JOURNEYS & JOURNEYS –  36

 Riksha ride in Jaipur.

It was sometime in the 1970s. The All India Conference of the AITEEU Class III was being held at Jaipur, Rajasthan.  Myself and wife Pankajam were delegates to the Conference. We were accommodated in a dharmasala some distance away from the Conference place. There were other delegates also.

After the session for the day, when we started to return it was already late and was becoming dark.May be around  07.00 PM. We engaged a hand pulled  riksha and told the driver our destination.

We reached a steep hill and it became very difficult for the driver to go up the hill with both of us in the riksha.Hence I got down and walked beside the  riksha pushing it  from behind, so that the weight will be reduced and he will be able to   go up the hill. Pankajam was sitting in the riksha.

I was thinking that the riksha will stop at the top and I can climb in. But when the riksha reached the top it started going down very fast. I could not get in and was stranded there.

I became panicky seeing the riksha  going fast with Pankajam in it. I shouted to the driver to stop.I could hear her also shouting to stop.But the riksha was going down very fast without stopping. I was afraid to the core that he may disappear any time with my wife.

I am not a good runner , but now ran as fast  as never have, down the hill and somehow caught up with the riksha by the time it reached  the level area. He had stopped the riksha and I got in. He apologised stating that he thought that I have got in at the top and later understood that I was not there but could not stop the riksha while  it was going down the hill.  

We reached the dharmashala  safely. Pankajam told me that she was very much afraid and was shouting to the driver to stop and was also thinking of jumping from the riksha.  

Anyway, everything ended well.

V A N Namboodiri  06.11.2024