Bandh

"Kitna"
"Aap bolo"
"pachas, 50"
He nods. I get in. "Andar tak chorna bhaiya". He doesn't say anything so I repeat to set the expectation, "Andar tak jana hai, haan bhaiya?"

"Ghar ke andar tak?" Hmm sense of humor, a first in my auto travels. "Haha, nahin bhaiya, pehle bolna padta hai na, otherwise aap wahan ja kar bologe andar jaane ke das rupye aur". He assures he'll drop me where I want to be.

We fall silent for some distance.

Further ahead, the road is clogged near the petrol pump. It's a herd of vehicles filling the landscape for the national geographic season one filming 'The Great Indian Traffic'. Every Day. City by city. The herd, slowly fills the mystic landscape, of this ancient civilization. Every Day, it's a fight for survival. There are the I10s, civics, buses, autos..and the majestic beamers and mercs. Cycles are almost extinct in this city. There, amidst this myriad colors and cacophony of the herd, you can almost hear the primal honk of the little Hyundai. Will this Hyundai I10 survive a dent tonight? (Related coverage, Chaos Prevails at Petrol Stations)

The autowallah says "Kal sab bandh hai, auto, bus" and falls silent. He repeats everything is bandh again, I figure he's in a mood to talk. "Auto pure city main bandh hai? MMTS bhi?", I entertain, he says it is.

"Kaun karwa raha hai bandh yeh?"

He tells me it's all the big people, I tell him I know KCR is the leader, but who else is involved? He repeats it's all the big people. I ask him if he's from Telangana and on which side he is and if a separate state will make a difference to his life.

"Telangana se hain hum. abhi saare logan bahar see aaten, tabhi develop hota. wahi log aake itna develop kiye, abhi state hota nahi hota, logan nahi aayenge toh kuch nahi hoga.

Abhi tak sabhi logan chup baithe the.. paise mile honge na sir, ab paise khatam ho gaye unke paas, isliye sab bandh

Hum toh pahle bhi auto chalaten, baad main bhi..govt job nahi milta.

Sabhi milke rahne ko hota..hindu muslim, milke rahne se accha hota".

Oh I see. So he's from the Muslim community most likely and is a non-entity in this entire Telangana episode?

My destination has arrived. Okay, my place has come. I've give him 50 and take a look at his face to find out who I was talking to.

We smile and it's goodbye.