It was a usual hectic Monday at office and I was wading through the endless traffic of Bangalore city returning back to my home . A very usual scene for the thousands of people like me . For me its all about if's and buts and seems like a journey where I tirelessly keep cursing my own life . Its like a rendezvous with my own thoughts with the chorus of horns , shouts & abuses in the background .
As I was making my way out , I saw people trying to cross the road and some bikers trying to squeeze in before they could do so . This was followed by some on the fly altercations and the very usual dialogues on Indian roads 'dikhta nahi hai kya? , Chalana nahi ata?' . Then I waited at the next signal and I thought even more. . I had to follow the same routine again . But why? why this life? living just for the sake of it? I felt claustrophobic on that 4 lane road . This is like a cycle which goes on everyday , nothing much to worry .
I approached the final signal and I was waiting again . Just as I started , the car right next to me sped off to make it quickly through the signal in a very usual & expected Indian way . As it came to the left , the driver didnot notice a man standing right in the front .The man was knocked off and he fell right on the footpath . I was just right behind when all of this happened . Everybody stopped and there was an expected jam . My mind got ready to hear some abuses and probably some fist fight , now that the man was bleeding profusely from the head . The usual bystanders were ready to throw out their frustrations , it was as if they were waiting for the chance . As this all was happening , I saw the middle aged man get up . He looked at the driver who was a young fellow and to my surprise gave out a smile , wiping out the blood on his forehead . He asked all the concerned bystanders to go away ,then He walked across the footpath and went towards , what appeared to be a gated community just along the side of the road . Within some time few people and the guards took him inside . I was amazed at the level of patience he had and the control on his rage .Had it been me at his place , I would have carved out a scratch on the driver's face so deep that he would have remembered it for his entire life. With a very clueless mind , I started my bike .
Just as I was about to move , my eyes fell upon the board right next to the gate where the man had disappeared . The sign board promptly read "Karunashraya : Home for the advanced stage cancer patients"
I don't seem to get any thoughts on life after that monday.
As I was making my way out , I saw people trying to cross the road and some bikers trying to squeeze in before they could do so . This was followed by some on the fly altercations and the very usual dialogues on Indian roads 'dikhta nahi hai kya? , Chalana nahi ata?' . Then I waited at the next signal and I thought even more. . I had to follow the same routine again . But why? why this life? living just for the sake of it? I felt claustrophobic on that 4 lane road . This is like a cycle which goes on everyday , nothing much to worry .
I approached the final signal and I was waiting again . Just as I started , the car right next to me sped off to make it quickly through the signal in a very usual & expected Indian way . As it came to the left , the driver didnot notice a man standing right in the front .The man was knocked off and he fell right on the footpath . I was just right behind when all of this happened . Everybody stopped and there was an expected jam . My mind got ready to hear some abuses and probably some fist fight , now that the man was bleeding profusely from the head . The usual bystanders were ready to throw out their frustrations , it was as if they were waiting for the chance . As this all was happening , I saw the middle aged man get up . He looked at the driver who was a young fellow and to my surprise gave out a smile , wiping out the blood on his forehead . He asked all the concerned bystanders to go away ,then He walked across the footpath and went towards , what appeared to be a gated community just along the side of the road . Within some time few people and the guards took him inside . I was amazed at the level of patience he had and the control on his rage .Had it been me at his place , I would have carved out a scratch on the driver's face so deep that he would have remembered it for his entire life. With a very clueless mind , I started my bike .
Just as I was about to move , my eyes fell upon the board right next to the gate where the man had disappeared . The sign board promptly read "Karunashraya : Home for the advanced stage cancer patients"
I don't seem to get any thoughts on life after that monday.
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