Ego , accident and a night …

The house was old and the building dirty and I was trying my best to hide my displeasure to my broker, Kiran  .Not sure if that was me acting practical and mature with my house hunt or was it effect of a full days of work at company .

“sir this is the only house you can afford , rest all are costly  ” , that was indeed a harsh statement coming from Ramesh . My broker Kiran, looked with a worried look into my eyes , knowing me…..  he was expecting a fight back answer
.But something , there was , today that made me very calm this evening . or may  be that I was not interested in comments third party broker……… oh yes, I too was surprised that I did not react to someone telling me what sort of budget I can afford for my house 🙂 ….

Hunt being hunt , we got out of that place and me and kiran rode our bike back to kothrud depot (KD) . KD a  funny place with a busy city bus depot located  at the main circle and a 4 lane way .Its a worst place  to ride your bike in pune . I was about to curse the traffic as we approached the cross roads..

“Careful ” Kiran shouted ….

and there she was , a lady .. 50 something was sitting on the road in middle of the heavy traffic .. I immediately felt the concern at the poor lady . you know , may be she was not able to cross the road in this traffic … or may be she was  picking something up from the road or something ..
.. I wondered how many possibilities my software mind was thinking off …split second it was , I though all this …
and split second it was for me the realize that old lady, was not sitting on the road …. she had her left feet stuck under a car …and nobody realized this …or may be none was able to hear her feeble screams ..

“shit” , I said and jumped from my pillion seat and rushed to the car , time had frozen may be …

I remember that the lady (lets call her geeta)…. had plastic bag in her hand and wearing an economy saree .. the car was maruti swift ..the numerous bikes surrounding us and the SRS travels bus that stood just beside geeta …much more and there I was standing in front of the car shouting for the driver to take the car reverse….

Ah , that look , the driver too was a lady .. not that it matters .. but the look of studious curiosity and frozen mind… unable to make decision …
I was sure the very moment that it was futile to expect the driver ( lets call her mona ) would be able to help … that’s it ….and I bent down … and started lifting the left corner of the car .. and the indeed we could make enough space for geetas feet to be pulled out ….. little did i realized that by  this moment  10 more people had joined me in this car lifting …….

the traffic was getting loud and restless … and geeta was in great pain….
“Where is the doc ?” , “Where the hell is the doc, isn’t anyone here a local ?” I shouted as i bent down to lift geeta and take her to some doc ..

there was firm no ……. in her eyes … don’t know how did I sense that …but there was that painful  “No” …and geeta limped her way to stand up …
and i moved my hands to open the doors of this swift …….involuntary .. not even caring to ask mona , if I should …

and may be there was no need … she started the engine and the car started moving almost instantly ….. a physical sensation of which i remember …
“Are you bleeding ?” ..”Whats your name madam ?” …”Do you want me to call someone ?”..

she looked up …I froze . Pain and helplessness and a futile effort to appear brave and graceful … that mix of emotion in eyes of geeta ..made me realize how out-of-place my questioning was …
“I have a mobile”  , it wasn’t the first sentence I was expecting to hear from geeta, and she bent to her plastic bag to take that out .

One glimpse ,…………
a “mangalsutra” full of only black bead and the tiniest of gold pendent in it ……and i realized … even without thinking …where and why that mobile answer came from ……
probably the best thing I did this evening was next 5 minutes …I shut my mouth up  …held hand of that lady ..and took her inside nearby hospital with the right flooring marking from https://www.floor-markings.co.uk/play-area/paint.

looking constantly in geeta’s eyes .. holding her limp hand   …age …pain …and silence … hadn’t felt them so clearly , recently  …

The Doc took over and announced it was non critical injury …the Xray et al ..

“Need I buy the medicines , I know this hospital” … Ah mona …I noticed …a 35 something …trendily dressed…and an upper class tone ..

I felt as if some one had puke all over the place with this question ….”you should ” , the maximum I could say … mona left for the medical downstairs …

and I moved to doctors cabin …geeta was in pain…
“Is everything ok doctor ?”
“Yes, don’t worry “….
“Then I can call my relatives to pick me up….”
My software mind was about to pick up the anomaly in this dialogue…and just when I was to inquire more……………… mona returned with the bandage etc …

dressing done geeta asked the doc … “Do i Have to come to you again ?” ..

okies, this is too much I thought …or may be this lady has trouble walking and that is why she is saying so , I thought .

“This is my number and I have holiday on Wednesday … so in case you need help , call me …..and I will take you to the doc for revisit” .. I said almost automatically …

“I make roties at people houses … there are four of such houses …that’s where I was returning from “…

yes… i began to understand things and I moved …almost mechanically….and took notes out of my  wallet and gave them  to geeta …she will miss a weeks of wage … 🙁

geeta looked into my eyes …. yes .. there was a thank you …or may be she said so … i dont remember ….but the money was returned to me …

I felt dumb … knowing not what to do …and the moment geetas relative ….. her sister and 2/3 men  entered the clinic …

“Did you do this ” …. geetas nephew asked  ..
“We didnt ” … kiran said …
“Don’t expect me to deal with these guys …. do you expect me to give her money ?” Mona ….
“Yes”… Me …

It happened almost simultaneously ….and last sentences of iPhone holding Mona made me numb …

Geeta started crying …after this much time … holding hands of her sister ….

“Dont cry , its ok” …geetas sister said ….
“She should” … I said …

somehow i began to understand geetas tears …….and the feeling…………….. of fighting……….. to show your brave and dignified face to life ….
contrasting that with…the intellectual apathy of mona  ..  it felt even more intense ….

…….. the feeling of helplessness in the  crusade for dignity in life  ………………
…………………. that realization was shattering many things in my mind today ..

yes .. tonight i cried ……..for someone else……for  a long while…. … after may years …..

and my decision of which locality my house for me and my old parents should  be ……  was made …