On his toes

An unassuming little man scurries around, attending to the usual morning rush of vehicles at East Street petrol pump. For the last six ye...

An unassuming little man scurries around, attending to the usual morning rush of vehicles at East Street petrol pump. For the last six years, Dnyaneshwar Gaikwad has been on his toes every morning.

Gaikwad has studied up to standard XI. A job as a petrol pump attendant was the best he could land. He lives in Hadapsar and catches a bus to work. Running around, filling petrol and oil, collecting cash 8212; the flow of vehicles seems endless. 8220;It can be exhausting,8221;says Gaikwad who attends to innumerable vehicles a day. 8220;It8217;s a round-the-clock job,8221; he adds. 8220;Customers are easy to please and kind. Sometimes, they tip me,8221; he confesses. Maintaining good customer relations is the high this job offers, he adds.

But Gaikwad does not mind the running around. He says, 8220;Running around is good exercise.8221; All he gets is half an hour8217;s break for lunch. Absolutely no time spared for leisure or even an afternoon siesta. Earning enough to support a big family which includes parents, two younger siblings, wife and an infant daughter remains Gaikwad8217;s primary concern. A meagre salary of Rs 875 cannot make ends meet. So, at 6.00 p.m, he rushes off to Hadapsar and takes over his father8217;s rickshaw. A petrol pump attendant becomes a rickshaw-driver by night. Juggling two jobs brings home Rs 2000 a month.

With a faraway expression, Gaikwad reveals his dreams in halting sentences.8220;I8217;ll work for another five or six years. Then I8217;ll go to Alandi, where my family owns some land and become a farmer. I want to give my daughter a good education. I8217;ll let her study as much as she wants to.8221;

Gaikwad loves all that his work has to offer, maintains excellent relations with his manager and has never stopped to think about either switching jobs or changing his present lifestyle. What8217;s more important is job security and contention. Says he,8220;I8217;ve never even thought of doing anything else. This just happened and I8217;m happy with my life.8221; One cannot help but marvel at the man8217;s simplicity. Perhaps the one trait that is a rarity.