Out from the office that day as me and my colleague drove back home, we were alerted by an ambulance’s siren, faint but not far behind us. I moved my bike side wards in the moderately crowded road allowing the ambulance to go past us.
As the white Omni crossed us, my eyes met with a middle aged woman sitting in it. She was visibly shaken and looked extremely worried. She held the hands of a boy lying in front of her. The boy was around 8- 10 yrs old, with a blood soaked bandage around his head. He was unconscious. My heart sank and a prayer escaped my lips.
I got down from my bike asking my pillion to take over. I sprang towards the Alto halted right in front of the Omni. Banging on its side pane, “bro don’t you see there is an ambulance”? I shouted catching attention of the lot around. The driver signaled me saying there is no space to steer left, “samne wale ko bolo” He was right. I went ahead to the auto blocking his way and lashed out “aapko sunai nahi deta peeche ambulance a rahi hai” The auto driver startled out from his day dream at my sudden gush of loud words. He didn’t even know an ambulance existed behind him. He acknowledged me and tried steering left. But a series of vehicles, bikes and a govt bus were already blocking his way. I quickly analyzed unless the first vehicle moved a little ahead nobody behind would be able to. Meandering across I ran to the big old dusty govt city bus. ” “anna gaadi age lo, peeche ambulance khadi hai” . “Agey kaise jana? batti lal hai” he replied, quick and without a sense of care. I lost my patience. “Pehli baat to appko siren sunte hi side dedeni chahiye thi, dusri baat thoda side ko leloge to koi nuksaan nahi ho jaega”. He still didn’t move. I was totally astounded and infuriated by his no care attitude. I shouted one last time, “arey bacha mar jaega” , at the top of my voice. The driver now took a deep sigh and shifted gears to move aside going over the zebra lines. Within the next few seconds everybody pulled towards left and the ambulance steered its way out and ahead.
I shook my head walking back to my bike. “Ek ambulance ko side diya nahi jaata humse, aur dharm se lekar chote kapdo tak humein sabse sikayat hai” My friend nodded.