LESSONS FROM A RIDE WITH BONEY RAJA

It was a Sunday morning and I had just got up early and dressed up, to go to church. I would always be lazy to prepare the previous day, for a Sunday morning, be it keeping a set of clothes ready, polishing my shoes or checking the fuel level in my car.  Since this would be after a grueling five-day week at work and a busy Saturday, replete with home chores, the Sunday preparations usually worked out well for me. But this Sunday was different as I had noticed that the fuel level was pretty low only that morning and waiting at the petrol bunk beeline, would end up my being late for church. Without doing any further research on it, I stepped into the street and looked out for an auto rickshaw.

 I had to wait for a while, before I spotted one slowly inching towards me from a bend, about a hundred metres away. Its approach had an amenable character about it, contrary to the otherwise aggressive and adamant nature an autorickshaw would portray, during peak hours. I waited as it slowly negotiated the potholes and stopped near me, seeing me stand. Since I was tall, my eyes were at a level, above the roof of the auto rickshaw. A head popped out and asked me "Good morning Sir. Where are you going Sir?” in Tamil. His suave touch impressed me, "Loyola College", I replied and even before my response was half way through, his reply came through "Rs.200".  I found it difficult to take, as I knew the fare would be around Rs.150 only. And so, I tried to bargain with him and after a while, he told me "Sir, this is today's first boney. So please let’s not argue. Give me whatever makes you happy".  I was taken aback with his abrupt answer, but I got in. The "first boney" is the first money they earn as fare from a customer. I knew that most drivers, always made it a point, to get a good sum on the first ride, as they believed it to be a good portent. But here, I saw patience being exhibited by an autorickshaw driver the first time.

We were moving at a good pace and he switched on music from a player. Coincidentally, that music was something I loved. There were three different English newspapers of day inside. "Can I read these newspapers?", I asked while I was still in a state of surprise. "Yes Sir, those are for customers like you", he replied. He handled the speed breakers with extreme care, thus ensuring that not only the front wheel but also that the back wheels, directly on top of which my seat was, went over smoothly. Frankly, I fell in love with his driving and customer care, that moment. "So where is your auto stand?” I asked, opening up a conversation. "Near the Anna Nagar bus stand Sir", he replied. “How much do you earn a day?” I asked, hesitantly going a step more, as I thought, questions around one's income, were mostly not entertained by anyone. "Well, about Rs.1500. I believe that if I begin on a happy note, I may even earn much more", he replied. Beginning on a happy note and earning a sizeable fare were different things I thought. "So, do you ensure, that you get the fare that you have in mind, from the first customer, everyday?” I asked with a small smile. He detected the smile through the mirror, reciprocated with one and said, "I wish, it happens Sir. Arguing for it, affects me a lot. So, if the fare is a little fine, I let go and accept what they give ".

“A great character”, I thought, as many times I could not display the same kind of patience with the first person I met at my workplace, who approached me with a work request. "Once I had a first customer who got in after discussing for a fare of Rs.60, without knowing his destination accurately. After reaching an approximate location, we went on and on and searched for the destination and finally located it. We would have gone an extra four kilometres. But in the end, he just paid me the same fare. I did not argue, but indicated about it and received it with a smile. But somehow, the rest of the day, gave me a huge collection from several customers," he recalled again, with a smile. We reached the dropping point. I asked him his name. "Raja, Sir", he replied. I surprised him, by paying him the original fare that he had told me. Boney Raja, as I refer to him today, left me with a good lesson, on how I could begin a day well, at my workplace.

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