My chat with Hiren Mohini - taxi driver and father (Feb 5)
My chat with Hiren Mohini - taxi driver and father.
I realised with a creeping horror that only some weeks back I had sat in the front seat of Mr Mohini's taxi - the man who suffered horrific stab wounds in a frenzied and needless attack over a 20 dollar fare - wounds that he wasn't able to survive. And when I recognised the photo of Hiren Mohini yesterday morning I'm not ashamed to say I sat down and wept. I got up, pulled myself together, made a cup of tea, and cried again.
For, in Mr Mohini's taxi over the course of a 15 minute taxi ride, we chatted away about a number of things. He asked me about my new home. What was it like in Waterview? Did I find it a good area? That maybe he might consider the area for a future home, but right now where he is living is ideal for his two young daughters, due to prospective school opportunities in the zone. That his kids come first, but once they're settled, maybe they'll move.
I asked him about the taxi business, and he replied that the last year wasn't easy in the industry, but hopefully things are looking like they might improve. Were there any shifts he wouldn't do? Did he find it dangerous? Mohini told me it's dangerous in the sense that some people will take a taxi and at the end of the ride just walk, or run away. Or occasionally start arguing. For some reason these incidences are on the increase. But it's far safer to just walk away from those customers. I asked him about night work and he said he preferred not to, mainly because things change when you have a couple of little ones who get worried when you're out at night, and they won't settle. And anyway the wife doesn't like him doing night work and she's the boss!! We laughed.
And so when I saw the photo, this conversation came flooding back to me. I hope they catch the brutal murderer, and, in prison, do to him what they will. Well, not really - that's anger talking, but I hope the full weight of justice comes to bear down on this case.
And I wish to offer my sincere condolences to his wife, Falguni,
and their two daughters. He was obviously a good man and a father
who just loved his kids, Yashvi - 5, and Hetvi -
3.
