[Short Story] Wheels of Discovery

It had been a hot afternoon for August. The windows of the car had been rolled down to freely admit the cool breeze accompanying the dying sun. The campus was lush green amidst the glass buildings & rows of indicabs lined up neatly along the tarmac awaiting their first set of passengers.

“Nagappa, have you got a bottle there?” hollered Raju, walking up to him.
Nagappa sat upright inside his cab and readjusted the seat into an upright position. “Nann Magane, so soon you are looking for a bottle eh?” he smirked picking up the half filled Bisleri bottle from the back seat and handed it over to him.

Gulping down the warm water thirstily he fumed,“ They are going to be changing the routes once more. This new manager guy is no good. Ravi, our 895 (cab no.) was saying that security guards would soon be accompanying us in every trip we make. Baddi nann maga, one stray incident and they think we all are murderers.”

Nagappa digested this new piece of information without offering any comments. Tagging a security guard would mean no more adjustment of kilometers and that mean no more of extra income. He had a lot of thinking to do, especially since Chetan’s tuition fees were due for this month.

“Ae 4356, come here”

“Lo, there comes the call for you from that bloody idiot. Okay Maga, I got to pick up another brat from Tilak Nagar. Baap re, the pot holes over there! See you later” signed off Raju.

Nagappa, walked over towards the guy impatiently shuffling on his feet at the transport counter. Sharma the new transport manager briefed him - “You got to drop two girls now – one at RT Nagar & another at Yeshwantpur. They are new trainees so take a note of their places while dropping them today. This would be regular drop at 10 p.m. everyday now onwards. Any questions?” Muttering to himself he picked up the trip sheet assigned and walked back to his car. He noticed that the passenger seat had already been occupied.

Sliding into the driver’s seat he customarily looked into the rear view mirror and was taken aback. Not a person given to subtleties, he turned around abruptly to confirm his vision. She seemed to be shell shocked too and both of them were just staring at each other. Before he could utter a word the other girl with a short crop sitting next to her spoke up “Driver, Go to R T Nagar first.” Her words jolted him back to reality, leaving him confounded. Swallowing hard he turned back & started the car. This was unexpected and completely unplanned for.

The car slithered down the driveway & joined the traffic while his mind was still trying to make up as to how he should be reacting. He looked at her once again through the rear view mirror. She was looking at him apprehensively like a wary deer ready to sprint at the first instance of a sound. The other girl chatted on oblivious to the tension in the air. “Hey isn’t the training room awesome. And the pantry looked like it’s a mini restaurant. I love the place.” She didn’t reply.

Sudden honking of vehicles behind made Nagappa jump and he noticed he had blocked a free left. The signal changed to green thankfully and he throttled the car angrily. “What is this? Some kind of a joke? How was one supposed to react when he had to chauffer his own daughter? He shot up an angry glance at the mirror again. “Sharma said this is to be a regular pickup. Of course this meant she has taken up a job here. Oh! Look at the cheek of her. Sitting smugly out there. This is all because of her mother’s lenience. If only I wasn’t fooled to allowing her to go to college. Wait till I get her home. She had it from me today.” Anger boiled inside him.

“Take a right here,” said the other girl. Ten minutes later they were in front of a well lit building that seemed to house a well to do family. His daughter’s friend scribbled a signature on the sheet he offered and jumped out of the car waving good-byes & with a promise to meet his daughter tomorrow. It unruffled him a little that his daughter should have befriended such a girl and was completely at ease about it. Without looking at her direction he started the engine.

“Appa,” it was almost a whisper. He didn’t answer nor look up but his anger flared immediately. Who ever thought this cheek of a girl would do this. “Appa, am sorry.” she reluctantly spoke again.

He ignored her. “If this had been Chetan instead?” wished his mind but that would have made me so proud! This girl did not even have a courtesy to tell me about her job. She has all the arrogant traits of her mother. Elders are absolutely right. Give these women a little space and they end up dancing over my head.

Almost reading his thoughts she continued “Appa, I wanted to give you the good news of me getting a job in the evening. I did tell you about my interview in the morning while I gave you coffee but I think you didn’t hear me.”
“Huh” Nagappa thought hard “Was it she who made the coffee? Anyway what difference does it make.”

There was an uncomfortable silence while the car negotiated its way through the evening traffic. “Appa, they have offered me a job as a junior financial analyst with a pay of 12000 p.m. but Appa I wouldn’t continue if you don’t like it. ” She hurriedly went on to complete the sentence.

“Twelve thousand rupees!” With a sharp involuntary intake of breath he looked at her again. “Why would they pay a girl that much?” he thought. “Twelve thousand rupees! Enough for Chetan’s three month fee’s and for the urgent repairs the house needed.” He immediately hated himself for banking on his daughter’s money.

“Oh! Chenna keshava what did I do for you to show me this day?” A silent lament escaped him.

They entered the familiar area of barely lit street, of row houses and of dingy shops. He slowed the car & drove without honking loudly as he usually did and finally came to a silent stop in front of their house. He mutely handed her the trip sheet and tried to look as indifferent as possible. Almost mentally alienating her far from his world as possible. She took it with trembling hands her head bent and slowly filled the form. He saw her writing her name in full – Chaitra H. Nagappa and signing it eloquently.

An intense indescribable feeling spread across him, blurring his eyes “Appa, won’t you come in?” she asked meekly. He looked up and saw a reflection of his eyes in his daughter’s face. Had I even noticed this before?

He smiled weakly and said, “ Neenu hogamma, I got two more trips to make.”

She got out and watched as the car reversed & the rear window with its gaudy sticker in bold white saying “Chetan” slowly fading its way out of the street.