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Vir Das meets IIT grad Indian scientist working as driver in US: ‘There’s a sadness to his smile’
Vir Das shared on Instagram about meeting an IIT graduate and PhD holder scientist from India working as a driver in the US after losing his job.
Vir Das, a name synonymous with sharp wit and insightful humour, often leaves people chuckling with his social media posts. However, his recent post on Instagram is likely to make people emotional. He shared an encounter between himself and a laid-off Indian scientist who is working as a chauffeur in the US.
“The black lane driver picks me up from the San Jose baggage claim. Nice guy. Not a great driver. You can tell he’s uncomfortable behind a wheel. Or at least new behind it. He’s Indian. We start talking. I try to speak to people I find abroad in Hindi, it’s like a little quick cure for homesickness for both of us,” Vir Das wrote.
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They then talk about life in America, during which the driver remarks that working in a foreign country is hard, adding, “Tasalli nahin hai, you can never fully relax.”
“Then he tells me he is a PhD, an IIT Mumbai graduate and a scientist who was laid off a year ago. This explains the driving. He does this to make ends meet,” Vir Das added.
“We’re friends now, who will never see each other ever again. We’re at drop off now. I shake his hand and say ‘good luck with everything’. All I can think is - I hope you get to use all of your amazing brain soon, I know first hand it’s heartbreaking to feel like you are more than what you’re doing, and I hope you get to relax soon,” he further expressed.
Take a look at the entire post here:
The share sparked chatter on social media, with people sharing their opinions. Since being shared, the post has received nearly 15,000 likes. Many people reacted to the share using broken heart emoticons.
Here’s how social media reacted:
An individual wrote, “‘We’re friends now, who will never see each other ever again.’ This phrase shows that the same observational nerve which perceives and harnesses humour is also the one that notices humanity.” Another joined, “Not sure if he meant Tasalli as in relaxed or as in certainty. Because with the same qualifications as him, let me tell you, there is usually none.”
Also Read: Vir Das is unhappy with what he received after ordering bananas in the US. Here’s why
A third commented, “You have a way of getting to people. Reaching them. Which is what makes you, YOU.” A fourth joined, “So heartwarming and heart-breaking to have read this.”
Vir Das is currently “on his international Mind Fool tour, which is stopping in countries on every continent except Antarctica in 2023-2024.” His most recent performance was in San Jose, California, which took place on November 14.
What are your thoughts on this post by Vir Das?
