Sir, there is lot of water on the road.

Yeah, I know, but what else I can do. In any condition I have to reach the railway station, besides you have already agreed to take me to railway station.

I am not blaming you sir, but really there is lot of water on the road.

.... hmm....

Did you see sir, those other auto-rickshaws.... on the road.... Those were driven by the new drivers or those who have just learned to drive an auto-rickshaw.

What?

You know driving an auto-rickshaw is an art in itself. You need to know when to accelerate, when to take a turn, when to change gears, when to brake.

What an art in itself? Are you drunk?

Sir, have you learned driving a car?

Off course, yes!! In fact I own three of them. (How the hell he knows whether I actually own or not, why should I loose my status)

Remember the first time you drove? Most probably while de-clutching, the engine would have stopped.

Yes, that’s right.

Do you consider driving a car as an art?

I don't have enough time to think of all these. I just used to drive; now I have kept a driver.

Then you haven't driven at all....

Nope that’s not true. I have been to many places..... Not very far but yes I have taken the car out. (Actually I dreaded taking car out on highways and busy streets of this big city. I used to blast everybody for reckless driving. And after two-dents and equally alarming costs to get them removed, I had kept a driver. What a relief it had been, just sitting behind and forgetting about all these tensions of driving.)

Have you never thought of going on long drive in a pleasant weather? Leisurely as if you don't have any work, you are a billionaire; like a free bird just go on driving; eat when you want to; sleep when you want to; drink when you want to......

No point about thinking all these fallacies... (But I must admit this guy has something. I work so hard to earn that damn money so that I have a social status and can enjoy all these luxuries, yet I lead a miserable life. Why did I choose this rickshaw? Damn-it!!!)

Sir, I sure you haven't traveled in a long long time.

What? Right now I am traveling... Don't you see I have a bag right here in your rickshaw which is getting wet at this very moment, I am drenched and I have to catch train within half hour.

Sir, you are traveling only because you are forced to… probably a so-called visit. But yes, the rain, you reminded me from where this conversation started. There is lot of water on the road.....

Yes I know, it’s been raining like hell since last 4 hours. So what should one expect?

Sir...

A dry road as in summer?

Sir, did you see that the way I drove rickshaw through that road, with knee high water level.

Yes, that dirty water was coming inside the rickshaw... you were fool not to change gear and zoom past instead you chose to drive in that pathetic first gear. The engine and rickshaw was screaming.

Sir, Don’t get wrong but I see you do not have much patience…

What? (Talking about patience that reminds me of my earlier four start-ups that have gone into smoke with equally speed with which they had come up. I am certain nobody knows who I am after all who writes about a loser, but how the hell he knows…..)

Nope, that was the only way to drive through. Did you not see so many rickshaws stranded on the same road? Those poor people tried to change gears and there engine switched off.

What? How can an engine switch off just by changing gears?

The engine switched off because the water level on the road was very high. Changing gear in such condition means allowing water to enter into engine. The engine is the strongest component of the rickshaw; it powers your vehicle and without it your vehicle is nothing but a piece of junk; but it is the weakest link when it rains.

What are you trying to say?

Let me take an example sir, during any crisis do we not say that “paani naak tak pahuch gaya hai”, it is similar here. Take simple example, our nose is the most critical component of our body. Isn’t it? Without breathing you can not survive. Maybe you can hold your breath for sometime, but not for long time. When are learning swimming, during your first class you can not float your body, and water enters into your nose. You immediately come out of the water, otherwise you will die. Isn’t it? Similarly when water enters the engine, it damages it. In the flooded streets, you can not take the engine out of your vehicle, but if it is on, make sure that you keep it at full throttle so that the exhaust does not allow water to enter inside. Changing gears meant you allowed water to enter inside; though that will not damage engine, but it will definitely switch off. And with this rain pouring continuously it will not start immediately.

Hmmm… But why are you telling me all this?

Sir, I sensed your restlessness when I was driving in the same gear through that RV road. Anyway here we reach railway station...

....

Sir, Aren't you getting late?

I got up, paid the amount, smiled at him and walked off.

(Later when I was recalling it and from my past experiences it all follows the similar pattern. Just try to hold on for some more time when you are in crisis. Had I tried to hold on my startups maybe I would have succeeded; actually they were not making any profit but they were not making any loss either. Maybe instead of jumping to conclusions early, some of them too early, I should have handled with little more patience and things could have sorted well. Maybe this realization now that my business partner was not cheating me by diverting funds but was simply planning for the future of the company would not have hit me hard. I should have had little patience, and tried to figure out things rather than having had that dreaded fight... I would still have been in the company… He still would have been my closest/best friend as he has been for the past 25 years. It takes long time to build a reputation and trust, but just a moment to destroy. )