Dhabanomics…
It was late in the evening when the Shatabdi moved in to the Mercedes capital of India, Ludhiana. Unfortunately, the train that had brought me in would not have a seat to offer for the journey back to the capital Delhi.
My only alternative was the ubiquitous ‘bus’ that connects the transit hubs of northern India. Chugging my bag along, I literally captured my seat on an inter-state transport bus. Cruising on the highway, the view outside mirrored the paradox of westernization of the otherwise upcountry expanse of Punjab.
The urban eyes were almost instantly saturated and the slumber was broken somewhere past midnight by the harsh voice of the old driver announcing the halt for dinner. The bhangra music being played on the loud(est) speaker outside ensured that even the Kumbhakarana’s on the bus were shaken out of their wits. Before anyone could alight, the dhaba owner barged in to announce the menu on offer to his captive audience.
As the driver made his way to a table reserved for him, the nostrils could capture the aroma of sweet potatoes being baked on coal and the taste buds came alive for a glimpse of some gur & groundnut studded gajak to beat the chill.
Whilst a few made their way into the dining area, most clamoured to the counter selling trinket eatables along with the by now Indo-westernised snack of Kurkure/Lays. I too decided to grab my bag of chips soon before they were run out of; after all no one can eat just one. Munching on the chips, I wondered what made the driver halt for dinner at a God-forsaken dhaba well past midnight on a highway strewn with numerous of the sort.
The mystery soon unfolded when the driver made his way out, thanking the dhabawala for an ‘on the house’ meal & directly into the bus. That’s Dhabanomics for you… after all, ‘give & take’ is the name of the game and even the microcosmic dhaba is not left out of it.
But then again, leaving behind a small dhaba littered with umpteem empty bags of Lays, it made me wonder whether we had just paid for Driver Uncle’s dinner or rather subsidized Uncle Sam’s supper somewhere on the other side of the globe. I guess that’s really what Dhabanomics in a globalised world is now all about!