As usual life was hectic for me. Every day, I had to leave in a hurry
to reach my office on time by 9:00 am. It was already 8:00 am; I just
woke up from my slumber. In a hurry I got freshen up and dressed, ready
to leave for office by 20 minutes without having my breakfast. It was a
common routine for me; life was full of fixed schedule just like a
pendulum moving to and fro.
I stood near the road, waved towards a passing auto, no luck. After
5minutes an auto stood by and I saw a young driver with a black t-shirt
and blue denim, quite unusual for an auto driver. Without wasting my
time in bargaining I boarded the auto. Another passenger was already
seated, a woman in her mid-forties with little make ups, marks of talc
near her neck, big rounded spectacles with a hand bag with few books. I
guessed she was a professor from the imprint on her bag "Bangalore
University."
After 5 minutes, the auto stopped and a woman came to seat near "The
professor." Within an instant, the professor strongly opposed to the
driver that woman cannot seat near her, or go in the auto.
The lady seemed like a daily laborer, with stains of dirt and dust
across her sari, she looked feeble but her hand full of scratches and
stiffness proved her strenuous works for a living. She had some masonry
tools, dusty and old.
I was left aback when "The professor" said she cannot sit with her.
She can't sit in the auto. "This is my vehicle, I decide who will go or not" said the angry driver.
I will pay the full fare, replied the professor lady.
My anger was nearly out of control. Suddenly I spoke with a burst.
"What the hell are you, Human or devil? Being a teacher is this what you
teach your children? You think you are civilized? I think you are the
most uncivilized one. You call yourself educated, but what is the use of
the education. I think you are an uneducated fool."
The professor lady got angry and said to the driver, "I will pay the full fare, just leave this guy here."
The driver was equally angry: "Just get down; I don't need your bloody money. You are a curse to humanity."
With a few angry murmurs, the so called professor of a college with
no such thing called humanity in her for a fellow woman, got down
angrily.
The laborer lady got up and put her things at the back of the auto and sat down.
Unaware of the pace of time, I was fighting for a person's rights,
fundamental rights. I was satisfied, even though it was already late.
I was just getting down from the auto paying my fare, when I heard a low voice saying "Thank You."
You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few
drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty. -
Mohandas K. Gandhi
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