The Taxi Driver by K.S.Duggal
The Taxi Driver Short Essay
Introduction:
The Taxi Driver is a short story by K.S. Duggal that shows the hard life of a poor family. It focuses on Dittu, a taxi driver, and his wife Banti, as they struggle between being honest and surviving tough times.
Dittu Finds a Wallet:
One evening, Dittu finds a wallet full of money in his taxi. He wants to return it, but doesn’t know who left it. His wife, Banti, sees the money as a chance to pay debts and give their children a better life. Dittu feels it’s wrong to keep money that isn’t theirs.
Past Lessons and Dreams:
Dittu remembers a childhood lesson about honesty. He also has a bad dream where everything goes wrong after keeping the wallet. This makes him more sure that using the money is wrong.
Conflict at Home:
Dittu and Banti argue about the wallet. Dittu loses his temper and hits Banti, which shocks him. Banti later counts the money, still planning to use it, while Dittu feels helpless.
Conclusion:
This story shows the daily struggle between right and wrong in poor families. Dittu values honesty, while Banti thinks about survival. It highlights the difficult choices people must make in real life.
The Taxi Driver in Tamil @Banumathi K's Literature Insights 👇
The Taxi Driver Detailed Essay
Introduction:
In The Taxi Driver, K.S. Duggal explore the complex lives of a struggling family. Dittu, a hardworking taxi driver, finds a wallet in his taxi, which leads to a battle between morality and practicality.
Dittu has a strong sense of morality and decides that they should not use the money that does not belong to them, while his wife Banti has a strong desire to use the money for a better life. Their conflict shows the tough choices families face when they are in difficult situations.
About the Author:
Kartar Singh Duggal (1 March 1917 – 26 January 2012) an Indian writer who wrote in Punjabi, Urdu, Hindi, and English. His works include short stories, novels, dramas and plays. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan by Government of India in 1988. K.S.Duggal is known for his insightful portrayal of human emotions and social issues in his writing.
Dittu’s Life Changed by Partition:
The protagonist of the story is a taxi driver named Dittu. Dittu’s real name was Hardit Singh. He was born into a wealthy family in Pakistan. But after the Partition (1947), everything changed. He came to India as a refugee, leaving behind his old life. In India, he started driving a taxi to earn a living.
The Trouble with the Lost Wallet:
As Dittu parked his taxi outside his small kholi, he spotted a wallet on the back seat, stuffed with currency notes. It belonged to one of his passengers. Instead of joy, a wave of uneasiness washed over him.
Tired from driving all day and unsure of what to do, he sat for a moment, thinking. It was already late in the evening. His final passenger had been picked up from the roadside and dropped off at the railway station. Dittu believed that finding money like this could cause trouble.
Dittu’s Journey with Lost Items /
Rich People’s Carelessness:
He had a bad experience before when a woman left her briefcase in his taxi. He believed that rich people were often careless and forgetful, thinking that if they weren’t wealthy, they would be more careful.
After that incident, Dittu started asking passengers for their name and address to avoid problems. People thought he was strange for asking. He explained that it was to help him return lost items. Unfortunately, passengers would argue with him when he asked. Because of the arguments, Dittu stopped asking for names and addresses.
A Heart Guided by Integrity:
Now, he found another lost item and wished he knew who the passengers were so he could return it easily. He is a person who believes that he has nothing to do with money that doesn’t belong to him.
An Embarrassing Lesson in Honesty:
Dittu had someone else’s wallet in his hand and remembered an event from his past. This event happened years ago in the main market of his hometown in Pakistan.
Dittu had just finished his matriculation exams and was riding his bicycle through the market one evening. He saw a heavy parcel lying in the middle of the road. He looked around, market was busy, no one noticed him. So Dittu quickly picked up the sealed parcel which was heavy and rode away from the market with the parcel.
He found a quiet spot and began to open the parcel. He unwrapped layer after layer of packing paper, but there was nothing inside. Dittu realized that someone had tricked him and felt embarrassed. He understood that it was done by the shopkeepers to test the honesty of the citizens.
He thought he should have given the parcel to a shopkeeper instead of taking it. He felt foolish for hurrying away with it.
Dittu’s Caution with Money:
He felt ashamed and hesitated to go back to the market. He never had to return because partition occurred soon after. He always remembered that incident and became extremely cautious when it came to money related matters.
An Evening Routine: Dittu and Banti:
Now, Dittu walked into his small room lost in thought, and his wife, Banti, was waiting for him, as she did every evening. When Banti saw the wallet in Dittu’s hands, she quickly snatched it from him. Dittu didn’t usually use a wallet; he kept the money he earned in his pocket and gave it to Banti when he got home. Banti arranged the money Dittu earned, putting the notes on one side and the coins on the other.
Dittu’s Moral Dilemma:
She noticed the worried look on Dittu’s face and guessed that someone had left the wallet in their taxi. Banti was excited and asked who had left the wallet in their taxi.
He didn’t know who had left the wallet in their taxi, and if he knew, he would have definitely returned it. Dittu, feeling uneasy, said they shouldn’t keep money that didn’t belong to them. Banti casually mentioned that she would give the money to the creditors who kept bothering her.
Banti’s Financial Concerns:
He felt worried because he knew Banti wouldn’t listen to him about this. Banti complained about their dark and dingy room, saying they couldn’t stay there forever. She pointed out that their son would soon be old enough for school and reminded Dittu that they also had a daughter. She mentioned that girls usually grow up quickly and started worrying about dowries. Dittu agreed but questioned why they should think about all these things.
Ownership Debate: Dittu vs. Banti:
Dittu was against spending the money that didn’t belong to them. Banti insisted that the money was theirs since they hadn’t stolen it; someone had simply left it in their taxi. Dittu tried to ignore Banti’s arguments.
Banti shouted that people don’t usually lose their honest earnings, and if the money had been earned through hard work, they would have been more careful with it so it was good luck for them to find it.
Tension Over Handling Lost Money:
Dittu called her reasoning rubbish and said he wouldn’t allow her to take the money. Banti asked what Dittu planned to do with the wallet.
Dittu said he would offer it to a deity. Banti replied that priests are often dishonest, so that wouldn’t work. Dittu suggested giving it to someone in need. Banti countered that they were just as needy as anyone else.
Dittu firmly told her not to touch the money. Banti asked what he would do if she spent the money. Dittu, very angry, replied that he would skin her alive. He had never been so rude to Banti before. To avoid losing his temper again, he got into bed and went to sleep.
Dittu’s Disturbing Dream:
Dittu had not slept for long when he started having bad dreams. In his dream, he had just left his house in his taxi in the morning. A policeman on duty on the main road stopped him for no reason. Dittu begged the policeman to forgive him again and again, but the policeman wouldn’t listen. When Dittu tried to touch the policeman’s feet, the mean policeman kicked him in the belly.
Dittu arrived at the taxi stand long before the other drivers, but no one came to hire him. He waited and waited all day, but no passengers showed up. Finally, tired of waiting, he decided to drive his taxi around to look for a passenger. He had hardly gone a kilometer when a military truck came speeding toward him. The truck crashed into his taxi, crushing the car and killing Dittu instantly.
Dittu’s Anger Unleashed:
Dittu woke up from his sleep, sweating a lot. Banti was fast asleep in her bed, holding the wallet tightly against her. Dittu tried to take the wallet from her, which woke her up. Banti and Dittu struggled over the wallet. In his frustration, Dittu slapped Banti on the face. Banti screamed loudly, and Dittu hit her again.
It was common for taxi drivers in their neighborhood to have such fights, so no one else paid attention. However, their son Gullu woke up and rushed to his mother. Dittu felt ashamed of himself for how he acted; he had never lost his temper like that before. Feeling very sorry, he slipped back into bed and covered his face with a blanket.
Normalizing Abuse:
Gullu asked his mother why Bapu (his father) hit her, but she didn’t answer. Banti told Gullu that sometimes husbands beat their wives. She normalized the abuse she received. Then, as if nothing unusual had happened, she hugged Gullu, turned off the lantern, and went back to bed.
Counting Coins in the Dark:
A little later, Banti got up again, lit the lantern, and started counting the money in the wallet that Dittu found in his taxi. She counted the notes for a long time. She called out to Gullu, who was still trying to sleep. Banti asked Gullu if he had ever seen a hundred rupee note, and he said no. She then asked if he had ever seen a fifty rupee note, twenty rupee note and he replied no again. Banti continued asking Gullu about different notes, but he eventually fell asleep like his father.
A Moral Dilemma:
Banti wanted to use that money to support her family and take care of their children. She prioritised her family’s needs over morality. But Dittu wanted to be honest about the situation.
Conclusion:
The story shows a conflict between morality and practical. Dittu is honest, even though he doesn’t have much money. On the other hand, Banti thinks the extra money is a good chance for them. she is willing to use the money from the wallet to improve their lives. Dittu feels helpless because he cannot convince Banti to not use the money. The story portrays the life of a family that struggles to survive.
Themes:
✨The Burden of Honesty
✨Wealth and Carelessness
✨The Struggle of the Working Class
✨Moral Dilemmas
✨Shame and Regret
✨Impact of Past Experiences
✨Money and Responsibility
✨Honesty and Integrity
✨Normalization of Abuse
The Taxi Driver by K.S. Duggal Explanation in Tamil @Banumathi K's Literature Insights - A YouTube Channel
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