I am bit by the Sustainable Development bug as you would have guessed from my last post. After, much reluctance and 10-15 min of wait later at 10 in the night at Delhi's Lodhi Gardens, I took an autorickshaw back to my guesthouse. (I would have liked a DTC killer Blueline Bus, even though they are infrequent, shoddy, drivers and ticket wallahs rude and the buses have a murderer's reputation to live up to)
I looked at a biker rider, nay riders and looked on further. Wait! Something unsual here. I looked again. There were five on them on the bike (a Hero Honda Splendour).
1. The smallest kid - a two year old sweetheart }- The tank
2. The father }- Seat
3. The eldest sister }- Seat
4. The mother }- Seat
5. The brother - a five year old }- the small iron rods that protude after the seat ends - generally used to hang up polythene, bags etc.
My face must have been distorted (more that what it already is) at the sight of five people on one bike and that too without helments for any of the riders other than the driver.
The kid who was at the last part of the bike clutching the rod looked sideways at me. My expressions did not change, he would have been scared. He looked ahead.
The kid looked back again (very natural) and smiled.
I have no idea whether the kid could read my mind full of safe driving, sustainable transport, family planning, city life and other bull shit.
I was reminded of a woman I say crying inconsolably inside a big black BMW, her face red, eyes swollen and hair dishevelled. Contrast.
My thoughts moved to Nano. I had heard and spoken a lot about how it is going to transform the scene on the roads, pollution levels, traffic jams etc etc. I had even stepped inside one at a showroom here.
I forgot all that in an instant and was reminded of the vision Ratan Tata talked about when he launched the car a few months back. This kid would be certainly happier and much much more safer to sit inside one.
I caught him again looking at me. I put out my arms tightened my fist, urging him to hold tight. He gave me a broader smile as his father sped away.
partha daa...
ReplyDelete*hug* for this lovely post...
a child's innocence!how i'd love to barter it for everything I have...
I played kanche today..and found how naturally these words come to them..
mera kancha pill mein nahi gaya..jisse mera game "bhand" ho gaya!!
...........a thoughtful analysis...that's very true.... we usually come across these kind of scenes .that boy was certainly not that serious about his safety, for him it was like an adventure n was enjoing that risky ride.... he was probably happy that he is being the center of attraction....
ReplyDeletethat's the innocence of a child .
he cares not what's going to happen but enjoys every moment in full!!!!
@ Amruta, it may be an adventure or happy ride for the boy but it was not of his own choice. It was forced upon him by his father's income, wealth and lack of any better alternative to travel. They could have chosen to travel by bus, but do we have enough buses, are they reliable and comfortable enough? So, not only the parent's income but also the systemic failures compel such scenes - there should not be any.
ReplyDelete