The Awesome London Cabbies

My three day trip to London to meet the innumerable people who have written to me after my show Raaz Pichele Janam Ka on Imagine Dil Se made big was made completely memorable by the London Cabbies.   I reached Heathrow Airport at 6.45 am on 13^th December 2010 and bracing the bitter cold wrapped up in my woolens was picked up by a cabbie that drove me to the hotel Crowe Plaza which was formerly called St. James Court. The cabbie was courteous and casual in his approach. He spoke in an English accent but then an Indian can be visible moment you set your eyes on one. I asked him if he was a Punjabi and he said, ‘Yes, but have lived here for 20 plus years and am comfortable. As the trip lengthened he continued to share with me the difficult climate and the harshness of alienation he feels from his homeland. He spoke about the isolation even from his own brood as there is no time for social rumblings. His wife is not happy but for the sake of their children’s future they have decided to live in a foreign land. The comforts he said come at a high prize. On asking what the price he pays for it is he nonchalantly replied, ‘Warmth.’

The afternoon had been planned to visit Sunrise Radio and another cabbie was going to pick me up.  This cabbie turned out to be someone who has come to London from Daman in Gujarat. His name was Sanjay and he was the only son of immigrant parents who may have landed in U.K. a century ago. He has five sisters who are all settled in UK. He kept staring in the mirror and at one point nearly severed the car to ask me for an autograph.  He was my first fan in London and I promised to click a photograph with him when we reached Sunrise Radio Station which is the most popular among the Asians all over Europe.

Sanjay went on to add to my already billowing information about life of an Indian Cabbie in London. He was constantly looking tense and when I asked him why he replied, ‘Well I must not make a mistake. Can’t speed beyond the limit mentioned on the speed board on the highway. He started to say how much he missed the life in India. He missed the neighborly love and just lazing around in his farm. He said he had come to England when he was 12 years and still missed his friends whom he visited at least once in two years. When I asked him when he plans to go home he grimly said, ‘Not now, when my son completes his education and takes up a job.’  “Well ‘. I said. ‘That will not be for the next 20 years.” The cabbie smiled wryly and nodded his head. ‘You know , the worst  thing living here is that I have to be constantly concerned about not doing anything wrong, I hardly think of what right I am doing.’ I smiled back and tapped on his shoulder urging him for a photograph and reassured him, ‘you know, when the desire is strong it will manifest sooner than you think.’ He added,’I hope so …I miss the warmth of my people.’ I raised my eyebrows at hearing the word twice

After the radio show which was a 10 minute capsule recorded with Mr. Ravi Sharma the voice of the Indian in Europe which reaches out to every heart I was later in the night dropped off to my hotel by Cabbie who was from Pakistan occupied Kashmir. He was much younger than the previous two and I was hoping he had something different to say. He strangely reiterated, ‘Well, when you are out of your homeland, see to it you don’t get into trouble. Here if you do no wrong, don’t interfere in other people‘s lives and mind your own business you are fine. Stay off others space is the way to live here.’ I was curious to know what it did to a man’s psyche when you are on tenterhooks all the time. He just looked surprised that I didn’t understand and he added, ‘Well you don’t feel warm enough and something in you just dies. But then it’s okay... I have no complains. I am happy.’ I waved him goodbye. This was an uncommon gesture and he was not used to it. I held myself back, just in case I broke the rule!!!

The next day I had to travel to Wembly a suburb in London populated by Guajarati. My cabbie was waiting down and he called me frantically as he could not wait longer as the cops would arrive and ask him to leave. There is no parking here for more than ten minutes. I rushed down and forgot to eat breakfast as I too was beginning to get worried for if he blurted out my name maybe I would get a ticket too. Well he was a Punjabi and someone who was quiet for one. I always thought that Punjabis were loud mouthed, back slapping and jovially foul mouthed. But no luck, he turned out to be very morose and cold. He just asked for correct directions and specific time when I had to reach. He checked his watch and said, ‘You will be there on time, before time if we don’t get traffic.’ I just asked him to relax and drive. He asked me to repeat what I had just said, ‘What did you say? Relax! Well that I have not done for a long time and so have forgotten.’ he looked behind and smiled. I felt relieved.  His smile reminded me that where ever you live when you see your kith and kin you smile. On disembarking I told him. ‘You know you have a lovely smile  ...use it more often and you will relax.’

The next cabbie was an older man from Chennai. He was brash, burly and loud mouthed. He started talking and never stopped till I reached the hotel Crowe Plaza which is four blocks away from Buckingham Palace.  He was certain that his choice to stay in London was correct. He had come more than 35 years ago and as a young man was very enamored by the British country side. He went on to add that he didn’t want his children to grow on foreign soil and so had sent his twelve year old daughter back to Chennai to live with his mother and he would do the same to his son as soon as he was the same age. He just wants himself to make enough so that he can provide for his family and does not mind doing odd jobs so that he can retire in peace. ‘This is no place to grow old, it has no warmth.’ I stood on the scrubbed pavement outside the Plaza waving to the cabbie and bared the cold but deep within me I was feeling the wonderful fulfilling warmth of affection that these cabbies had showered on me. They had encouraged me to continue spreading love, affection and warmth to all in London. Standing there in the frosty winter I knew that people everywhere need only to be loved deeply and wholly. People want to retrieve the warmness and tenderness that is the primal need of mankind. I entered the hotel and a burly black man with his friend approached me. He asked me if he could have a photograph with me. I didn’t ask him whether he knew me nor watched the show but unconditionally said yes. I too took one for a souvenir.

 

  The three day trip was such a super success. The work has found so many admirers that the workshop had an overwhelming response though we could not accommodate many who called in as it was a promotional workshop only.  I believe that to live in uncertainty opens innumerable possibilities. My trip was delayed by 4 days due to visa not reaching on time and I flew out of Heathrow just before the next snowstorm hit Europe. The universe knows what you need and when. We just have to do our bit in resonance with the intelligent cosmic stardust.

So see you all in South hall and Webley, Leicester and Bradford and New Castle soon in the year of the       Bravo!