Just like me, these two fellows had booked their Auto Expo tickets via BookMyShow; and just like me, they were standing in a queue to collect their physical tickets.
Once we got the tickets, we started moving in another queue, to get the entry via gate number 5. The line was moving slowly, and I was feeling bore.
I started a conversation with them.
I poked them, “You know, 80,000 people had visited the expo yesterday. Today, it may cross 1 lakh.”
“Oye! Kya baat hai.. We made a right decision, it seems.”
“By the ways, visiting for the first time?”
“Yes, we have come all the way from Ambala. We are farmers.”
At that point, my eyes automatically started noticing their clothes. They were wearing shirt, pant and jacket. Polished but old black shoes covered their feet. Their head was covered by a cap, something like Salman Khan used to wear in Maine Pyaar kiya.
Awkwardly flat beak.
“Oh, Ambala! Great. It seems Auto Expo has some real charm, all over the country. It is already World’s second largest Auto Expo, and Asia’s biggest. Some 80 brands are showcasing their..”
The other guy interrupted me, “Yes, just read in Dainik Jagran here. Tabhi to aaye hain”
Internally, I thought, great auto enthusiasts. Must have spent some 2000 bucks on travel and tickets. Maybe this is their way of fulfilling their fantasy of watching their dream cars, so closely. They can touch them, feel the metal, and will find their orgasm.
Passion.
We all had entered by now, and the giant open space invited us for the action. People were coming in, going out from different stalls, and the cars beckoned us to enter, see the action, live. Cinema hall type screen was blazing one advertisement about how robots help maintain quality in automobile industry.
Time to depart.
I said, ‘Chalo fir. It was nice meeting you guys. Have a good time, and click lots of pics!”
“We don’t have camera”, smiled the first guy.
‘Oh.. Then watch those cars for extra 5 minutes, and capture them, entirely in your mind!”
Now the second guy smiled, “Mazak acha kar leto ho. We have come here to buy a BMW.’ Slowly, he took out a check book, and looked towards me. “2 crore ka budget hai ji. Dekhte hain.”
And the first guy indicated towards his jacket. “Down payment to kar ke jaana hai, aaj hi.”
Oops. Bad imagination, I thought. Seeing my confused state, the second guy said, “Kya hua ji? Farmers of Ambala can’t buy a BMW?”
“Oye nahi nahi sirjee. There is nothing like that. Just that, I couldn’t imagine that you guys were so rich.”
The second guy looked towards me, and said these final words, ‘Not sure about rich or poor.. But yes, BMW is something special, and so is this Auto Expo. When we went to Thailand last year, we had bought a farm in Phuket. And that was special too.”
And they both started moving towards the BMW stall…
The story was originally posted here.
About Me: I am Mohul, a Writer by passion and Online Marketer by profession. WordsWithMagic is my entrepreneurial dream, where I am going to share my journey of doing Marketing using Content. You can follow me on Twitter and become friends on Facebook. My primary mode of communication is hello@mohulghosh.com.
Karan Pandhi
Mohul Bhai,
It has happened to me also when I saw a BMW X1 in my hometown Junagadh,Gujarat. The guy was having 6 farms in the state and was stinking rich.
And I came to know that there was a farmer who sold 2 trucks of raw cotton for 6 lacs and was going to have more 10 trucks coming to buy more raw cotton so you can just imagine how rich farmers are.
Aparna
talking on truly different perspective.. what if we let students interact with farmers. May be farming will trend in career listing soon!
Yo Gesh Gupta
farming can be a very lucrative business if done with passion ………. i read in newspaper few months ago how a farmers son in gurgaon went to the ferrari showroom in gurgaon having a sack full of cash to buy the car.
Mohul Ghosh
Thanks for the comment, Karan! Wow, thats an amazing info.. When i was working with Warana Doodh in Pune, I came to know that max mercs are sold in Kolhapur and Satara! But this exp was something else.. totally blown away!
Mohul Ghosh
Thanks for the comment, Aparna! Yes, agriculture needs more startups and more ideas. but imagine a guy studying in Delhi, announcing to his parents that he is going to a village to start a startup! It would be damned and condemned!
Mohul Ghosh
Thanks for the comment, Yogesh! Thats an interesting story!
shobhan d
Mohul, 2 more factors helping the farmers: they don’t have to pay income tax and if they play their cards right, the govt waives off their loan obligations as well.
Sarthak Jain
Excellent Story Mohul. Indeed with Real estate prices moving up things have changed quite a lot for the farmers especially in Northern India. Loved they way they ended – Farm in Phuket 😀
Harshit
Bro which car do u own ?