We hopped into a cab last night on our way home, and I caught a smile in the cabbie's eyes as he glimpsed me through the rearview mirror. I caught the large red coloring on his forehead, too, smothered thoroughly in the crease between his bushy eyebrows.
Through the dust and stench of pollution on the streets of Mumbai, the honking of cars and swarms of people, I was momentarily calmed by the small, neon flashing figure of Ganesh, the Hindu god personified as an elephant, sitting atop the dashboard. In front of the figure were three sticks of aromatic incense burning, sending sweet and spicy fragrances wafting through our little cab.
I enjoyed that cab ride.
Tonight, on my way home, I was not so fortunate. I'm quite sure my cabbie tonight was picking up prostitutes on his way to my destination. And his cab smelled worse than the streets.
Some people keep their space holy, others have different things on their mind.
Such are our differences.
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