India, April 16 -- For 42-year-old Ajay Rai, a truck driver from Uttar Pradesh, the road that once promised stability has now led to uncertainty and despair, thanks to the downturn triggered by the West Asia crisis. After spending over two decades behind the wheel, he is preparing to return home, defeated by dwindling work and mounting expenses. Rai has been driving trucks since 2000. At 18, he migrated from his village in Kushinagar, to escape intermittent earnings and the lingering insecurity born out of failing his high school exams. Drawn by the promise of steady employment in the trucking business, he first arrived in Daman and later Mumbai. "I had barely grown a moustache when I began driving," Rai recalled while speaking to HT on the Nashik highway. Rai has lived inside the truck, assigned by Parth Cargo, for the past two years. The company transports bulk consignments from Nhava Sheva to Vadpe and Bhiwandi. Now, with reduced cargo movement drivers are left with little work. "Managers tell us that business is low," said Rai. Paid per-trip, he earns around Rs.2,500 for each journey. "Until recently, I completed five to six trips a week, earning nearly Rs.50,000 a month. Now, assignments have dwindled to just one weekly trip, bringing my monthly income down to about Rs.10,000," he said. With the dip in income, Rai who used to eat vegetarian thalis, now survives on vada pav and bhaji pav. The financial toll has impacted his family too, which include monthly fees of around Rs.13,000 for his daughter's college and son's school. "I used to send around Rs.35,000 every month. But I haven't sent home any money last month, neither will I be able to this month," said Rai. On the other hand, life on the highways is not devoid of risks either. Last week, eight litres of diesel were siphoned from his truck while he was asleep, forcing him to bear the loss. After years of relentless toil, Rai has decided to pause. "I will deliver my last consignment tomorrow and head home. Living here has become unbearable. I will return to my village and work on my agricultural land, which will keep me afloat and ensure two meals for my family," he said, adding that he still holds a small glimmer of hope that he may return to the driver's seat in the near future. Osama Rawal...