 75."
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Me: "Why are you driving at THIS age? Is it because of your passion or compulsion?"
He: "Beta, I don't have any helping hands. My children are good for nothing. I have to earn my living BUT begging is beyond my attitude. So, you may call it a compulsion but I am doing it for myself."
(I was like "RESPECT YOU SIR" from inside, mute for a moment.)
Me: "How long have you been in this profession?"
He:"Since last 50 years."
Kunal(My friend): "So can you see clearly?"
He:"You observe it yourself beta, I am driving smooth and like a gentleman."
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(All of us laughed at this.)
He:"Thanks to good Lord that unlike many old people of my age, I am physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually fit. I will continue with my service as long as I live. But I will never beg."
Kunal:"Where are you originally from?"
He:"I am from Punjab."
Me:"We both did our engineering from Kurukshetra, so we are quite acquainted with Haryana and Punjab."
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He:"My eldest son, he is in Panipat, doing some business of motor part and earning in crores. But he doesn't want me. I have a daughter who is married to a rich guy in Delhi and they also have their own business. She doesn't want me either. My youngest son is an officer in some good bank. He kept me with him for about three months, used to give me Rs. 1500/- as monthly expenses. But the other two didn't like it and were constantly taunting him about this. I didn't feel good about it so left them with their lives and came to Mumbai to earn my living."
.
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(We were speechless...)
Me:"So where is your wife?"
He:"She passed away."
Me:"So you live alone here?"
He:"Yes beta, I live nearby Parle in a rented room. I pay Rs. 2500 as rent, have my own kitchen and cook my own food. I go home and wash this cloth immediately and wear it tomorrow AGAIN. During day, I drive. That simply sums up my life here. But I am positive. I don't count days, I work to make each day fruitful."
Me:"I really appreciate your enthusiasm. In this country where there are beggars turned to billionaires you are proudly struggling to earn your life. We are really inspired by your enthusiasm and we respect you for that."
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(He felt good about it and smiled back.)
By then we had reached IMax Wadala and surprisingly the fare was approximately Rs. 10/- less than my usual routes.
I gave him hundred rupees and said,” Sir, please keep the change. Consider it as a small token of respect from us for your honesty and positivity towards life."
He really felt very happy and said "Thank you beta."
I then asked him "Can I take a picture of you? I wish to share your thoughts and ideas on Internet. Your work can inspire many people out there. Also, after seeing you, if any Mumbaikar noticed you on internet and found you on road driving, they would ALWAYS choose your cab over others.
He," Ha-ha, sure beta."
.
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I clicked his picture, shook hands with him and bid farewell. I really felt so glad to have met him.
Darshan Kumar's story deserves a share, so please share this guy’s story and motivate the generation.”

Submitted By :Dipesh Karki via The Analytical Indian

The Sad Reality Of A Bullet Owner

If there is one brand in India that has managed to create a niche for itself without spending a penny on advertisements, it is Royal Enfield. (There is Old Monk, of course, but I don’t like to ‘mix drink and drive’!).
Amidst the barrage of asinine bike ads, ridiculous names for bikes (Hunk, Glamour), and vehicles specially designed for men, women, children, and pet dogs, Royal Enfield has managed to stick out as a brand with immense recall value.
Called ‘Bullet’ across the length and breadth of the country, Royal Enfield continues to churn out bikes that have encapsulated themselves to a legendary status.
From hippie heroes of the 70s, to dapper grandsons of actors today, everybody looks up to Bullets as vehicles of God. A Bullet also automatically elevates your status into a hippie, pot-smoking Adonis (most often in your own mind!)



But scratch a little deeper, and you’ll find a harrowed, harassed, heckled owner.
For, this is the sad reality of a Bullet Owner.

Repairs

You’ve bought the bike, and you’re feeling like the king of the world. But little do you know, this is just the honeymoon phase.
In a few days, you feel the first signs. You smell a little oil, only to look down at the engine and notice an oil leak. Just a minor glitch, you tell yourself, and carry on with your job of being the God of the world.
In a few days, you realise the smell has been following you all around. When you cross stray dogs, they raise their heads and sniff at your bike. When you look down, you notice the entire area has turned black with dried oil and dust.



‘Just a minor glitch’, you tell yourself, and park your bike by the side of the road. You bend down to wipe off the leaking oil with a piece of rag cloth.
In half an hour, you stand up – your shirt has black stains all over, your hands feel stiff and coarse. You smell of oil and grease, and before you know it, you are one with your bike!

Mechanic

When you own a Bullet, the relationship between you and your mechanic is an unbreakable bond. In fact, when your mechanic sees you, he flashes a wide grin, doing a mental calculation of all the goodies he’s going to buy his children that night.
For you see, when you have a Bullet, you not only maintain your bike, but also run the household expenses of your mechanic. Your bike will demand a new repair every week, and nobody on earth will seem dearer to you than your mechanic.

Costly repairs

A Bullet is not a Hero Honda. It does not rely on vagaries like low maintenance and quick repairs. A Bullet is a hand-crafted labour of love, and it’s no wonder that you have to shell out copious amounts of cash to keep it in running shape.

It takes you back to the medieval days of kings and knights, when there were favourite horses that were pampered and taken care of. If you are Alexander, your bike is Bucephalus. If you are Rana Pratap, your bike is Chetak (not the Bajaj variety!).
No wonder then, that it needs to be pampered and well-maintained.

Mileage

Let’s face it. If you purchase a Bullet, you have already given up hopes of mileage.
Those are for lesser mortals. You are God; surely you can’t worry about such trivialities?
Your Bullet gives you style, status, and instant eyeballs. However, mileage is not one of its strong points. So if you purchased the bike on EMIs, or borrowed money from somebody, you are in for a ride.




Every journey entails a mental calculation of how far the bike will go, where the nearest petrol pump is, and how much you shell out. Without your knowledge, you transform into a Shakuntala Devi – doing mental calculations at the speed of light.
If your calculations slip up, the Bullet gives you a terrific opportunity to keep in physical shape as well. For when the bike stops, you have to push the monster yourself, using all your will-power and physical energy to move it a few metres.
Yes. A Bullet helps you keep in top physical and mental shape.

Girlfriend

Most people simply assume that Bullet riders get a lot of girlfriends.
You can’t blame them either. I mean, the Bullet has a terrific brand image. You can hear it from a distance, and it symbolizes toughness and stability, both traits that women love.
It is no wonder that Bullet riders are looked at as players. However, there is a darker side to it as well.
Like I said earlier, a Bullet is not merely a bike, it is a horse. And horses have moods as well.
So you’re enjoying a romantic ride with your girlfriend, she’s got her hands around you, and you are looking at her through the rear-view mirror, wondering how you two got so close so quickly (Objects in the mirror are closer than they appear).



And right then, thud..thud…thud…your bike slowly comes to a halt.
You smile, get down, and bend down with the confidence of Valentino Rossi’s personal mechanic. In reality, you have no frigging clue what’s wrong. You think of your mechanic, and pray to God to help you out.
You tinker with a few wires, poke at spokes, and turn some screws. But deep within, you know the truth. You know that you are like Shakti Kapoor in a high level Nuclear Science seminar – absolutely no idea what’s going on!
You kick and you press, you turn and twitch, and if the gods above are kind, your bike starts off again. You ride along, smile, and try to make conversation. But deep within, there is a lurking fear that it might stop at any given point of time.

So that is it, dear world.

You see the glamour, the glitz, the style. What you don’t see, is a man whose morals, believes, and feelings have been twisted. He is a changed man.
You know that loud, drumming noise that comes from a Bullet when it approaches you?
That is the sound of the rider’s heartbeat, wondering when it might stop next.
And yet, ask any Bullet rider if he’d swap his bike for anything, and watch as he frowns at you like you asked for his kidney.
For you see, a Bullet is not just a bike.
A Bullet is a friend, a brother, a spoilt cousin. It is your naughty son, your wise grandfather.
A Bullet is your soulmate.
And even soulmates have foul moods, sometimes!

Source

Bollywood appalled over Delhi taxi rape, expresses anger on Twitter

Much like the rest of the country, Bollywood is shocked over the news of a 25-year-old woman's rape by a taxi driver in the national capital. 

While filmmaker Karan Johar says he was appalled by the incident, Bollywood star Akshay Kumar wonders "how many more such incidents before we have stricter laws?"

A 25-year-old woman was allegedly raped by a cab driver on Friday night after she took the cab around 9:30p.m. from Vasant Vihar area in Delhi - the city where six rapes and 14 molestation cases were reported every day the first four months of 2014. Angered by the incident, here's what the stars tweeted:  

Akshay Kumar: You hire a cab thinking its safer and pay more but sadly even that isn't an option anymore. Not sure how many more such incidents before we have stricter laws! #DelhiShamedAgain 

Karan Johar: Appalled at the @Uber incident!! If they didn't do an adequate background check of the driver they have no reason to operate anywhere!!!! 

Rohit Roy: Just the other day, a friend was recommending Uber very highly... Now this!! Appalling. It's like the guard at ur home robbing U!! 

Vishal Dadlani: Taking a cab alone at night? Take a picture of the driver, with the numberplate, & send it to a friend. Should act as a basic deterrent. 

According to a recent compilation of data by Delhi Police, 616 rapes and 1,336 molestation cases were registered between January 1 and April 30 - a 36 percent increase in rape cases compared to around 450 cases registered in the same period last year. 

Data of the first four months of 2014 show that six rapes and 14 molestation cases have been reported every day. Police, however, claim to have solved almost 90 percent of the cases. 

Source: hindustantimes.com

Airtel - Shittiest mobile and customer service and the employees as well

Date:- 03-Dec-2014

I was out of the country for a month, today I came back and wanted to top-up my mobile prepaid balance. So first of all I recharged with Rs. 79 i.e. National roaming pack for a month, the recharge was successful and there were no issues. But the problem comes now.

After a few hours, I realised that I was running out of balance so I went to www.airtel.in from my mobile (Nexus 5), I am mentioning my mobile's model number just because I want the executive to know that it is a smartphone so they won't raise stupid questions as they raised over the call with customer care executives. So coming back to the point now, I did a top-up of Rs. 330 i.e. full talktime recharge from my smartphone's browser (Chrome). The top-up was successful but when it redirected back to the website after authorising the payment from the payment gateway they have put a button on their website which a customer can mistakenly click and so did the thing happened with me, I clicked it mistakenly and Rs. 249 were automatically deducted from my balance which I did a top-up for Rs. 330 saying that 3GB data of 2G has been activated on your number for 28 days. I mean WTF! no confirmation or nothing as such. The website also generated a message saying that it has been deducted from your balance, even the message was not proper, it was full of errors/bugs, please see the screenshot below, also I have attached screenshot from my bank account transaction details for the transactions which I have done today on airtel's website. please see the bottom of the blog to see both the screenshots . I feel so cheated with Airtel everytime. I am really frustrated with the service they provide. But wait, the biggest issue happened when I called up customer care.

I dialed 121 to report this issue, but I was surprised what I get to hear.

Mr. Rahul took my call, I reported him what happened, so he has to say that I deliberately recharged it from the website and I had never done a recharge of Rs. 330 before.
I asked him to forward the call to his senior and he did.
Mr. Vijendra Chauhan - Senior Executive, now this guy has got some guts, first of all he also says that I deliberately recharged it, so I said that I didn't and I have not used even a single KB of that internet pack and I do not want this internet pack, so now listen to this, his answer was really amusing, he says that "Sir, aapne hi recharge kiya hai, ab use kar lijiye na". So I said that I do not want to use this internet pack only and I want my refund back. So he has to say "Sir, to aap kehna chahte hai ki aap internet pack use hi nahi karte hai? Kabhi use hi nahi kiya aapne? Aapne hi toh recharge kiya hai". He was trying to play around word-games with me. So I asked him that which region he is speaking from, he says "kya sir?", I asked again "konse region se baat kar rahe ho tum?", then he has to say "sir shayad aap clearly nahi bol rahe hai", I was already furious by now, I said "English bol raha hu, konse region se bol raha hai tu? ab samajh aaya? konse raajya se baat kar raha hai tu?". To this he has to say that "Ohh accha sir aap state jaanna chahte hai, raajya ka matlab state hota hai sir, region nahi hot hai, shayad aap English thik se nahi bol paa rahe thhe". I lost it over there.
Bloody, what is this, is he over there to serve customers or to teach them English. Then I started talking in English only to which he could not respond really well and he was teaching me English, I mean WOW! He says "Sir you speak to Vijendra chauhan, and I cannot refund you the money back, please talk to our senior" and I interrupted him and said first of all "It is not you speak to Vijendra chauhan", it is "you are speaking to Vijendra chauhan, you bloody bastard". And he transferred his call to his senior.
Now I was speaking with Rakesh Sharma - Customer Care Manager from Rajasthan, first of all I spoke to him about the entire incident that are these executives here to teach English to the customer or to serve their needs. Then he has to say that I recharged for Rs. 249 and not Rs.330 and if the recharge was done from 3rd party website or their own website, when I said that it was airtel.in then he tried to change the topic and started giving me some random bullshit and he says I will further forward your call to my senior I mean WTF is going on, everybody is transferring the call to their seniors, so does it means that the junior level guys are hired just to fool around and do bullshit with customers, customer is given no priority and treated with such bullshit and the customer is charged money fraudulently. 
I want my money back which has been charged unethically i.e. Rs. 249. If not I am definitely scaling this matter to consumer court. Because such incidents have been with me since a long time but this time I just could not take it.

1.) Screenshot from my bank transaction history

2.) Screenshot which I get after the amount was deducted from my balance

RESPECT SHOULD NOT BE BASED ON THE STATUS OF A PERSON

 
|| RESPECT SHOULD NOT BE BASED ON THE STATUS OF A PERSON ||

Yesterday during the usual rush hrs I was travelling back to home from rajiv chowk metro station (the MAN in picture below was standing next to me taking support of the pole).As most of you who commute by Metro must be aware that getting space to even stand properly during peak hrs is a distant dream.I suddenly noticed that there were three men who had problems only with this MAN but no one else in the compartment. Though it was a small incident but I was thinking how many people go through this everyday.

Metro stopped at the next station the MAN was still clinging to the pole at his place and one person entered and shouted
"ABE SIDE HOJA HERO BANKE KHADA HA" ….
This MAN was still quite and moved a bit to the other side but I could see the changing expresions on his face.The ordeal continued on the next metro station and yet again a middle aged person
“PUSHED THE MAN BADLY AS HE DEBOARDED THE TRAIN”

I could see that it was intentional, i mean one can feel it and while getting out he looked at the MAN in a strange manner as if it was fault of this MAN but hats off to this MAN who still kept his eyes down.It had been long time I was observing now.On the same station one more well dressed ,educated youth entered the compartment and murmured to which i guess we both listened
"PATA NAI KAHA SE AAJATE HAI AISE LOG" and said "SIDE HO"

I felt this Man (who had spent his entire day slogging to earn his daily bread) was about to cry and my patience gave way now, I could not tolerate it any further and gave him some place where i was standing ,kept my hand on his shoulder and i said
"BHAI TU YAHA AAJA"
and I replied to the well dressed educated youth in a very sarcastic manner
“YOU LOOK EDUCATED”…..the youth looked down and said SORRY

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Sorry doesn’t make anything perfect but yes a sensitive behavior and manners do. People should be courteous and ask for a place ,how can sumone be rude like this to anyone??????.
What I personnaly feel this happens majorly because since the time we are born we are taught to respect old people, females, family, teachers and not everyone I just want to ask
ONE QUESTION WHY NOT RESPECT EACH AND EVERYONE ??
i have never seen anyone saying respect the people who are below poverty line we are always taught to help them ethically or a bit financially but no one tells their son to touch their feet’s too!!!!!!! if they are old age because old age with poverty is not a good enough reason to respect someone.
such a HYPOCRISY
I want to ask one question here ,isn’t a person whos below poverty line even judged as human being in this country???. I would have clicked the pictures of all these rude people and posted but things would have not changed like this, as most of the us are like this. We demand change,we go for candle marches but when it comes to CHANGE a few simple things , we lack in our attitude,
WE ,WE LACK SENSITIVITY we are no less then everone who ill treated this MAN and many would have not even said sorry .
“PROBLEM HERE IS MANY OF US JUDGE OTHERS BY THEIR CLOTHES AND THEN WE DECIDE HOW TO BEHAVE WITH THEM.” we don’t know with how many we would have behaved like this but when one day we will be at other side of the fence,we will realise how it feels inside when each and every time people behave like this.
RESPECT AND SPREAD SMILES IT COST NOTHING

-Rahul Saharan

A DAD'S SPEECH AT HIS DAUGHTER'S WEDDING

 

A DAD'S SPEECH AT HIS DAUGHTER'S WEDDING

I thought I would start my speech by addressing you as the "new" family of my daughter. But I think it would be inappropriate because now that she is married, you are "the family" for her. Believe me; I don't have a problem with that. I, in fact, want my daughter to have "you" as her priority now. Its time for us to take a backseat in her life. We would happily accept it but would surely request one thing- please keep her happy!

I am more than sure that you will keep her very happy. She will perhaps be happier than what she used to be here. But like all fathers, I obsess over my daughter's happiness which is making me say this over and over again- please keep her happy!

She never was and will never be a burden for me. She is in fact the reason why I breathe and smile. I am getting her married because this is what the law of nature demands. I am helpless in the face of our culture and therefore sending her to your home. She was the happiness of my home and will now light up your home. I am giving my world to you.  Please make sure it remains beautiful. I am giving away my princess to you. Please make sure she stays as a queen. I have raised her with my sweat and blood and now she is wonderfully perfect. For all the care, love, beauty and warmth my daughter will bring into your lives, I just want her happiness in return please keep her happy!

If at times you think that my daughter has said or done something wrong, feel free to scold her. But handle her with love. She is very fragile. If at times she feels low, be with her. She just needs a little bit of your attention. If at times she feels sick, show her some care. It's the medicine that works best for her. If at times she fails to fulfill a responsibility, feel free to chastise her. But empathize with her. She is still learning. Do understand her please keep her happy!

I don't mind if I don't get to see her for months. I don't mind if I am not able to talk to her on a daily basis. I would be more than happy if she doesn't remember me much. But, my only motive in life has been my daughter's happiness which is now in your hands. I beg you, please keep her happy.

Dear son-in-law, these words may not mean much to you now but if you are lucky enough to father a daughter someday, you will appreciate them better when you will find every beat of your heart shouting   "please keep her happy"!

Read it... Will surely make u cry.....When a girl gets married, she steps out of her own heaven and enters into a world full of uncertainties just to keep a family running and lives blooming. For this great sacrifice of hers, even the heavenly angels request just one thing   "please keep her happy"!! :)

15 things that make a Mumbaikar different from the rest. Hell yeah!!

Mumbai is not just the City of Dreams and hopes; Mumbai is another way of life. While people carry their culture to every place they go, there is a lot that Mumbai transforms in its locales. “Once a Mumbaikar, always a Mumbaikar.” You know you are a Mumbaikar if:

1. Bollywood is in your blood
You identify addresses by Big B, Shah Rukh and Salman’s homes. You go to Marine drive to get that one filmy shot. You’ve heard about every film all set for release. Oh yes! Bollywood is boiling in your blood.

2. Sachin Tendulkar is your God, Wankhede your temple
In a city with a population of over ten millions, there is just one God and one temple. Sachin Tendulkar and his home ground Wakhede, that inspires every little kid in the gullies of the city to aspire to be a cricketer like the Little Master!

3.Vada Pav is your happy meal
McDonald’s and KFC, Burger King or any other snack joint is a complete failure before the staple meal of the city, Vada Pav. Sweet, spicy, quick, filling, a Vada Pav is all you need to satisfy your taste buds and your hunger cravings.

4. Marine Drive is your dream spot; Beaches are your sunset points.
You don’t need hotels or scenic locations. You’re probably flooded with a zillion pictures in different shades and angles of the Marine Drive and you’d still go for more. While the Girgaum and Juhu chowpatty are your happy sunset spot.

5.Traffic is forever your reason to get late
Signals, potholes, people, rains, drains, there could be a million reasons to cut short to just one for being in a hurry everywhere, but always being late-TRAFFIC. It’s old school and we know it, but when we blame traffic, we aren’t faking!

6. Jugaad is your way of life
In Mumbai, everything is possible and nothing is impossible. From a pauper to a piper, everyone has their own chances with luck, fate and hard work. And then of course, there is the most important way- Jugaad! No tension, only solution to all problems and crisis.

7. Multiculturism is your way of life
You have a Gujarati neighbor who speaks fluent Marathi, a North India chaiwala who makes poha for breakfast, a Marathi uncle who offers you Idli Sambhar.Too many regions, too many religions, too many cultures which together dissolve together to form the culture of Mumbai.

8. You know how to get in and out of a local train
While most new comers will fret at the very thought of boarding a Virar local, you well know how to get in and out of the train. And in that case, you’re also automatically skilled and entertained with your daily dose of local gossips and fights!

9.You can bargain till you can afford it
Colaba, Linking road or Lokhandwala, you well know how to buy a good looking product at a bargain price. So even after Flipkart and Jabong taking a front seat, a true blue Mumbaikar can’t miss shopping in these areas.

10. Sleeping before 12 is taboo
Sleeping before 12 in Mumbai? You gotto be kidding me! The city famous for its nightlife known for being the city that never sleeps is vibrant with lights and traffic much past the midnight. You needn’t wonder where the party culture comes from!

11.You’ll come across the most jazziest professions.
Nobody here anymore wants to be a doctor, engineer, lawyer. The jazziest careers begin here. Currently, it’s all about event managers, bloggers, digital media marketers, and struggling actors.

12. Your neighbor is an acquaintance but even a stranger is your friend
Mumbai might sound cold, but it is extremely warm in nature. There are days when one may not even know the name of his neighbor, but if need be, he shall go help a stranger with his life for the sake of humanity.

13. Energy and action is the core theme of life
You don’t find a lazy Mumbaikar, you never find a Mumbaikar jobless. Energy and action are the essentials of the life of a Mumbaikar, cause you either work for yourself or others to make a living here. Same for all men and women.

14. Time is money and speed is the need
Time is money and that is why you need the speed. No other city has a pace like Mumbai, life drives past before you’ve realized. You’re quick, you’re active and you’re with the pace. And Mumbai promises you the best of comfort, wealth and opportunities.

15.Above all, you can’t think of surviving in any other city of the world.
I’ve lived in Mumbai. I know it is not perfect. I know it rocks. And I know for all that it is and it isn’t, I possible can’t think of surviving anywhere else in world.
Because once you’ve lived and loved Mumbai, you’ll lose your heart and soul to the city!