“Main? Bus driver hoon ji...”this was what I got as a reply when I asked the driver who he was. Strange, isn’t it? Because generally when asked who we are, we immediately tell our name to identify ourselves. His reply caught my attention .I wanted to know more. So I started questioning him----

‘Jeevandas’, a man in his late thirties, stout and sturdy just like any other man around ,but...still he carried around him a strange aura. A ting of mystery.

Not enough...I have to know more I said to myself. I tried my luck and asked about his family and this time I get a stern look...as if I was trespassing privacy...I saw he did not like it. No one would actually...!But I tried again telling him I was from the media and I got a sullen answer—wife and a Girl child, Arzoo, old parents and a sister old enough to get married. Quite to the point answer. No. I thought...he could tell me more. But I decided to respect silence for a while and let him concentrate on his driving and his life which I had just maelstormed.I glanced a look or two at him every now and then...too unaffected, I thought. Huh! No use! I can never make this stone talk! I glanced at him for the last time, cursing him under my breath! I started thinking for some other story. It was sunset. What a coincidence I thought! Even my job would get a sunset if I did not get a story for my boss. My job was at stake. I could be fired!

I stared at the setting sun...too disheartened.

“Pandrah ghante ki duty hove hai...ke karoon clutch, break, gear.sadak...bus yehi dikhe hai...yehi zindagi hai. Kabhi kabhi toh lage hai jaise main bus ko nai bus mujhe chalave hai...”and he laughed a laughter hidden with lost hopes and crushed desires. But who cared. I was astounded.Great! Finally, I have something for the news column won’t be fired! I rummaged my bag for a pen and paper excited about the story and my bonus awaiting me.

So you work for a newspaper. He asked me in his haryanvi-Hindi. I nodded and in my short hand, I quickly wrote what he had said earlier.

-15hrs duty-life revolves around break and the road-in short he

THE DRIVEN

Thereafter he told me what I asked, very obediently like a school kid answering his teacher, honestly.I kept juggling from listening haryanvi to translating it to sane English as he said....

It is a fifteen hours duty madamji.One route if it is a long route duty and four to five route if it is a short route duty. The only holiday for me is a Sunday that too depends on my boss.Ke kare? Main contract basis pe hoon na ji...sab kuch maanana pade hai...what to do? What to do? I am on contract basis...I have to agree to whatever they say.

And then a long pause...

The contract is for eight years .He began. After eight years if they are kind enough I will stay or else search for a new job. For next eight years, I will have to live with the salary of 2000rs per month and 2% commission; it is hardly 3500rs in all. Penteesaw (3500rs) mein kuch bhi nahi bane hai madam ji...

Yet another pause. I waited for him to speak again. But he was dazed, lost in his own thoughts. I had no time for sentiments. My quest for money had killed them a long time back.

I moved on with my next question. I loved traveling, so do most of the people...so I even asked him.

Main toh bahut ghooma hoon ji. (I have traveled a lot.) From himachal to Delhi and haridvar and all of Uttar Pradesh...I have seen it all...all the raods, streets, buildings...everything...

Par ab main thank chukka hoon... (But now...I am tired...)

...and then his voice choked...I could see him fighting back his emotions. His eyes strained .I stopped writing.

He glanced a look at me, then again got back to the long black stretch. I was touched. I wanted to ask if he was fine. But I did not. I felt ashamed. I had forced him to stand face-to-face with reality. Crude and raw.

He began again, in a much sobered tone this time.

“To be a driver you need to be a tenth pass but I am a graduate. I wanted to be a teacher you know...commerce...I wanted to be a commerce teacher...” He said, smiling, as if he was recapitulating the theories and the formulae’s of commerce...” even sat for the government teacher exams and cleared it with very good marks. But I could not get through the interview...” His voice saddened.

“Pahunch nai thi na madam ji...gorment opposition ki thi...” (I did not have the approach after all...the opposition government was in rule.)

“Huh!” He sighed..., as he took a break, thinking why it happened to him.

“Yeh saali gorment...” (This bloody government!) His expression was that of disgust and loath. I guess he wanted to abuse more, vent out his anger but did not because he was talking to a young girl...

“Then what ...because of some family circumstances I sat for this job’s exam...praying that I won’t clear it even this time... par saali ,bhen**** kismet bhi toh aisi hai...maine isi mein select hona tha...bus tab se aaj tak isi seat se chipka hoon!”

Suddenly the bus screeched to a halt. I realized it was my bus stop...I shifted from my seat keeping the pen and paper in my bag to get down when he said... “My life has also become just like a bus stop...no fixed timings, no security, only toiling hard...each day like a bus, a new route...a new destination...unknown ...unwelcomed...” The bus moved for the next stop...I was still there... “Kabhi teen baje, toh kabhi raat k eek baje...koi timing nai hai...jab shift lagti hai, uthta hoon aur chal padhta hoon... gareeb hai na ji...gorment ne kaha hamari sunanni hai... over routing se itna beemar hote hai hum log...” His tone changed, he was becoming the representative of the whole clan of his fellow drivers and conductors now.

‘Mostly we route from a cold area to a hot area or vice versa. This frequent whether change affects our health too much. We are not even provided with facilities for night stays during the night routes...” He stopped...He was a bit calm now, composed yet a little irritated by his helplessness about all of this. He said nothing more...All I asked was, “Then?”

“Fir kya madam ji...gaadi mein he sote hai...garmi, sardi, barsaat...koi farak nahi padhta.pucce ho gaye hai...gaadi ki tarah.” And then he laughs...Now he was feeling much better, because he had a more cheerful tone, he would often smile and laugh more. And despite a big age difference, we had become friends for the journey. Even though we were total strangers for one another...!

“I have now been driving for ten to fifteen years, but I have never seen a savari (passenger) like you. Passengers are mostly rude and they treat us like next to nothing. The ones who are good hardly care about us, they are too busy with their own lives you see. Nobody actually sees what we go through everyday. Koi nahi dekhta...gorment bhi jhoothe vaade karti hai ji...hum log ki toh koi sunta he nahi...I have only one complaint madam ji...That politics not only governs us but it also controls our lives and our fate.”

When I asked, why he and the others never raise a protest or object to this, he simply said... “Gorment se kaun lade madam ji...voh bhi jab uske paas gundagardi ka license ho! We have protested a lot madam ji...now we are use to all this...par haar nahi mani hai madam ji...I just hang on to whatever ray of hope I see... After all I have responsibilities...I am a father. And I do not want my daughter to be ashamed of me...I do not want to be a looser in her eyes. That is why I am still living...TO FIGHT YET ANOTHET DAY!” I was amazed at the amount of wisdom and open mindedness of this man...whom I thought to be JUST a driver. I was assured that his daughter had a good future... life was his teacher and he would be the best teacher to his daughter...

It was the last stop for the day...the bus finally came to a halt...so did our conversation. Suddenly I was able to detach myself from everyone else in the bus and view the passengers from JEEVANDAS’ eyes. A sudden peace fell over me. Every thing else faded out. I looked at him. Really...he was ‘JEEVANDAS’----THE LIFE SERVER...I smiled at him...not knowing what to say I just said “Aap bahut ache hai...real life teacher hai.Please do tell me if I can help you in anyway.” He paused for a while, smiling at me, may be comparing my young age to the harsh realities of life...and then he said, “As my passenger, I don’t want any favours from you...I will manage my life even as a driver...But yes...now that you have honoured me as a teacher, I can only advice you... ya fir yeh keh lo ki guru dakshina maang raha hoon...”

And then he continued with a teacher like voice... “Respect power and authority, but always stand by truth. after all life is not only about earning and spending lavishly...its about having some principles and sticking to them...even if everything else in the world comes down to pieces... Haina bete ji?” And he placed his hand on my head and blessing me, he said... “Unchayion ko chuon bete ji... asmaano main udo... par paon hamesha zameen pe rakho... hamesha zameen pe rakho...”

He walked off... I stood there for a long while seeing JEEVANDAS, walking down joyously with a smiling face towards what he loaths the most...the reporting office...the political gundas...and then he disappeared among the crowd of drivers...

My eyes were moist...both with happiness and for the sad state of so many people’s lives. I took another bus and hurried toward my office compiling the story on my way. I put the story on my boss’ desk...not with the hope of getting my bonus (that had died way back when JEEVANDAS’ hope in life had reborn because of me...) but with the hope that may be this little story would haul up authorities in some way or the other...

I still try to haul up the authorities... It has been a year now... it is my birthday today...and as I drive down towards the peaceful lake to have a few quite moments to myself at the days end after all the fun and party...i remember him...JEEVANDAS...

My friend and my guru for life...who gave me a beautiful and eternal; gift last year...

The gift ...the way leading to a real life!

And this gift rejuvenates every time I learn something new about life ...Now I gaze at the setting sun...cheerfully this time...wishing that may my gurus life always have a brighter sunrise after each sunset...!