Malegaon to Dhule & Taxi man

Government buses are at strike for more than 40 days in Maharashtra. So I am travelling in this 2000 make black & yellow coloured taxi, sitting besides the driver with my legs separating across the gear. The taxi man of this vehicle makes two trips in a day between Malegaon & Dhule. He starts his day early morning at 4 O clock. At the stand, there would be a queue, so the earlier the better. Eight travellers can sit in it at one go. That's 32 for the whole day and he earns almost 3k bucks with it. Anyway, the taxi man soon started to share with me his personal story. He has three taxis. The other two are 1995 & 1998 make. They soon are going to be scrapped.

In his own words, "today's generation do not listen to their elders.. If pushed, they will do something of extreme", he said swirling a finger across his neck. He continued, "my elder son does not listen to me. He doesn't want to work hard. Now I stopped pushing him. But I will work anyway, till my body respond. I have married him too with a girl.. But no change in him at all!". Taxi man used to be a farmer and later on he owned a garage for 25 years. Post lockdown, it has to be shut down and now he is content with this driving work.

He went on to say that his younger son had a critical disease Wilson, as it is called. In this the veins inside the body burst and the person would vomit blood. He was suffering from it since 2006. At 2017, he was only 22 years old when his condition became severe. Doctor said that his lever will have to be changed and it will require at least 40 Lakh rupees and so on. The operation would be done in a big city, either Hyderabad or somewhere else. He will be required to wait for the donor. Taxi man readied to the proposal, and that he would sell everything he possess but save his dying son. He later told that doctor convinced him not to go for it as it will be risky and he will lose everything in the process. Driving at 40kmph speed and looking at the long highway, he said that, "my son is no more". There was a bit of silence post this information. We went quiet. Not knowing what to say I was now looking outside the window.

Dhule is at a 100km distance from the Gujarat border. This zone lies on the Northern side of Maharashtra. It is engrossed with several hills. The terrain looks sparse and a victim of deforestation. Hence with rain, the soil doesn't hold the ground and desertification seems to be a fastening factor in here. Taxi man stopped at the roadside and bought a ring of marigold flowers for his taxi.

Pointing to his stomach, he started again, "I have had two attacks and a major operation in the stomach". As per him, "my wife just couldn't believe that we are subjected to so much sufferings... She wouldn't eat for days and fast..." People in this region, especially the farmers are sincere worshippers of Lord Vitthal, one of the incarnated forms of Lord Vishnu. Well, Hindus believe that out of the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh, Lord Brahma was responsible for the creation of the universe. Vishnu is responsible for the flow of life in the live universe. Lord Shiva is the destructor.

Not so soon, but my destination arrived. I shook firm hand with the strong man and took my leave with a perplexed mind. Taxi man would now make a queue at the stand for completing the 2nd trip of the day.