a month in the life. day 1: autos

autos: an ode

every day i leave my house,

needing more zeal than a mouse.

why do i need an attitude so?

to bargain for an auto, just so you know.

i walk out the door and down the street,

if i can't get the price down, i'll just use my feet.

the first man comes and says 100 rupees,

i tell him bhaia, i'll give you only chalis!

he goes down 40 and says 60 only,

i turn ready to leave him lonely.

"pachas," he replies. my little ploy has worked,

i turn back around, from where i had lurked.

i tell him "tik hai" and hop in the auto,

but not til we arrive in his hand will the 50 go.

some days it's a fun little game,

but on others, it's really quite lame.

to go from here to there,

the only way it is, no matter where.

so if one day here you journey,

be ready for a bidding tourney.

the adventure begins once you walk out the door, 

and you will find autos are not just lore.

*Hindi-English Dictionary

• bhaia: (n) 1. brother. 2. a vocative term used to express friendship, surprise, and sometimes frustration.
• chalis: (n) 1. the number 40. 2. the real price for most auto rides.
• pachas: (n) 1. the number 50. 2. the amount you paid.  you got ripped off, but only a little.
• tik hai: (um, every part of speech). 1. literaly, it's fine. 2. used to express agreement, understanding, or just ok.