An Obligation

On a Monday Morning around 9:30 AM, I was on my way to Palarivattom from Edapally via Bypass. As usual peak hour traffic, flyover work at Pipeline signal work in progress. I was waiting to turn right at the signal, there was no space for even a two wheeler between the vehicles awaiting for the green signal.

Cars that I could see in various colors were that jam packed. I could hear some of the cars behind me blowing their horn in emergency. I just looked up at the signal light, it is still red and looked through my rear view mirror to see the driver behind mine, why the hell did he/she blew the horn, in that very moment I noticed that everyone were blowing horn and were trying to move their vehicles to wherever they found space to.

I didn't understand what was happening initially as I was close to the signal light. But then from somewhere far I heard the ambulance siren, in no time, I too moved a bit right and forward followed by all the vehicles on both sides of mine and behind to make way for the ambulance to pass by. It was not a noise of horns but communication and its response that made me witness the ambulance flew across the signal, the most crowded junction stood still to save a life of someone who is not known to any of those travelers who are always in emergency including myself.

It was a proud moment for me and I drove past the green signal towards Palarivattom but the goosebumps remained. I thought that everyone knows to act when needed otherwise no one has even seconds to wait for at any of the signals, zebra crossing and potholes on the road.

But yesterday when I read about the news that a guy was caught for not clearing the way for ambulance, it reminded me of this day when I felt good about so many of those who reacted differently. It's our obligation to mankind to be alert of situations and respond in the right way. That's what doing right things is all about, sometimes doing things right puts you to trouble. It's the way we respond to the society and the environment.