Active Listening

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D12: Yes, I am. I have been taking passengers from this place for the past 16 years. And if you spend considerable time at a single place, you realise the ins and outs of the place and understand it well.

P13: So, you are pretty much invested and content with the work you are doing. And you seem confident enough to carry through with the job.

D13: Yes, I like my job, it gives me satisfaction and I intend to continue doing this for as long as I could. I have absolutely no problem with it.

P14: That’s good.

You are from Anand itself, so you must have other members in your family.

D14: Yes, my family lives with me and it includes my father, an elder brother and a younger brother.

P15: So, do they also work?

D15: Yes, in fact, my elder brother, Rakesh, is also an Auto-Rickshaw driver. And so we seem to share and understand each other’s work culture more deeply.

P16: And the younger…

D16: My younger brother’s name is Sudeep and he works as a Car driver, privately, for a person. But we do not put much pressure on him to give much in the house. He has just started working and as and when he eases into his job, then would be the time to ask him to contribute effectively in the family.

P17: How about your father? He’s fine, right?

D17: Yes, health wise he is fine, but being old, he is not doing any work for a living. We brothers earn enough for him to not work. So, he not working is not an issue for me or any other member of our family.

P18: It has been very nice of you to share some excerpts from your life activities. Probably, now you should go and continue your job. Thanks a lot for your time.

D18: No problem suffered but yeah I should look for some passengers (Deepak smiles).

From the conversation I had with Deepak, the primary concern was the employment status and the livelihood of the family. Being an auto-rickshaw driver working the streets of Anand, I got the sense that he was pretty content with what he was doing primarily. But to make the ends meet in a big family, he tries hard to get alternate employment as and when time allows it. This was pretty evident from the fact that he has been doing the job of an Auto-Rickshaw driver for the past 16 years. Still, he finds time to do the work as a carpenter when it becomes a need. It felt good to meet an individual who was satisfied with what he was doing and not chasing after whatever he sees. Also, being frank enough to discuss these details made it all the more vital in shaping his need for things and making me understand his trials and techniques.

PRAKHAR RANJAN (P36138)(SECTION B)

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