Autobiography

Till my 1st grade we were in a small village. After that, we moved to Chennai, the bustling capital city of the state of Tamil Nadu. I was 6 years old, in my 2nd grade. For a 6-year-old, the whole world itself is quite new, let alone Chennai. It was totally new.

My sisters and I attended the same school at that time. Our 45-minute commute was in a crowded school van, which had makeshift benches in addition to the standard seats a van would have to accommodate as many kids as possible.

My classes were in the primary school campus, a little away from the high school building where my sisters studied. After school, we would meet in the school van, stationed at the end of a street midway from both our buildings and then go home, which was 4 km away. This was the usual scenario on weekdays.

A week went past. Then came a fine sunny Saturday. We had school that day to compensate for some holiday. After throwing a tantrum, I realized there was no option of skipping school. We went to school by hiring an auto rickshaw. After school, I went to the usual same place to board the school van. But to my shock, the van was not there. And to add to that shock, there was a bigger one. I couldn’t see my angelic sisters.

Later I came to know that the driver had a policy of not working on weekends. Fair and reasonable. That’s why in the first place, my parents hired an auto rickshaw in the morning. Brilliant. And the reason for the second shock was unfathomable. Probably, my sisters screwed me over for something that I had done to them in the past. I waited for my sisters. For more than 15 mins. For god-knows-why, they didn’t come at all.

There comes a time in everyone’s life, to make an important decision. To make use of all the years of education he/she had had. I realized that that was the moment in my life. To make an all-important decision. To make use of all the 2 years of education I had had. I had two options. One, to wait till the end of the world for my sisters to come. Or two, to take an auto rickshaw and go home. Guess what I chose. Yes, right. I took the better option. An Auto rickshaw.

Me: “Brother, Home. Go. Jeyammal Street, Aminjikarai”.

Auto guy: “40 rupees”.

Me: “Morning, I give 30 rupees.”

Auto guy: “40. You decide. Come or not come”

My conscience: “He’s asking me to decide. See I thought this was the moment to make the important decision. And he also says the same. So IT IS THE MOMENT”

Me: “40 ok brother”

After 10 mins,

Me: “brother, this route. New route. I don’t know.”

Auto guy: “This. shortcut. Don’t worry, I no Kidnap”

Reached the familiar street near my house. Then I directed him to my house. My parents had come back from work. And guess who else were there. My angelic sisters. No, now I should only say sisters and cut the “angelic” part or even cut the “sisters” part as well. It seems that they had searched for me and I was not to be found anywhere. I will remember this till the end of time.

They had reached home and informed my parents that I was missing and everybody had started to panic. When I finally arrived, they were so happy. My father came running, grabbed me and hugged me tightly. My mother had to cut off the auto rickshaw.

Dad to mom: “Give extra tips and cut him off”

Mom: “Thank you so much, brother. How much I owe you?”

Auto guy: “40 rupees”.

Mom: “We usually give only 30 rupees.”

Auto guy: “Small child. I got home safely. And also, he said 40 ok. Now, What is this?”

Mom: “This is cheating.”

Auto guy: “Boy gave word.”

Mom: “We are not new to this place. We know how much it costs for this journey.”

Auto guy: “40 madam. Or I no go.”

Mom: “Okay. Take it. I hope to never see you again.”

Mom to me: “Hey dear, am so happy that you came back”Me: ????????

P.S

1) I know that my mom loves me. But bargaining comes in our Indian blood.

2) Since it’s based on an auto, I named it Autobiography.