It was just another day when the arrival area and the pick up point at the Terminal 1 D of IGI Airport was crowded and chaotic. Everyone was trying to book a Ola or Uber or busy giving directions while a continuous flow of cabs kept jamming the place. Some cabs were blocking the way by being awkwardly parked, some whose customers had not arrived yet, and some cab drivers were frantically waving at their customers trying to catch their attention. A crowd of over 100 people with 40 or 50 mostly identical White cars parked haphazardly at 1 am , made the traffic so unmethodical that   the entry gates  were  almost chocked.

Standing amidst this chaos, I was deperately trying my hands at the newly downloaded Uber app on my mobile. Suddenly , I heard a voice from behind , someone was talking on his mobile,         “Sardarji ke pass aa jao” (come near the Sikh gentleman). It was a very typical South Indian accent. I did not bother to even look back, thinking he must be in some private conversation with someone. In the meantime, as my cab was about to dock , I moved a few steps away trying to locate the white Hyundai Accent among the sea of cars, I heard the similar voice again and  now he was saying, “Sardarji thoda age move Kar Gaye Hain isliye age aana.”( The Sikh gentleman has moved little ahead so come little ahead) And then again , ” Are main keh raha hun Sardarji move Kar Gaye Hain.”

My ears now got alerted and focused at the sound and directed my brain to investigate pronto as it now  seemed that , the Sardar ji in the stranger’s conversation was me!!  I turned around angrily and found a pot bellied middle aged man moving surruptiously behind me ,as if shadowing me. He was now standing as one metre away looking the other side.  If anyone has been to the IGI airport recently the Private car pick up point at terminal 1 D is very dimly lit and one could not make out the features of this person. . For a minute I was worried, was I being followed? My mind quickly ran through the itinary of the day. Had  I broken any rule for which  I could be nabbed ? Nothing of the sort came to my mind. Neither was I carrying any valuables which could invite my kidnapping… As I gave him a disgusting   side glance, he was oblivious of it and had now begun to lose his temper at the lost cab driver, and finally shouted into his mobile. ” Jaldi ayo nhi to Sardarji chale jaenge, fir kaise pahchano ge ki main Kahan khada hun.” (Come fast otherwise the Sikh gentleman will go away and then how will you recognize me?) It was then I realised , I was neither being shadowed, nor going to be kidnapped but was simply being used as a Landmark to direct his driver to identify him. I suddenly felt pity on the simplicity of this man. But i also felt happy that inadvertantly my unique appearance was of help to this stranger in this maddening city. Amidst these thoughts my cab driver called and announced his arrival. But I waited quietly for his cab to arrive and when he sat in it, I moved towards mine. Seldom does one get a chance to help a stranger , and I could not let it go away.