Moving out of a suburb to a metropolis transformed me totally. Life in a small town is much easier in comparison to the big and smart cities. One does not have to wait for years to understand the intricacies of life in a metropolis; the mere sight of people’s behaviour on the roads lays bare the general mindset of city-dwellers.
The other day it was raining in torrents, and after calling it a day at the office I sat in my car half-drenched. Mighty raindrops splattered on the windscreen as if they were coming for me. Putting my car’s GPS on navigation, I started for home, and on the way what I witnessed was quite horrid. The indifferent and uncouth behaviour of many of the city-dwellers disturbed me to the core.
The poor pedestrians and bikers received innumerable douches of water by rowdy car-wallahs. Already facing atrocious weather, these uncalled for splashes by passing cars worsened the situation for them.
At a traffic signal, I spotted a middle-aged woman struggling with her scooter that had broken down. She was relentlessly trying to start the engine but in vain. Instead of showing some sympathy and extending her a helping hand, the vehicles behind her kept honking, and eventually she had to give way, pushing the scooter away. At another signal, I found a chaotic scene. In the absence of traffic police personnel, people were jumping the signal like anything. Some of the vehicles had a close shave.
Moving ahead while crossing under a metro bridge, I found so many stranded people waiting for the rain to abate. I could see them making incessant calls and scrolling down the screens of their cell phones.
This won’t happen in small suburban towns, where people are still considerate enough. During rains, many of them would slow down their vehicles in order not to affect passers-by. They have leisure at their disposal. Instead of going out and facing the hardships of rain, they would prefer sitting at home and relish the fritters.
I still fondly remember an incident when I was stranded in heavy rain. I took shelter under someone’s shed and was waiting for the rain to stop. I could not move out as the streets were waterlogged. Suddenly a voice summoned me, “Beta andar aaja, nahi to bimaar ho jayega”. I turned and saw an old lady at the window of that house. I went in and she gave me a towel to dry myself up.
I feel big cities have a lot to offer but no one pays heed to how much we lose. Financially we see an upsurge in our career graph, but ethically we reach a stage of bankruptcy. Indifference, lack of compassion, and self-centred approach are the demons that are on a mission.
Enjoy the rains in your high-end cars but please consider the other vehicles on road as well!
mirajchauhan87@gmail.com
