200 Rupees!

It was like any other Friday evenings in Mumbai. Busy and noisy, roads packed with buses, cars, rickshaws, a few two-wheelers, and cycles rushing to their desired destinations. I got out from the office building and tried in vain to find a rickshaw to take me to the nearest metro station. Eventually, I gave up the hope of finding one and decided to enjoy the rare cold breeze and started walking towards the station. I popped on my earphones and my usual favorite songs started playing in my ears.

Walking on Mumbai roads can be quite taxing - both physically and mentally. The dearth of footpaths, crossings, pedestrian signal lights, pollution, relentless honking and to top on that the unfortunate beggars pleading for money... These walks provoke as you observe so many contrasts of the society: the rich and the poor, the educated and uneducated, the employed and unemployed, people with chauffeur-driven BMWs getting angry at the cyclists trying to find their way - all jam-packed in one, constantly moving towards something unknown. You cannot stop wondering and getting frustrated by all that noise, that sheer lack of a lot of basic amenities in this so called one of the biggest metros in the world and the constant hustle-bustle around you. Very easily you can get lost in your thoughts and start feeling lonely in that crowd. 

That's what exactly happened to me. As soon as I realized it, I tried to shrug off all the negative thoughts and frustration pouring in and tried to enjoy the song that was playing. Suddenly I thought I heard someone shouting 'excuse me, excuse me.' As per my 'acquired' natural reaction, I obviously didn't pay attention to it thinking who would call me now on this crowded road and continued walking. After five minutes, I heard the same voice again. And before I could look back and see, a rickshaw almost stopped me in my tracks abruptly on a small little thing that could be called footpath...

"Hi Mam, How are you? My name is Rajeev", the guy in rickshaw started talking cheerfully. Me, naturally being extremely weary of such unknown encounters did not respond more than a mere hello with a half smile.

"Hi, I am so sorry, but I need some money. My wallet got stolen and I don't have enough money on me. A billion thanks to you if you could please give me Rs 200."

"Umm?"

Apparently that guy wanted to go to the other end of the city for a dance practice for which he was already running late. I asked him why he wouldn't take the train which would have been faster and a lot cheaper. But he didn't have an answer and kept insisting that I gave him 200 rupees.

As usual, my mind had already broken into two: the evil and the good. The evil totally doubting every single word that man uttered and the good one trying to rationalize and justifying by trying to consider the remote possibility of 'what if whatever he is telling me is true'?

After a lot of hesitation in my head, I eventually gave that man 200 rupees and got out of that situation.

It was only then that it dawned on to me the randomness of the situation!! I mean imagine - You are walking down the road enjoying the music, someone follows you throughout, all of a sudden stops you and asks you to give him 200 rupees! How random! I think that was by far the most random things ever happened to me. 

Maybe I shouldn't have, but I got into analyzing what had happened. Why did that person follow me for so long for asking me for money? Did he just randomly pick me as a target and thought I could be easy to fool for money? Did I look that gullible? Was it a part of some "truth-dare" game he was playing with his friends? Why couldn't he ask any other person on the road? Surely I wasn't the alone walking on that road! There were hundreds of others too! Or was he really genuine and had asked others and no one entertained him, so had to ask me for help? So many possibilities crossed my mind!

I guess I will never find an answer to all those questions. I am not sad or surprised at the fact that my pocket is lighter by 200 rupees. It could have been much worse! I am just overwhelmed by the supreme randomness of the situation and the fact that such things actually happen in real life! That whole incident totally shook me and got me back to the reality - of I don't know what. 

Well, but, in the end, the possible scenarios of why and what could have happened are endless with no answers! For the time being all I am going to do is just add this feather of experience in my Mumbaikar hat and enjoy!