We are like that only

We Indians have unique traits which contribute to our unity in diversity.

Being Indian, they are ingrained in me too.

We are good people and if something bad happens somewhere, we do not look the other way. We stop whatever urgent work we are rushing to and pause to stand and stare.

Stand and stare it is.

And make conversation.

Picture this guy who has lost an arm in a bike accident and is bleeding profusely, crying out for help.

We will stare at that rare spectacle to etch it in our memory..,.the horror of it to be narrated in great detail….with a lot of empathy and sympathy, to all and sundry.

We will grumble why someone hasn’t called the police or the ambulance, and that the car driver who hit this bleeding chap should be hanged.

We are good people. We don’t get into trouble. A lift to the hospital would mean getting your name taken down as a witness.

That would be wrong as the car driver who hit him should have taken him to hospital and been a witness. After all, he’s the one responsible.

The conversation generally goes like this (This is mostly imagination a I’ve never actually hung around to listen to what people have to say)….

Very bad… this is really bad..

The biker was driving in the middle of of the road and bikers should always stay to the side.

He must have been drunk also and speeding also. Now his recklessness is going to cost his family dear…..no helmet also! People don’t obey rules nowadays …

Thank God he was alone…and the tyres didn’t go over his neck. He’s really lucky, yaar.

These car wallas are stuck to their mobiles. That idiot must have been talking and driving….now look what happened.

I keep telling my son not to talk on the phone while driving his scooter but he doesn’t listen only.

He looks young…definitely not married. These immature kids are reckless and have no sense of responsibility.

It looks like it’s his right hand, and he won’t be be able to work looks like.

How he will he look after his old parents now….

it’s better to walk or use a car or bus…..bikes are too dangerous. Even if you drive properly someone will come and bang you from behind

See he is bleeding so much and the ambulance and police have not come till now. The poor man may die till they arrive.

Somebody should give him some water atleast. It is so hot! ( He is carrying his sumptuous tiffin box and boiled water flask in his bag, but it doesn’t occur to him that he does).

You are from Premier tower no? I remember seeing you in the lift. Myself Mr Save.

I work on the 20th floor and I saw you get off on the 15th. You work for Putanjal Pharma na? I know because their office on the 15th floor. They own the full floor na….very big company.

Your medicines are really good but verry expensive.

Anyway your share prices are doing good. Only pharma is doing well in the pandemic. People are buying Ayurvedic kadhas and churnas. Yesterday only I bought 200 shares.

We are a small company…not like yours. We were selling cosmetics but no one is buying them now so we are selling sanitizers.

People are not going out na so they are not buying lipstick. Only some madams working from home are buying.

Let me know if you want sanitizer, I’ll give you half price. Minimum order is ten pieces but for you I will give one also. Same building no. We should help each other.

Chalo, I’ll be late for work.

And this rain is also not ending only. It has been raining continuously and we have water cuts because it’s raining in the wrong place.

Thank God it is not raining now. The poor chap would have got drenched and died of high fever.

Things are getting from bad to worse. I’m telling you, the world is going to end soon. Look at that poor guy….all are looking and nobody is helping…. chalo I have to go….

Today is the month-end and the boss will fire me if I don’t finish my reports. The figures are hopeless… that’s because of the pandemic, but the boss doesn’t understand.

All red lines adding to my worry lines.

He sits in his house and enjoys chai with his family and we have to travel to work and risk getting hit by reckless drivers.

Come let’s start walking…

————————————————See the traffic jam….this side the accident has blocked the road and on that side….the fools are slowing down their cars and bikes to have a look. What is the use of looking….nobody will do anything.

They only want something juicy to tell on their phones or when they reach their office ….or to feel sorry for the unfortunate fellow’s bad luck… or to offer a prayer.

What is the use of prayer after the fellow is dead…..but people are like that only. When you are alive they won’t bother and when you die they will come from all parts of the world for your last rites.

I can’t risk my family’s wrath by getting involved with the police. We are decent people.What would the neighbours think if the police arrived at our house….

Look, somebody has stopped his car. Oh it’s a girl…. there… in the white top and blue jeans….Arre I know her. She is that Shetye’s daughter….looks like her only.

Yes, she’s the one who feeds the stray dogs in our colony and causes such a nuisance.

They say she has thirty cats in her house. Her neighbour is my sister-in-law’s auntie’s cousin’s uncle’s son.

He doesn’t want to live there only. He is searching for a new house because horrible smell is coming from her house. But no one is ready to buy his house. Poor fellow!

The society warned her so many times. She is not listening only.

I’m telling you she is not eighteen also. She must have fought with Sheyte. She is living with her boyfriend and the thirty cats. What a shame….at this age! And her boyfriend is no good. That day I saw him bringing a crate of beer.

Now also he is not driving. Must be drunk only! Good he is not driving otherwise they also would have been another accident.

And living alone at this age…. does she even have a license … the police will catch her.

Parents nowadays don’t bother to see what the kids are doing. They are totally spoiled.

The way they are hauling that fellow he is going to die anyway.

Now if there is a police case what will happen…

On top of that she has that boyfriend in the car. If people come to know Shetye’s name will be spoiled. I am not going to tell anybody, but people will come to know.

That guy is unconscious…he must be dead also…

What is the use of doing all this ….and how will they clean the blood in the car….and her white top ….she will have to throw it away only.

Forget that their family name will be painted black.

Now they are honking so loudly…. this honking should be banned…this noise can affect your heart….

See people are so good….they are making way for them to go. I tell you people in our city are verry helpful..

Lets go….the drama is over…

(This kind of traffic jam happens every other day in Mumbai….so when the traffic slows to a stop, we presume it’s an accident.

The Indian system is specially designed to deter people from helping because you get dragged into court cases for years as the witness….. till as they say your chappals get torn.

As for me, I wouldn’t stop to stand and stare but I also wouldn’t do nothing beyond that.

What would my family think of me if I got involved with police….

What God thinks is another matter altogether…)

We are like that only.