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I, Mr. Raghuveer Prasad, am a truck driver & the narrator of this story. I have been working for 20 years as a full time driver under "Pandit Ji Truck Service". This place is 60 km away from my home. Everyday my work starts at 7am. And my job is to pick up the call & reach the doorstep of anyone who needs a truck.
So after driving 25km i would stop near a tea stall that also sells Idli & curry. I would leave my BOXER near that stall, take a tea & start walking to a nearby cricket field just behind the stall. There I would meet Biju Sir, a 40 year old truck driver & the main character of this story. He has never been a teacher. He is even younger to me. Still i call him sir. Everybody calls him by that name. Biju Sir. Sometimes his father too.
Me : Sir these days you are skipping a lot of driving. What's the matter ?
Sir : Some family works Raghu.
I believe your health is fine.
Yes ....yes....I am perfectly fine..
Did you get any call today ?
Yes....Its a residential complex near Sangam. You know where Sangam is ?
Ofcourse Sir...I have been to that place a 100 times.
Ha ha....I doubt there is any place in 100 km radius that you don't know.
I started scratching my head before saying "yeees.... I guess"
"Let's have some Idli now" sir suggested.
Sir is very fond of Idli. One day he ate 15 idli at a time . Then he took a pause. "You are not going to eat your lunch today..right ?" I asked. "Why" sir replied. "Please give me 5 more". The tea stall owner "Sanatan Babu" is a life long friend of Biju Sir since that day. Today Sir ate only 5 Idli & I ate 4.
"Sir these days you are not eating like you used to" I said.
"Slowly my interest in food is reducing".
"You are talking about idli or food in general ?"
"In general"
"Please don't say like that....When you eat a lot you seem happy....And you happy means I happy".
"Ha ha...What are you saying...Ok, let's pick our bikes...Its 6.15 & we have to reach the service center by 6.50."
The sun spread all over the highway. Both of us picked our bikes & pressed the accelerator at 60 until we reached the service centre. There we left our bikes in the basement. Then we part our way by saying "Cheers to another day on the highway". We have been saying this since the day we met each other in the service centre 10 years back & became close friend.
That day my time was postponed to 8am. So I was free for 1 hour. That's why I was wandering inside the service centre. I noticed Pandit Ji, the owner of the service centre, is getting angry over Biju Sir. I approached him & asked "Pandit Ji what's the matter ?"
Pandit ji : What's wrong with Biju ? Sometimes he is absent. Sometimes he is present & not ready to drive. If this continues I will throw him out from his position.
Me : Why don't you ask him the reason ?
Pandit ji : He rarely gives a clear answer. Only God can understand him.
Me : Anyway...let me find him.
I went to the basement. Didn't find. I went to the main building. Didn't find. I searched every corner, still didn't find. Then I gave up & went back to report Pandit Ji. Just before I was about to report I noticed Biju Sir coming out from the basement. I was in disbelief. I checked that area 5 times, but didn't find him. And now he is coming out.
Me : (Smiling) Sir, are you learning some magic tricks these days ? Where were you ?
Sir : In the basement. Actually I was searching my bike key there.
"Quickly meet Pandit Ji" I stressed...He is on fire.
"Okay...Now give me a bidi"
I gave him & asked "Are you ever going to stop smoking ?"
"Ha ha....let's see...ok I am going to meet Pandit Ji....see you tomorrow"
It was sharp 8am. I jumped over my truck & went ahead on my journey. So did Biju Sir, although he had to undergo some serious interrogation. I drove all day over the NH-64 highway. I had to deliver a homeful of equipments to a petrol station. I delivered the equipments around 12 pm. After delivery i took my lunch at a jhupdi hotel. He served all sorts of local cuisine you can imagine. I had a blast. Then I returned straight to the service center.
On my way back I found a truck, totally crashed. It was a terrible accident. Its front frame was smashed into pieces & its 2 front wheels were out from the body. A crowd gathered around it within 5 minutes. I joined the crowd. Few courageous men gently dragged the body out from the sheet. It was Biju Sir. My heart stopped for a moment. There was no time to think anything. We arranged an ambulance & admitted him at a hospital.
His family members joined after an hour. His wife, daughter & father were in traumatic astonishment. They sought to see him but he was in ICU. "What could have gone wrong ?" I thought in latter days. I knew he is an experienced driver. And as per people, there was not any vehicle that hit that truck. Was he disturbed ? Did the truck start to malfunction ? What else could have happened ? My mind was littered with questions. After 3 days he was out from the ICU & the doctor assured he will be fine. Finally, I along with the whole family took a breath of respite.
On day 4, after my day job I visited him at the hospital. He could see clearly & was talking slowly. I approached him & sit on the chair nearby. He was looking timid, so I insisted him a half glass water, which he denied silently. I looked him for 2 minutes & then asked "So..How did this happen ?"
Biju Sir : "Oh that's nothing...just my eyes dropped for a second"
Me : What do you mean by your eyes dropped ? Did you not sleep last night ?
Stop being so intimidating Raghu. I am still a patient.
Okay. Did you not sleep last night ?
I did.
I doubt that. You are a sweet liar. I know that. You are never open about anything.
But don't worry. I am fine now.
Oh..you are fine now..Hey mister..You better thank god you didn't die.
Yes..But I am a human too. I make mistakes.
But you are not allowed to make mistakes after 20 years of driving. You are forgetting you have got a family there. For god sake tell me what's going on in your mind. We will fix this together.
Nothing Raghu. It's just my eyes dropped.
Okay man. See you.
I left hospital without an answer. Latter I arrived at my home. Took a shower. Watched TV. When it was 9 pm I had my dinner & went to bed. That day I couldn't sleep. I thought Biju is hiding something. I could sense this in his voice. You know something ? I also had a similar incident 5 years back, when I was driving on the highway.
The day before that incident I was worried about my son. He was 18. He had recently joined an engineering college. So i had to arrange 1 Lakh for his admission. Next day I went to the service center with a heavy head. I was disturbed all day. I took the truck for delivery. I was driving but I was lost. In split of a second, I hit a car parked on the left side. Its rear end turned into fragments. Luckily the driver was not there. Since the speed was less I was fine too. I thought may be Biju is dealing with some family issues. Anyway, he is a gentleman. What else could send him to worry ?
On day 5, I again visited hospital. This time not to meet Biju but to his father, a 72 year old man. He rarely sits near Biju. I have never asked why. Very often uncle would sit outside the hospital under a coconut tree. When I went there he was asleep. I woke him up gently & greeted with a "Hello". I had seen him a lot but never talked partly because one day he saw me smoking & drinking profusely. I was ashamed. So it was awkward to start a conversation.
"Uncle how are you ?" I asked.
"Fine" he replied in his baritone voice.
"Why are you under this tree ?"
"I can't handle the smell inside the hospital. Besides the air is cool here"
"Uncle I wanted to ask you something. Its about that accident."
"Hmm...Ask"
I told him everything about yesterday's discussion with Biju. Uncle listened me patiently. Either he was a good listener or I guess when people grow older they listen more than they tell. I asked "Is there anything going on in your family that is causing him any mental or emotional pain ?". And also I told him that he is not eating like before & if he doesn't believe me he can contact Sanatan Babu.
"That's family affair. Why would I share with you ? I don't even believe you will keep things to yourself" Uncle said.
"Why not uncle ?"
"Well...you smoke & drink a lot. Who knows when you will spill the bean in the society. Then things will go out of hand"
"Uncle no matter how much I drink I always keep myself under control. You can believe me"
"Son, every drunkard says like that"
After his response suddenly I got angry from inside. But from outside I kept calm & tried to convince him again. Then I decided to lift the burden of telling him my story. How I faced a similar incident & how god saved me from a near death. After listening my story uncle felt convinced. He agreed to share. That day I realised how hard it is for a drunkard to convince a person & how rarely people believe a person who surrenders himself to substance abuse even though he is a good guy.
Uncle started...
You were taking about eating less. Ha ha..I don't even recall when is the last time he took a happy dinner. Some times he will drink only a glass of water & go to sleep. Next day he will go directly to work.
Really ? But why ?
That's a big why son. You are a married person. You know how life works, when you get married.
Could you elaborate ?
"He has some issues with Renu, his wife"
"Is it something related to his sex life ?"
"No...No...No...You idiot. It's some financial issues"
"Next year sima, his daughter, will marry. A lot of money is required. But his salary is not enough"
"So ?"
"So every night he comes from work, he goes through some verbal torture from Renu. While he is eating, she would keep raising such pointing remarks on his income & sometimes on his character too. This make him angry & mostly he misses his dinner"
"But what Biju can do then ? Afterall, he is a driver. He can't earn 50000 per month just because his daughter has to marry. His wife should understand how things work"
"Well...Can't speak about his wife...but these things are out from my hand now. I tried to arrange some talk in the family, but didn't work"
After all these conversation I thanked Uncle for his cooperation & bid him a goodbye. I went my home, watched TV for a while & went to bed. Next day after work I again paid a visit to Biju Sir for the last time in the hospital.
This time before entering the hospital I stood outside for 15 minutes, confused & clueless about what to say. I was not even sure whether I really wanted to go inside. Somehow I gathered courage, entered the hospital & sat next to him. I thought I would offer him a glass of water, like last time. But I didn't. May be because I was angry in some way. May be because I was lost in some way. I don't know. Whatever.
"Ummm...You seem quite tensed. What happended ?" asked Biju Sir.
I smiled.
"You are not planning to give me a lecture like last time, right ?"
"No no no...lecture ? Hell no....that's the job of your wife...not mine"
"Wife ? What are you talking about ?"
"I heard you get inspiring lectures from your wife during dinner. May be that's why you are so eager to work these days"
His face turned grey & voice silent.
"May be you wonder how I know all that family stuff. Actually it doesn't matter. By the way, do you know, Pandit ji has hiked your monthly salary ?"
"Really ?"
"Yeah...your daughter is marrying & Pandit ji can't see you unhappy"
"How much ?"
"You really believed me. Didn't you ?"
"Oh stop your flattery now"
"I will...but first you have to tell me when you are going to settle your issues with your wife"
"Man....I have tried....I am telling you it will not change nothing"
"May be you are not having a conversation in the right way"
"What do you mean?"
You have to figure out what I mean, but I will say this "At some point of time you have to take charge of your situation & handle the discussion like a man. Avoiding is never the solution. Believe me it does no good to you or your family if you keep suffering like this. It's time to put an end to your suffering....& you know that, bdw"
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