Four rupees..

When was the last time you bargained for something ? Maybe it cost Rs.60, and you wanted it for Rs. 50. For 15 rupees, you pleaded your case for half an hour like a lawyer in the High Court. Ive done that a few times as well.

The question is, did I really need to save those 15 rupees? Was I bargaining just because it was simply not done to accept the given rate, or was I actually needy?

A few days ago, I had to give my two-wheeler for servicing. With the rains like that are here in Pune it was not prudent to postpone it any longer. I stay about 12 km from college and most of it is one long straight road, a so-called highway. There are 6-seater auto rickshaws that ply on that road, and after my father had dropped me there, I got into one of those. Ive traveled in them a few times, and i knew that the fare for a journey of about 4-5 km was Rs. 6/-.

I didn't bother asking him the fare and promptly proceeded to plug in my earphones and enjoy the bumpy ride. For once I was on the guilty side and I took sadistic pleasure at the way the driver made other motorists curse at him.

After a while, a stop before the point at which I was due to get off, a man alighted and handed two Rs.2 coins to the driver. The driver told the man that the fare was 8 rupees, not 4. The man stared in disbelief, and then the disbelief soon turned to anger. The two of them started arguing heatedly. The man was furious, sure that he had been cheated. He was helpless, as he had not bothered to ask the driver the fare beforehand. Although he knew he had to pay, the man made sure he let the driver know what he thought of him and his family.

I then realized, that the man was not arguing for the sake of hearing his own voice. It had pained him to be parted with 4 rupees due to his foolishness. He probably had a daily budget, and he had just overshot it. Would he have to skip his daily tea? Or the newspaper?

I then turned to look at the driver more closely. The prices of diesel had just shot up. He had been arguing just as vehemently as that other man. He probably had his monthly target to meet. An increase in fare of about Rs 4 per passenger would amount to hundreds of rupees in a month. He needed to win that argument for the sake of the other passengers. This argument would set the tone for the rest of the journey. I could see his tense, taut face from where I sat , in the side view mirror.The atmosphere inside the auto was a bit tense too, with the passengers wondering what they would do when their turn came. I'm sure none of them had bothered to ask him the fare.

These two men, had argued for almost five minutes for 4 rupees. But to me, it was worth much more than that.

My stop came , and I alighted. I got out and the driver looked at me, expecting me to ask him the fare and start another argument. I quietly handed out a 10 rupee note, and before he could react, I walked off. I could feel the other passengers staring at my back.

I had to take sides, and I had just taken his.