Took the driver for a ride!

Living in Mumbai and to have home and work place situated in close proximity can be a boon in disguise for a zillion Mumbaikars, but for me it's a nightmare. I stay approximately 10 minutes from my office (if am travelling by an autoRICKshaw... don't aske me the distance in terms of miles or kilometres). Both are the opposite ends... east & west.. same locality though. Now in Mumbai each locality has east & west.. seperated by the railway tracks...there is no concept of North & South (I am talkin about each locality, mind it) per se. I have no other option but to go by a rick to and fro Office. It's a good 50 mins walk (if you were to consider my pace, which is say 20% faster than that of a snail)

No direct bus route either. And if it's really one of my lucky days... my brother drops me midway till. A considerable amount of money saved. Now to ask a rickshaw to take me home is nothing short of excruciating pain. I just have to tell them Santacruz east..and you should see the look on their face... you can actually visualize the protagonist from the movie 300 raging towards you with a 200 pound spear. Every day i have to endure such an agony. And I hurl out quite a few abuses at times. More than often I tweak my request saying the name of my building (the odds are almost 100 to 1 that he would know). At times the demand is University Road (now here I shout University..but subtly spell out Road) so when am actually on the university road and ask him to divert towards the left..the driver is confused .. 'Madam, didn't you say you wanted to go to University?” ..I retort “No ways, why would i go there at this time in the night.. I said University ROAD.” .. Gotcha... Now that trick failed... cos one of the guys actually stopped midway saying he won't go... How dare he!.. so i just walked out after a big argument... never paid the fare of course.. he hurled abuses to which i turned a deaf ear...The next trick was to just board th rickshaw... midway when he would ask what's the destination, I would say.. I will guide you.. as i don't know the name of the place.. nowhere do i mention it's in the EAST... the minute he crosses the subway.. he would get frustrated.. why didn't you tell me it was east.. well.. Is there any written rule that mentions that rickshaws can't travel to the east.. As long as I am paying the right fare, why should it be a problem?? ..even that trick seems to have backfired... Cos after a tiring day at work, I really am not in a mood to be at the receiving end of somebody's tantrums..which brings me to last night's fool proof idea... I boarded the rickshaw and asked him to take me to Chembur which means a GOOD revenue for the rickshaw driver. He happily agreed. So when I was just a 100 metres away from home, I mute my Cell phone (what if someone calls me at that time?? it would be a flop show right??), start the conversation a bit loudly so that he can hear me... in hindi so that he can understand me.. Am supposed to be talking to a friend of mine. So I start with how's the preparation going on.... apologize for the delay ..and that I should be at her place in say about half an hour.. The suddenly i shriek out a surprise scream.. The party ic cancelled ..how come... blah blah.. so there's no point going all the way to Chembur after all eh.. Damn..Out of frustration I request the rick driver “Boss, please divert from here towards the left (now i am on the university road) .. no point going to Chembur”... he is pissed off as well but what to do... The Customer is always right!! .. I reach home.. without being subjected to any abuses or tantrums... Mighty pleased indeed...Shall update when the plan backfires..