It바카라s a long stretch of road that takes you from Srinagar to New Delhi. The highways are winding at times and bouncing around while helming a truck around them isn바카라t exactly a joy ride. Mudassir Bhat, all of 25, has been doing it for six years now in one of those rickety ten-wheeled trucks seen plying long distances across the country, leaving those behind them covered in soot and staring at a 바카라Horn OK Please바카라.
With wheels close to four feet in height, it바카라s almost a wonder how Bhat바카라s khalasi, a boy of 20, gets in to be seated beside him. The truckers바카라 haven is a cozy cabin, which has been modified to house two persons. The backrests have been done away with, replaced by another seat at the back, and together they add to something just short of a queen-size-bed, which Bhat and his helper can fit into. There is a crate behind the driver바카라s position which houses two worn-out pressure cookers, vegetables, oil, spices, tea and anything else they may need to get through the night.
바카라Our day begins with chai that the khalasi makes after the night-halt,바카라 says Bhat, lighting a Four-Square cigarette. A Quran-e-Sharif adorns his dashboard, as do numerous steel tumblers, hand-towels and an ashtray right at the centre of it all for easy access to the duo. Contrary to the perception that people have of unruly/drunk truckers out to knock them off the road, Bhat is clearly not the 바카라aggressor바카라. 바카라We rarely get out from the cabin. We sleep in here and eat here. We feel it바카라s safer inside than outside,바카라 he says. Aside from a general dread of being robbed, it바카라s more of a cultural thing, he explains. 바카라We Kashmiris only like to eat rice and not rotis,바카라 he says, adding that they 바카라do not go to the hotels바카라, only for tea perhaps. Even that happens on occasions when the milk has run out or either of them is too tired from the bone-shattering experience to cobble a cup together.
Bhat left on Sunday morning from Srinagar and was in Delhi 40 hours later, with a bit of a sore back. The halts en route come at Jammu, Panipat, Karnal and finally Delhi. Bhat has a few choice words for the capital. It makes you wait the longest, he says, since trucks are only allowed to ply late at night. 바카라Coming into Delhi is a bit of a pain. The cops try and pinch money off you whenever they can,바카라 he says, smirking at first and then going into a bit of a rant about it.
바카라We make about three of these trips every month,바카라 he says. He makes about Rs 80,000 from one such two-way trip out of which he keeps only Rs 15,000. 바카라The rest goes to the owner of the truck,바카라 he says wistfully, He dreams of owning a monster like this someday and not having his dues taken away from him.
The Azadpur Mandi in Lal Bagh is not exactly a hub of activity post-lunch. There are crates teeming with oranges, another fruit that brings Bhat to these parts. 바카라It바카라s the apple-season. And people here really want some from Kashmir,바카라 he smiles. On his way back to Kashmir, the 15-tonne load at the back of his truck will be oranges for the Valley. It바카라s to-and-fro on repeat at this time of the year for him. In summers he rides all the way to Agartala in Tripura. 바카라It바카라s because we cannot go any further I guess,바카라 he winks. There are pictures of landscapes at the back of his cabin from across the north. 바카라It바카라s a beautiful country, isn바카라t it?바카라 he asks.
