Life From A Traffic Signal

Life From A Traffic Signal

The endless row of cars, trucks, scooters, three wheelers irritated me to no end. The pollution around made me sneeze and cough. Eyes were burning, but thankfully hidden behind my big glares I tried to distract myself from the awful scene. I was not in hurry. I missed the safety of my car. I cursed myself silently for being so adventurers, but now I was in middle of the chaos so no use of self bashing!

The autowallah stopped the engine and started having his tobacco or paan parag. I was watching him, he meticulously arranged that small portion in his hand and with precise perfection it was gone into his mouth. He nodded with satisfaction. Then he took out the small cloth from somewhere and started cleaning the posters and pics in his auto. Mostly were film stars and mind you all females…and one or two of Lakshmiji and Ganeshaji maybe because Diwali warmth was still in the air.

My mobile rang and with a sigh of relief I picked the phone. At least I could talk now whoever is there. But to my surprise I could hear nothing! The noises were everywhere and nothing was audible. So after shouting for a minute I hung up. Frustrated.

Looking around for something to catch my fancy I saw a little boy, hardly six or seven years, very dirty, an urchin with his younger brother. The elder one was standing near the huge heap of rubbish and taking out plastic bottles. Then I saw a broom in his hands and after taking all the sticks from the plastic holder, he kept that plastic in his bag and threw the sticks. Next he saw a chaapal, slipper kind of thing and frantically started looking for its other pair. The autowallah started his auto again but I was looking at the urchin with high expectation. He took out the other pair and wore that and what I saw was a bright and wide smile on his face. It made me smile too. I felt good and happy, in fact happier than him.

The auto was crawling in a snail’s speed. I had plenty of time and now I had some interesting world to see around. Usually I miss all this. Either I am too occupied with kids, or music in the car or too self engrossed in thoughts that the world outside seems too boring or meaningless. Now my eyes caught sight of a boy, around 14-15 and his small and fragile mother sitting behind his cycle. He stopped his bicycle, mother got down and he handed her a plastic bag. He started walking with her as she started shopping for vegetables. It was a sight to hold. I could feel the satisfaction of a mother, and pride of a son. It was just a simple sight which touched my heart. I was feeling better and smiling.

The noise, pollution and chaos was still there but now I was oblivion to all this. Then there was this family a girl around 16 -20 with high heels and wearing a very heavy lehnga type of thing, a man who was not more than 20, with a shinning shirt and a small kid on his side in his new clothes. The woman was trying to balance herself on her heels and the man holding a bag and child’s hand looking behind to see his wife time to time. I laughed, autowalah looked at me.. He must be thinking I am gone mad in this traffic ha ha…so let it be. I was not bothered.

Then I saw a woman with glittering sari, pallu on her head, and her husband on his bicycle, walking together. There was small TV set Sansui on the carrier seat of the bicycle which she was supporting with her hands. Both looked so happy. He proudly was glancing to his wife and she coyly looking, smiling at the new T.V.set. This must be their achievement and a dream of many years which was fulfilled this year. The things which we take for granted in our luxurious life means a lot to these people who really sweat to make two ends meet. In spite of having so much in our lives we always crib, expect and aspire for more. We can’t do with one set of TV, we need it in every room, but we don’t have time to watch. With a sigh I passed them too, but I felt elated somehow. There I saw a world which was not in search of anything, they were happy in whatever was coming there way. They were not cribbing, complaining about the pollution, the noise, or anything because they are busy in hard realities of life instead of worldly philosophy. They are happy because they find reasons to be, unlike us who find reasons and logics for happiness. It is a state for them but for us it is a thing to dissect.

When I reached home, I was cool, calm and smiling. I had witnessed what actually is happiness…forgetting about the chaos and my auto venture.