The night of Dec. 9 was like any other for Uber driver Shahnawaz Khan, until he got a booking from Deoli village in south Delhi. Upon reaching, Khan discovered that his passenger was heavily-pregnant Babli, waiting to be rushed to the hospital for delivery.
"I felt that something could happen on the way and suggested that they call an ambulance," Khan says, "but she said the ambulance would take time, and you are already here." Babli's husband Rajkumar is a labourer and was unable to accompany her as he had recently been injured in an accident. He had initially booked an ordinary cab to escort her to the hospital, but when that got delayed, he asked his friend to book an Uber cab.
Their journey was stalled by a traffic jam, but helped by her sister-in-law and neighbour, Babli delivered a baby boy in the car's backseat at around 8.45 pm. Khan handed out towels and clothes stored in the car, while steering his Maruti Ertiga during the traffic. By the time they reached their destination Safdarjung Hospital, the baby had already arrived.
After reaching the hospital, Khan helped the mother and child get on a strecher and took her to the doctor. Two days later, both the mother and the baby are healthy and back home.
For 24-year-old Khan, this was the first experience of its kind. "I was very happy that everything went off well," Khan says. "At the end, she held my hand and thanked me for saving her life."