It was all very amusing at first, when directions were being rattled out instantaneously. You stopped, asked a rikshawalla how to get to Khadakwasla (which my camera man insisted on renaming Khadak-salsa..part an interest in dance, part bad memory!) and they'd immediately say straight, teesra left, chautha right aur signal se gol.
To me, the obvious babe in the woods here, this seemed a display of great knowledge. Especially, when in Bombay i need to give directions to the same autowalla even to get from the station to my place... this seemed unusually easy. Of course, only later... does the "signal se gol" hit you in the face.
So if you're going somewhat in the right direction, "they'll make sure you stray", said our wise driver.. if you're going in a completely wrong direction.. "then you'll be given the ICICI gesture of hum hai na.". ..(their way of really making you feel like your on the right path.. heck now...nothing can go wrong!) and if by the grace of god.. you do happen to be going in the right direction.. and you make the horrible mistake of confirming.. you can be sure.. they'll make it a point to take you off the right path, twist, turn... and direct you to ..anywhere but where you wanna go.. "saab maine bola tha, rikshawaale bahut ghumaate hai"
With time running out, and a Major waiting to meet us at NDA, arguing wasn't buying me time..( actually neither was taking directions... but where was the choice!). knowing fully well, that we had to be at the academy at, like the jawans would say, at 15:30 hrs.. we knew now more than ever we needed the right directions.
We stopped, looked at a rikshawalla, trying to judge if the halo overpowered the horns.. and then as he smiled at us, probably ready with his directions.. even before we asked him where we wanted to go.. my cameraman asked an older uncle on a scooter for, what else but Khadak-salsa!
Despite the mispronounced name (no doubt, definitely more catchy!) , we were told that we'd been circling the academy all along.. !
now one hates to be judgemental .. but if you're in a hurry, one learnt, in pune dont ask the rikshawallas for directions.
Of course, if you're looking to make a fashionable late entry.. .. well then.. you know who to look for! The rikshawallas will take care of that! ;)
first published:January 26, 2007, 02:41 ISTlast updated:January 26, 2007, 02:41 IST
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Not that I wasn't warned! "Saaab, riksha waale se raasta mat poochna. bahut ghoomate hai ". The driver, clearly more well travelled than the cameraman and I put together, decided he wasn't going to be fooled by rikshawalas in pune. From what we learnt much later on our trip, there's some strange kind of pleasure the auto wallas derive from confusing travellers. And we were their chosen victims that day!
It was all very amusing at first, when directions were being rattled out instantaneously. You stopped, asked a rikshawalla how to get to Khadakwasla (which my camera man insisted on renaming Khadak-salsa..part an interest in dance, part bad memory!) and they'd immediately say straight, teesra left, chautha right aur signal se gol.
To me, the obvious babe in the woods here, this seemed a display of great knowledge. Especially, when in Bombay i need to give directions to the same autowalla even to get from the station to my place... this seemed unusually easy. Of course, only later... does the "signal se gol" hit you in the face.
So if you're going somewhat in the right direction, "they'll make sure you stray", said our wise driver.. if you're going in a completely wrong direction.. "then you'll be given the ICICI gesture of hum hai na.". ..(their way of really making you feel like your on the right path.. heck now...nothing can go wrong!) and if by the grace of god.. you do happen to be going in the right direction.. and you make the horrible mistake of confirming.. you can be sure.. they'll make it a point to take you off the right path, twist, turn... and direct you to ..anywhere but where you wanna go.. "saab maine bola tha, rikshawaale bahut ghumaate hai"
With time running out, and a Major waiting to meet us at NDA, arguing wasn't buying me time..( actually neither was taking directions... but where was the choice!). knowing fully well, that we had to be at the academy at, like the jawans would say, at 15:30 hrs.. we knew now more than ever we needed the right directions.
We stopped, looked at a rikshawalla, trying to judge if the halo overpowered the horns.. and then as he smiled at us, probably ready with his directions.. even before we asked him where we wanted to go.. my cameraman asked an older uncle on a scooter for, what else but Khadak-salsa!
Despite the mispronounced name (no doubt, definitely more catchy!) , we were told that we'd been circling the academy all along.. !
now one hates to be judgemental .. but if you're in a hurry, one learnt, in pune dont ask the rikshawallas for directions.
Of course, if you're looking to make a fashionable late entry.. .. well then.. you know who to look for! The rikshawallas will take care of that! ;)
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