Bombay Unplugged

Pramod Dubey :)

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It started off rainy but sunny , went onto being cloudy but dry , a typical August Morning of the monsoon season in Mumbai . The sky was acting weird , the clouds were as still as could be , lazily causing doom . The rains were late , it was one hell of a morning for the weather department . As predicted though , it began raining close to noon , and went on till evening .
During the rains , Mumbai's lifeline , the western railways came to a halt , commuters stuck in coaches , passengers left waiting on platforms ; quite clearly , it was one hell of a day for the government and the citizens as well .
In such weather conditions , when everything was at a stand still , the school kids , the corporates , the dabbawalas even , everyone stopped . Only two industries flourished . One , of the rainwear manufacturers , second of the BEST bus services or the BrihanMumbai electric supply and transport corporation . Just these two . When the world stopped , when the markets crashed , even when the Taj was attacked , protagonist Pramod Dubey , a bus conductor by profession was always in his usual bus number 243 shuttling between Gujju Ghatkopar and Maratha Dadar , providing tickets , comforting passengers .
A conductor since 25 years now , Dubey had the map of Mumbai stored like a puppy crush in the centre of his brain . Whether it was train stations , bus routes or ferry timings , he was Mumbai in himself .
He was half Maharashtrian , half Bihari , parents originally from Kolkata and Chennai , brought up in Ahmedabad and New Delhi , schooled in Puducherry , well he was the literal definition of metropolitan . He defined what Mumbai stood for . Leading by example , he was never late to work , he never took any leaves , he even covered for other conductors  . He was the best disciple and still a great leader , a quality not many leaders have , a quality not many disciples can achieve . On being asked what kept him going in this under paying facility for 25 years and what infused him to be so dedicated , he said " Mumbai has taught me more than any place I've been , I have the money to travel in an overpriced Ola , but trust me , being a conductor exposes me to everything I want to know and is everything I want to be . "
Lol , said the reporter after hearing the man talk . Living a degraded , under respected life of a bus conductor was the most uncommon bucketlister he had heard of , ever . Dubey got that a lot but little did he care . One hell of a crooked , stringent fellow he was . It was a peculiarly rainy day , he saw the sky in the morning and decided to skip unimportant bus stops and proceed to corporately and strategically potent ones . The bus drivers had learnt the art of judging him and trusting him , unquestionably . He hadn't been paid for 3 months now , the BEST was going in losses , maybe even selling out and resorting to privatisation , why did he stick around ? Why did he even care about reaching 911 to the important bus stops ?
It was passion , pure passion .
Dubey served Mumbai like Mumbai served Ganpati , with open arms and indomitable spirit . As Dubey was on route one of his trickiest days of service , he saw the floods rising and the sky getting darker . There was nothing in the world at that moment that could delay a permanent standstill of all vehicles and trains . The BEST was now the only functioning organ of transport on the streets of Mumbai .
With passengers filling fast and seats being occupied even faster , Dubey decided to leave his ticketing job and rather facilitate the accommodation of maximum commuters . At a time when commuters would even give ₹100 to travel 2 kilometers , the man made it a free show . The general capacity of 60 was crossed long ago . There were already a good 85-90 people in the bus , sticking to each other , wet and cold . With no option but these buses , commuters even took onto seating on top of the buses . It was a sorta joyride .
Highways jammed , by lanes submerged , the normal routine could not have been followed .
The bus stopped between the east west corridor with absolutely no space to accelerate . They needed a miracle to reach their destination . Lucky for them , Dubey was available . As mentioned , he had the roads and maps installed in him like an automated programme , he took a brief 30 second pause and the awkward silence broke when he said " Gaadi Ghumao . "
Everybody stunned , how on earth was a BEST bus going to take a U turn on a highway & from where was Dubey planning to route this heavenly transit from ?
With a pregnant mother , a sick child , a blind man and a critical care package on board the bus , Dubey didn't quite care about the murmurs and sighs .
The BEST with its 100 people , took a U Turn in the middle of the highway and began driving wrong side with Dubey clearing the road in knee deep water from the forefront . It was one hell of a traffic catastrophe . Behind his bus , 7 other buses followed the belweather . It was a roadside procession now . With Dubey standing on top of his bus , whistling his way out , clearing the clogs of traffic , quite literally from the top , everyone onboard was eagerly waiting for the miraculous route he was going to make use of .
As cleverly foreseen by Dubey , due to the heavy rains , the Coastal roads were unused by most public . Dangerous , but the only option left at this stage , the buses travelled from Aksa To Carters via the coast . From Santacruz though , they had to head east . Subways were now canals , bridges ; dams . It was too far long a shot , but the airport runway was the only way to head on towards the east side . To everyone's luck , the airport was declared unoperational for 4 hours , all flights re directed to Pune . With 15 traffic policemen now leading the masquerade of buses , on the instructions of Dubey , arrangements were made , permissions were granted and the gates of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport were now opened from the end of the runway , to allow 8 BEST buses to pass right through from West To East . With the squat teams and para military now called in to help people commute , this operation pioneered by Dubey , was on its way to successfully translocate 800 labour class people from the west to the east in less than an hour . As soon as the buses got out from the east , there was another problem . This time , a huge one . Footpaths were down under , people themselves , thousands of them were walking on the road . It was improbable to even ask them to change direction or even move to the side . With a failed horn & no speakers , it was quite a difficult task . Dubey , of course took it upon himself , he got down , against every statutory advice , and helped every walker move to one end of the road . The para military had now stretched a rope all through the roads to help support the people while walking , without the support of which it was advised not to walk . Dubey had an air of victory that day , he felt godly . He went on without the rope , helping and moving people to safe corners . The buses now had a determined course through which they could travel , the commuters ; a determined hope that they'd reach home , safely . Engines gave up , breaks failed , gears jammed , but it was one hell of a day for Dubey . He was a plumber , an electrician , a commuter , a policeman , a driver , everything in those 3 hours . The buses , all of them reached Ghatkopar . Every commuter thanked Dubey . The pregnant women , the sick child , the package , everything was where it was supposed to be , in time . Dubey kinda protected every mishap on a day apt for having the most . Finally , when the news of this BEST Endeavour spread , every BEST conductor had an idol to take inspiration from and the city was bought back to life by its very own red buses . All 1000 buses were now functional . In that moment , BEST was in its vintage peak , on its home turf , gliding through . The buses were now to return to their depots , for refueling and maintainence . Dubey again , led the parade straight to the nearest depot , standing on top of his bus , like the ringleader . There were some clogs though & Dubey in his most elemental form , couldn't help but get down and assist in clearing them . It was close to Kurla , the water gushing from every corner onto the main road . Dubey got down , went forward and cleared the clog . On his way back to the bus , 3 steps into the descending journey , he took a step forward & went straight down . He was in the lime light , everybody talking of him , everybody looking at him .  Everybody saw him fall into a manhole . Everybody saw his body slip into the gutter . He had a line of school kids walking behind him . The legend slipped , thus made sure no one else did .
For those 3 hours , It was as though someone had the super natural ability to tackle Mumbai rains . Someone , could overpower nature .
Someone , could make things work .
The rains won , he lost .
The rains won , BEST lost .
The rains won , Mumbai lost .
The next day , Mumbai was mourning , party workers politicising the situation , made promises to cover all potholes , fill in all manholes and what not . It was a bloody marketing tool for them already .
The media though , took toll & put the BMC in its place .
Mumbai mirror on the next day read
" Saving over a thousand lives , Pramod Dubey , the menial bus conductor , began his spiritual descent through the drains & gutters of his beloved ; Mumbai . "