Madam

'Taxi-driver, will you take a passenger?' Arin had all but dozed
off. It was eleven-thirty in the morning and his taxi had had no
passengers yet. So he turned to open the door for the first passenger
of the day. As he moved his head to the left he was taken aback by what
he saw. His passenger was a beautiful lady dressed in exquisite
clothes. 'Where can I take you, madam', he said. 'Take me wherever you
please. I will pay you the appropriate fare.' Arin began to feel a
little uncomfortable now. A man of twenty-nine he was still unmarried.
He had few vices and had no great weakness for women. When a
well-dressed beautiful lady asks you to take her to a place of your
choice that's trouble. Arin said to the lady, 'Madam I am a good man.
If you are looking for someone who does naughty things with women I am
not a great choice. Maybe you should go to a hotel or something.' The
lady went red in the face and said, 'I am a decent girl. I live with a
cruel uncle. He wanted me to marry an older man. I couldn't do that so
I ran away from home. I need your help.' These words, repeated many
times by many ladies all over the world had the most amazing effect on
Arin. He mumbled, 'Forgive me madam, I meet so many people everyday.
And some of them are very bad. I will see what I can do to help you.'
The taxi had started from Golf Green and by now they were on Lansdowne.
Arin sometimes skipped breakfast and today was one such day. He was
feeling hungry and was eager for some lunch. He mentioned this to the
lady and they got down at Lansdowne market. Arin asked the lady whether
she was hungry and was told her stomach was full. They went to a
roadside joint. The place was filled with people like Arin,
taxi-drivers, bus-conductors, rickshaw-pullers and their like. Arin
felt he was taking a lady out for the first time. He sat at a rickety
table in the corner and ordered soup and bread. He did not eat this
everyday, it was special fare for a very special occasion. The eatery
was only half-full but all gazes were fixed on Arin and his beautiful
companion. Someone said, 'Mr Driver has a new car today.'. Someone else
remarked, 'The new car looks good. Great face, well-dressed and has
money too'. Arin was heating up with embarrassment. Finally someone
said, 'She's a necklace around the monkey's neck'. It was the last
straw. Arin was only half-way through his meal but he couldn't stay
here any longer. He quietly told the lady that they were leaving. When
he was at the wheel Arin decided to go home for a while. Soon they were
speeding towards Park Circus.
Arin lived in a slum. He had lost his parents early in life and was
brought up by an aunt. This aunt was nearly blind now and spent her
days laid up in bed. As Arin stopped the taxi near the narrow lane
inside which was his house he did not know what to do. The lady with
him was feeling uneasy too. To break the ice she said, 'Is this where
you live?' Arin nodded. The lady prodded further, 'Do you have a wife?'
Arin shook his head. Without asking any more questions the lady began
to walk into the little lane. After a while Arin stopped at a small
house with a tiled roof. It was difficult to bend and get in. Arin was
used to it but the lady with him was not. When they were inside, the
room was found to be dark and damp. Arin felt embarrassed. His aunt was
sleeping on a small bed covered with a mosquito net. When the two of
them came in she was awakened by the noise of their footsteps. She took
a good look at Arin and his companion and said, 'Bad boy, have you
brought home my daughter-in-law? Bring her close to me so that I can
see her.' Arin did not know what to say but the lady went and sat next
to his aunt. His aunt tried to feel her with her hands. 'O,' she said,
'she is wearing a lot of jewellery. Where did you get the money to buy
her jewellery? Have you been stealing from me again?' No matter what
she said the old lady was very pleased to see the well-dressed girl.
She half-believed that the girl was Arin's bride. In any case she was
satisfied that Arin was finally thinking of settling down. After a
while she fell asleep. As Arin went outside to chat with friends the
lady had a little nap while sitting on a chair.
When Arin came back it was four pm. He was worried where the lady would
spend the night or for that matter what she would do next. He had one
little room where he and his aunt stayed. Madam could not possibly stay
there. Again she had to be protected from the designs of her uncle.
Suddenly there was a tap on his shoulder. Madam was trying to talk to
him. 'Can you take me to an open air theater?' Without thinking Arin
said, 'Yes'.Then he remembered that an open air drama was being
organized that evening. He ran outside to see whether he could get
tickets. He was lucky to get two tickets. The drama started after
sundown. The arrangement was elaborate. There was a platform in the
middle on whose side sat musicians. All around the platform were the
audience. The actors climbed on to the platform to speak their parts
one by one with the accompaniment of live music. As the drama unfolded
the audience got more and more excited. Some threw coins at the stage.
When an erotic dance was taking place the lewdest of remarks were
passed by members of the audience. All in all it was live drama for an
animated audience. Arin and madam were seated somewhere in the middle
of the audience area. Arin was too ashamed of everything to say
anything to Madam. Finally at eight-thirty the show was over. As they
got up a well-dressed man walked up to Arin. Now it was the turn of
Madam to speak. 'Thank you for everything Arin. This is my husband Joe.
We had a bet today morning that I wouldn't be able to live away from
the comforts of our mansion. I took your help to prove my point and
many thanks to you I won.'After having said this Madam and her husband
got into a massive car and disappeared into the dark evening. Arin did
not know what to do. He felt cheated, he felt he had been used. He
promised himself never to take a lady passenger again.