Delhiwale: A rickshaw puller’s business negotiations

Muhammed Haneef may be a simple rickshaw-puller but he is going nowhere without some hard bargaining

If rickshaws could talk, they would sometimes protest.

Rickshaw-puller Muhammed Haneef at a lane here in central Delhi. (Mayank Austen Soofi / HT Photo)

And certainly this poor vehicle has every right to complain. Laden as it is with huge bundles, one on top of the other.

Our humanitarian instincts are aroused. We’re obliged to exchange words with rickshaw-puller Muhammed Haneef who has parked the burdened rickshaw on a lane here in central Delhi. Of course, he’s the guy who has to haul this weight.

He understands our concern. “Oh, don’t worry,” he laughs. “It’s only cotton wool!”

He explains that the customer wants the wool dispatched to a wholesaler in Gandhi Market, since wintertime is high season for the Delhi wool trade. And for good reason. Quilts need to be stuffed.

Mr Haneef suggests a fee of Rs 70 which we personally think sounds almost too reasonable.

The potential customer frowns. “But I always pay 40!” he declares.

OK. Mr Haneef climbs down to 60.

But to no avail. No deal.

Now all that wool has to be removed, with Mr Haneef himself lending a helping hand.

And that’s that. A few minutes later a new customer turns up and is pedalled away, somewhere else in our teeming town.