Its eight in the morning and the middle of the week. At a busy intersection somewhere in the suburban heart of the city that never sleeps, people are in their own world. Hurrying about to meet their daily commitments, they are unmindful of the fact that their life is tied to making it onto the 8.13 train! Meanwhile, back on the streets, its rush hour. In the networked world of today when everyone is said to be wired into the other; one incident made me question the entire situation.
A lady struggling to cross the street. Auto-rick guys, two-wheeler riders and car-drivers all swerve without bothering to allow the lady to cross. How much time does it take to pause a bit.... not much, but then again, the people are in some mad dash to get somewhere important. Eventually, she does manage to make it to the central median.
Something about her doesn't seem right. Everyone fails to notice her struggle. And then it happens. She trips and falls right in the path of the oncoming traffic. People watch, vehicles swerve around her. A few even have the gall to hurl abuses at her. Its as if everyone is engrossed in some cheap reality show. A young lady shows up, helps her to her feet and escorts her to the safety of the street curb.
People now snap out of their stupor and continue with their lives as if nothing ever happend. A newspaper guy begins to chide her for even attempting to cross the street. Yet another misguided soul comes up and mutters about why is it that some people just don't stay at home when unwell. The lady in discomfort finally pays heed to her samaritan and her assistant; and agrees to return home to rest!
Then comes another ordeal. The assistant is pleading with various rick-guys to help take an injured lady home. The heartless buffoons just swerve away with their meters half flagged. Finally one kind guy stops, hears the tale and whisks her away to safety.
That's it. A FIVE minute slice of life in the great city of blinding lights. Touted as the city that never sleeps, it was saddening to know that most people were caught napping in their apathy!
