TGIF. I like Fridays not only because the weekend is round the corner but also that I can walk on my favorite busy road on Friday evenings.
I did go there last Friday evening. It is a fairly broad road but, motorable width will be hardly 25 feet with parking of authorized and unauthorized vehicles on both sides. All types of vehicles pass by. Good news is that it is one way. I walk opposite to one way so that I am not knocked down from behind. Not that I can with stand the knock from front, it is just the confidence that I can run away when some thing approaches me.
There are 5 temples, 7 medical stores and 5 liquor bars in that 1 km stretch apart from numerous other shops.
My first stop was the bar. I usually stop and watch for a minute the happenings inside. Why should I say no to some fun at their cost. That day was no different. All are momentarily happy, feel equal, one is standing on other's feet, 30 odd people are standing across the counter (where hardly 10 people can squeeze in) without knowing who is drinking from whose glass. I do like that temporary enjoyment but not beyond. When they come out, some may reach the destination in a staggered way much later than planned. Some may collapse on the way and resume their journey next day. I feel sick seeing those scenes. Why should they live such life, getting cursed by his family, his non-alcoholic friends and the society at large. Don't get me wrong, scenes are no different in a posh pub. So I rushed to my second destination before some one comes out of the bar in a pitiful state.
Second stop was medical store, a few yards away. There was so much rush there as if some thing was given free. There were patients so tired of illness. There were kin of patients who are equally tired of bearing huge medical expenses. I pitied that man at the store counter, no time to breathe, he is at a high risk job. He can get all possible diseases with in half an hour in one shot. Hope he takes enough preventive shots !
This one I should mention. In this whole melee, there is one "young" gentle man waiting for his turn. I admit here - I am jumping into conclusion based on my own past deeds/experience. He seemed to me newly wed, not so confident but not at all tired. He might be looking to buy when no one else is there as he wouldn't want others to know what he buys. He wouldn't mind waiting for long, as he was running huge risk of reaching home empty handed.
Enough on medical store, I moved to the next destination. The temple. Least crowded, since it was just another day, no festival. People are so cautious that they don't touch/hurt others and peaceful. Then this happened. One person on his bike, stops in the front of the temple, removes his chappals while sitting on the bike, turns his face towards entrance and starts praying. But for that stupid ethist driver of red Volvo bus who stopped the bus a few millimeters behind this bike and honked, this man would have continued his prayer for some more time. But in general, the ambience in the temple was pleasing and soothing.
I hope, I do hope more and more people will start praying ( read praying as any activity such as meditation, modern relaxation techniques etc etc ) in a temple ( read temple as any place of worship, any quiet place ). Not the mobile prayer sitting on a bike.
by which reduce the frequency of going to bar and eventually give our poor medical store man some time to breathe.
And lastly the "young" gentle man can say TGIA ( Thank God I'm Alone) at the store, shop quietly, reach home early and carry on with his activities.
I did go there last Friday evening. It is a fairly broad road but, motorable width will be hardly 25 feet with parking of authorized and unauthorized vehicles on both sides. All types of vehicles pass by. Good news is that it is one way. I walk opposite to one way so that I am not knocked down from behind. Not that I can with stand the knock from front, it is just the confidence that I can run away when some thing approaches me.
There are 5 temples, 7 medical stores and 5 liquor bars in that 1 km stretch apart from numerous other shops.
My first stop was the bar. I usually stop and watch for a minute the happenings inside. Why should I say no to some fun at their cost. That day was no different. All are momentarily happy, feel equal, one is standing on other's feet, 30 odd people are standing across the counter (where hardly 10 people can squeeze in) without knowing who is drinking from whose glass. I do like that temporary enjoyment but not beyond. When they come out, some may reach the destination in a staggered way much later than planned. Some may collapse on the way and resume their journey next day. I feel sick seeing those scenes. Why should they live such life, getting cursed by his family, his non-alcoholic friends and the society at large. Don't get me wrong, scenes are no different in a posh pub. So I rushed to my second destination before some one comes out of the bar in a pitiful state.
Second stop was medical store, a few yards away. There was so much rush there as if some thing was given free. There were patients so tired of illness. There were kin of patients who are equally tired of bearing huge medical expenses. I pitied that man at the store counter, no time to breathe, he is at a high risk job. He can get all possible diseases with in half an hour in one shot. Hope he takes enough preventive shots !
This one I should mention. In this whole melee, there is one "young" gentle man waiting for his turn. I admit here - I am jumping into conclusion based on my own past deeds/experience. He seemed to me newly wed, not so confident but not at all tired. He might be looking to buy when no one else is there as he wouldn't want others to know what he buys. He wouldn't mind waiting for long, as he was running huge risk of reaching home empty handed.
Enough on medical store, I moved to the next destination. The temple. Least crowded, since it was just another day, no festival. People are so cautious that they don't touch/hurt others and peaceful. Then this happened. One person on his bike, stops in the front of the temple, removes his chappals while sitting on the bike, turns his face towards entrance and starts praying. But for that stupid ethist driver of red Volvo bus who stopped the bus a few millimeters behind this bike and honked, this man would have continued his prayer for some more time. But in general, the ambience in the temple was pleasing and soothing.
I hope, I do hope more and more people will start praying ( read praying as any activity such as meditation, modern relaxation techniques etc etc ) in a temple ( read temple as any place of worship, any quiet place ). Not the mobile prayer sitting on a bike.
by which reduce the frequency of going to bar and eventually give our poor medical store man some time to breathe.
And lastly the "young" gentle man can say TGIA ( Thank God I'm Alone) at the store, shop quietly, reach home early and carry on with his activities.
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