It's funny sometimes how you meet strangers and then end up spending the entire day with them.

Mohammed Asif turned up on our bus claiming to be close to Jaya Prada. Well, first, he called us saying that he was the district incharge of the Samajwadi Party. When we met him for the first time, we knew that there was no way that was true - he was way too young. Anyway, he had a few contact numbers of Jaya Prada's driver and secretary and he put us well on the trail to the actress turned politician, so we just kind of let him hang around with us. He seemed to know lot of the locals and he was enthusiastic so we figured that we could do with having some one like him around.
 
Asif told us that he is a student of BSc at Jamia University, and was the son of the SP MLA from Tanda ( I haven't verified that yet) He'd come to Rampur because he was a huge supporter of Jaya Prada and wanted to help her with elections. So, he knew all her staff members and they had apparently told him to help out another channel's visiting reporter from Delhi. But Asif found the sight of our red bus too attractive so he just changed his plans.
 
He did not just stay with us till we interviewed Jaya Prada but he also took us around to meet her opponents and all other politicians. Then he accompanied us on a hunt for location and Rampuri churis, go around the very confusing lanes of the dirty small town and then joined us for a rickshaw joyride to the best roadside kebabs of Rampur.

Asif spent his entire day with us not expecting anything in return. When we were saying goodbye, I wondered if I could spend so much time with him when he came to Delhi. I know that I would want to but I probably won't be able to. Even then, I don't think Asif minds. I think he just liked the ride and some new company for a day. Thank you, Asif.