The Good Samaritan Cab Driver

Every morning I wake up around seven am. After waking my first job is to open the doors and windows. The first person I happen to see everyday is Tarak our amiable taxi driver. 'Ram Ram, Tarak,' I wish him and pat comes his reply, 'Ram Ram, Gopal babu'.

Tarak lives nearby in a one room hut on a rent of five hundred rupees. There is no toilet so he uses the community toilet nearby. He lives all by himself as his family stays in their home in the village some two hundred kilometres away. 

After completing his morning ablutions, Tarak leaves for the day to return late at night. He drives another owner's vehicle on rental basis. Some day he may drive his own cab. That is his dream and wish which he often shares with me over a cup of tea.

When he returns late at night, he parks his vehicle just opposite our gate as we do not object. Tarak is very grateful to us for allowing him to park at our door front.

In the past many have objected to his parking here and there. There have been incidents of fights and arguments. But Tarak is a meek chap and avoids conflicts.

But those people forget how good a man he his. So helpful and so selfless. Just the other day Pranab jethu, the septuagenarian ex government employee fell down from the staircase resulting in heavy bleeding. His wife Nilima jethi also a septuagenarian was totally helpless. Their only son a career diplomat was out of the country on an assignment posted there. 

Their domestic help had raised a huge cry and seeing the condition some local boys gave Tarak a call on his mobile. 

Tarak was then busy taking passengers to the airport. A trip to the airport is very remunerative one because the cab gets assured passengers on both sides of the trip. Tarak was midway when he received the call. He immediately stopped by the kerb and arranged for another vehicle for the passengers and didn't charge anything for the journey so far. Immediately he made a roundabout turn and returned to the house of Pranab jethu and took him to the hospital and didn't charge him even ten rupees for this service. 

Tarak was a good Samaritan. There were other incidents which stand out depicting this quality of his. Tarak was unlike other fellow human beings. What I liked of him most is that he cared for himself last after the other's needs had been fulfilled. 

The other day while crossing the road an elderly woman tripped and fell down. Tarak stopped his cab even though the passenger seated in the rear seat protested that he was getting late. Tarak convinced him that a medical centre was nearby and he would just drop the lady there at the emergency and then move on. He even took the risk of seating the woman in the front beside him. 

Then there was other glorious little events. One passenger had left behind a brief case while alighting. He was carrying too many baggages and while getting down to pay the fare he had forgot to take it along. 

Later I heard the story from Tarak the next morning. A little while later, Tarak suspected that something was lying on the rear seat. He knew he had to find it's owner and dispose it off. 

'Gopal babu, I was clueless at first to find out the owner,' he confided to me dramatically. 'I felt, I should not open the briefcase to know the antecedents of the owner,' he continued seriously. 'So I decided to report the matter to the Police,' said Tarak somberly. 

At the Police Station, Tarak was surprised to find the passenger sitting there and reporting the case of his missing briefcase. 

Seeing Tarak with his briefcase the man couldn't control his emotions and embraced him with wide arms. The briefcase was containing the jewellery of his daughter who was going to wed in a few days. The man offered Tarak a big prize money in cash but he politely refused saying that he was just doing his duty. However he invited Tarak to his daughter's wedding saying that he could bring any number of friends with him. So Tarak had come to me asking to accompany him at the ceremony. Later we attended together and we both enjoyed a sumptuous dinner. 

Then I got busy with some of my work and I just forgot about Tarak. Few days later, I remembered of not seeing Tarak for quite sometime now. I gave a call on his mobile and I got the answer that this number was no longer valid. I got worried and went looking for him at his one room hut. There I was even more surprised to see someone else there. This new tenant was unable to tell anything about Tarak. On the contrary he gave the number of his landlord saying he may be the last person who had talked with Tarak. 

Feeling dejected and worried I went back home. For few days I couldn't decide what to do. Then all of a sudden my mobile phone rang. 'Gopal babu, how are you,'? came the familiar voice of Tarak. 

Astonished at first but later when I gathered myself together I was a little annoyed. In my anger I blurted out, 'Is this how you treat your old friend.? You have not told me when and where you have gone,' I continued with a little melancholy in my voice. 

Then what Tarak told me I felt more sad when I learned that he had left for good. His unmarried uncle a rich and an aged man had died and before dying he wanted Tarak to come over and take charge of the land that his uncle had gifted him. After completing all formalities his uncle passed away peacefully and resting his head in Tarak 's hands. So Tarak had become busy managing his uncle's estate. So he now didn't need to drive a cab for a living. I was both sad and happy for Tarak. But what made me more happy was when Tarak said he would personally come and take me to his new farm house. I am waiting for him eagerly to keep his promise.