Free Cab Ride

by Bhaskar Ramchandran, B. Tech, Mech E, H2

When I was around 11 years old, my father enrolled me in a 3-month swimming course for beginners at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial pool at Shivaji Park.

We had weekly one-hour lessons every Sunday. We lived in Matunga, and I commuted to Shivaji Park by bus. We were not used to getting pocket money as kids. I was given about 8 annas every Sunday to cover the 4 anna bus fare and another 4 annas for a sandwich from a stall near the pool, as swimming used to make me hungry.

On the last day of the course, there was a class competition and we were issued a certificate.

After that, I was so famished with hunger that I used up all the money on eating and was left with no bus fare.

Now, I was in a quandary. The bus conductor would not allow me to travel without paying for the ticket. Walking back was not an option as I was too tired. I was desperate. Asking for a lift was not feasible too.

I hailed a taxi, and the cabbie asked where I wanted to go. With as innocent a face as I could, I said, “Africa House, Kings Circle.”

Africa House was a nice bungalow on the way from my house to my school, near Don Bosco in Kings Circle. My school was in Wadala, and we used to pass this nice bungalow every day on our walk to our school and admire it. Africa House had a high compound wall in front, but the entry gate was generally open.

When the cabbie reached the destination, I asked him about the fare. He said something like “Six rupees”. I pretended to look in my pocket and then told him, “Zara tehro, andhar se leke aata hoon.”

He nodded and I walked inside the bungalow at a normal pace. Once inside, I sprinted, climbed over the back wall, and ran all the way home.

Till today, I feel sorry for that cabbie. Cautiously, I never travelled by cab anywhere for close to a year after the incident It is incredible what the Devil can prompt you to do!