Meeting Mustafa Ali

A chance interesting encounter.

I was going to Golconda Area Hospital to meet up with a friend, and considering I'm not too familiar with the area, I took a cab.

While all conversation before the cab reached me was in fluent hindi, the moment I got in, it shifted to 'fluent' English. Within minutes, to my total fascination, I learnt that Ali was an English Trainer. He teaches spoken english at an institute for four hours each day.

My curiosity was fully piqued. 

I told him something that I've shared with very few....that there were times when I was tired of a desk job and had toyed with the idea of becoming an ola driver myself :)

We quickly figured we both had in common a love for driving, a love for music, immunity to traffic and a love for meeting new people. Common thread established, plus a long ride,  together gave me opportunity to hear his whole story.

Ali is himself from a corporate background. He used to work with Satyam Nipuna and then 24 * 7, and on one of his visits to Mumbai he'd gotten into a cab. On the seat he found a HSBC jacket, and told the driver that his earlier passenger seemed to have left his jacket behind. The driver said " The jacket is mine. I work at HSBC. I'm new to Mumbai, have neither family nor friends here, so I decided to take on this job as well". 

And that is what inspired Ali ..he quit his job and take to Ola driving. He slowly added cars and now runs four cars with Ola.

He works as English trainer part of day and a few days of the week drives around one of his cabs.

He quite apparently has an entrepreneurial bent. He said when he thinks he's ready he wants to start his own institute for spoken english. (I told him he could offer me a job when he did)

We reached and that ended an interesting and fascinating chance meet up.

Ali, with all admiration for your clarity, decision making, and courage, good luck for now and with your next venture, whenever you start. 

I'm also sure you'll be inspiration to many others !! (Yes, I have his number and intend to share this with him :)