When you book an online bike service in Delhi...

In Delhi, on my last day of the trip, as I was leaving out of the metro station and walking my way towards the India Gate, I booked a bike on Rapido (a service where someone picks you up from your current location and drops you to to your destination - exactly like Uber, but on a bike).

So I booked it and waited for a few minutes, only to see an astonishingly regal Royal Enfield Interceptor bike come close by and slow down near me. I half expected it to be my ride that night, but my suspicion was confirmed when that guy seated on that bike took out his phone and called me up to declare in a 100% fluent English “sir, I’ve reached your location, where are you?”, and at that moment I felt the magic which has kept coming my way throughout the journey was still not over!

With hesitation, I went up near him, sat on the bike, and clasped tight the umpteen bags I’d purchased from Sarojini for gifting around as he sped up towards my destination - Malviya Nagar.

I was still unsure what this guy who could speak fluent English and rode a motorcycle that cost upwards of 5 lakh was doing riding for a cab service… as I couldn’t contain the thought in my head any longer I just asked him - “Rapido me kaise kya?” - To which he replied…

“Aapko sach batau? Mai yaha timepass kar raha hu!”

Now that answer half assured me that this really wasn’t his actual job, but it also half put me in jeopardy cause now I wasn’t sure if I was being kidnapped by this mysterious rider!

He went on… “actually mai Delhi high court me lawyer hu, sham ko mujhe khuli sadko pe gaadi ghumane ki aadat hai… parso ek dost ne kaha timepass me ghumata hai to rapido try karle, ghumna bhi ho jaega paise bhi aa jaenge! Par mujhe ji paiso se matlab nahi hai… mujhe bas ghumna acha lagta hai!”

I could almost relate to what this guy was saying as I’d done the same unlimited amount of times, wandering off unknown roads on my bike, albeit without making any money out of it.

During that 15 minute stretch, we discussed how he got into biking, about his previous expeditions, how his ride to Spiti was, and where did he plan to go next… to be honest, that 55-year-old man had more hopes for his further adventures and about life in general than what my nubile mind could even grasp that time!

He dropped me off, I asked if I could click a picture with him, to which he hesitated first, (of course being a high court lawyer that made sense I later thought) and then agreed to click one after some time.

We discussed furthermore how Delhi people are, how Pune people are, and about life in general, and then we waved goodbye to each other.

I’m just thankful that I clicked pictures of this that day, else it’d have been difficult even for me to believe that I booked a bike on rent and a high court lawyer came to pick me up on his shiny red Royal Enfield interceptor!

#themagickeepshappening! ✨

Pictures below, face blurred for obvious reasons: