There were two rickshaw-walas vying for our business when we wanted to go to Sankat-Mochan temple in Benaras. I agreed to go with the one who was about 20, seemed like a regular young rickshaw-wala, but I found something interesting about this fellow in his eyes. I was not proved wrong.

He wanted Rs 50, we said Rs 30. We settled for 40. Here are the highlights of the conversation that ensued while he rode the rickshaw:

*”aap kahan se aaye hain” *

*” Delhi ” *

*”bijness ya kaam karte hain?” *

*”naukri karte hain” *

*”kismein” *

*”internet mein” *

*”humara bhi kuch wahin kaam lagwa do” *

I just chuckled

*”main try kar raha hoon engineering padhne kee. achchi naukri lag jaayegi tab” *

*”achcha?”** *I asked a little interested

*”haan, delhi mein Guru GobindSingh IndraprashtaUniversity mein engineering ke liye apply kara hai. achchi hai woh university” *

*”haan, achchi hai”**, *I agreed.* *

*”haan, kal hee maine JEE bhi diya” *

*”JEE matlab, IIT ka?” *

*”haan, Joint Entrance Examination”** *he pronounced it perfectly just to make it clear to me what JEE stood for. *”mushkil hota hai exam”** *

*”haan, 2 saal toh log padhte hee hain uske liye, asaan nahin hai”** *I carried on the conversation

*” Delhi mein Akaash coaching institute hain na?” *

*”haan, hai” *

*”aapne kya padhai kari?” *

*”main engineer hoon, aur phir mba bhi kiya” *

*”kahan se engineer?” *

*”IIT delhi se” *

He swung back, surprised, a little delighted, and smiled.* **”Ok, aapke liye Rs 30″ *

Swati and I laughed

Swati asked* **”padhai kab karte they IIT ke liye” *

*”bas, rickshaw chalaane ke baad raat mein”.** *Then he added* **”kismein engineering kari aapne?” *

*”Chemical” *

*”toh aapki chemistry toh badi strong hogi” *

*”nahin, aisa nahin hai” *

He continued* **”yeh bataiye….jab Mendeleev ne Periodic Table banaya tha tab kitne elements they usmein?”** *

Now it was my turn to get surprised. He was quizzing me. I said* **”shayad 70-80″ *

*”no, 63″** *he said sharply.* **”kaunse element kee electronegativity highest hai?” *

Swati was laughing, and I didnt try too hard and said* **”pata nahin”** *

*”Flourine”,** *he said confidently. Without a break he asked*,”kaunse element kee electron affinity highest hoti hai?” *

Now I was laughing too and said* **”nahin pata”** *

*”Chlorine. toh aapka kaunsa subject strong tha?”** *clearly having proven that my chemistry wasnt a strong point

*”Physics”,** *I said

*”achha, Newton ‘s second law of motion kya hai” *

I knew this one I thought,* **”F=ma”** *I said* *

*”Physics is not about formula, it is understanding concept!”** *he reprimanded me in near perfect english.* **”Tell me in statement” *

I was shocked. Swati continued to laugh.

I said* **”ok, Newtons second law, er….was….”** *

*” ‘was’ nahin, ‘is’!Second law abhi bhi hai!”** *he snapped at my use of ‘was’

Surely, my physics wasnt impressing him either.* **”yaad nahin, I said”** *

*”Force on an object is directly proportional to the mass of the object and the acceleration of the object”, *he said it in near perfect english*.
“aapne mtech nahin kiya?” *

*”nahin, mba kiya” *

*”mba waale toh sirf paisa kamana chahte hain, kaam nahin karte” *

*”nahin, aisa nahin hai, paisa kamaane ke liye kaam karna padta hai” *

He said* **”arrey, rehene do”** *or some words to that effect. He didnt think too highly of me apparently anymore.

In a minute we reached our destination. We got off and I told him that he must and should definitely study more, and that I think he is sharp as hell.
He took only Rs 30, smiled and began to leave. I got my camera out and said *”Raju, ek photo leta hoon tumhari”. *

He waved me off, dismissed the idea and rode off before I could say anything more….leaving me feeling high and dry like a spurned lover.

*Damn, what a ride that was! India is changing, and changing fast*

— By an anonymous IITian*

This post is an email forwarded by a friend.