One auto and one Pepsi please...message sent.

I used to be a regular reader of the Times of India online. Gradually over the year, my interest flagged. Everyday one read about more antics of amazingly creative politicians in their area of specialty, bribery. The admiration for their innovation wore off and there wasn't much else to read about.

You know what they say "If Mohammed can't go to the mountain..." etc etc. Surprising and delightful bits of news come up every day these days although I don't go in search of them. The first one was about NCERT text books incorporating political science. Wait.. It wasn't going to be 'Fundamental rights and duties' or ' Role of Judiciary'. The new addition was current politics with 'Rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party' as an instance!!! Who would have thought we would finally get perspective even in text books? Proud moment indeed!

The next one, predictably was of the cricket win in the match which was reported , among other adjectives as a 'blinder'. And one that we won. Now, I am among the multitude who thinks every move in cricket is predecided and agreed upon with considerable moolah changing hands. But such close matches do shake that belief.

The final and the glorious one, was the 'Easy auto' in Bangalore!! Most of the memories of my good times in Bangalore are tainted with recollections of standing in the middle of the street at the end of the day, waving frantically at a non-responsive auto driver. I have wondered if I was transparent. If you haven't had to face rejection in your life, and want to, just go to an auto and ask the driver to take you to Vijayanagar from M.G. Road at 7 PM. You can also do the same if you have cash to spare, lots of it. And now they tell us these days may be at an end!! What a red-letter day for Bangaloreans! No overcharging, courteous drivers, being able to SMS for an auto which arrives within fifteen minutes, and get this, purchasable soft drinks in the auto!! It seems too good to be true. I hope it lives up to its publicity. It would be a great thing for Bangalore if it did. Maybe there will be 'Autorickshaw tourism' next! Feels like the beginning of better times. Pipe dreams? Perhaps. But to even be able to contemplate such change is a great feeling.

Maybe one day we will also have faster government officials, manageable traffic and no eve-teasing? No, I go beyond the realm of probability there. Or do I?