“I am fed up with the bloody nasty sun and these foolish drivers” Naresh thought in his mind seeing a driver in his car who continued honking the horn.” Why these people always hurry at a signal” he thought.” I hate these people rushing on the road and over using the horn without bother about others. I am suffering a lot due to the callous attitude of these people.”
He felt that he was the most unlucky person because he was a “Traffic Warden”
“Yes it is one of the worst jobs in the world” He claimed to everyone he met. Every day he was controlling one of the main traffic signal points in the city, for more than eight hours for the last six months.
It was a big decision he made in his life after finishing his master’s in English. He found it too hard to find his dream job as teacher in any good school. He tried a lot but the school managements who were seeking the acres inheritated by after the death of his father. His Father was got it from his forefather. Naresh also wanted to transfer the wealth to the next generation. So he found happier in keeping that wealth with him and not for selling it for his dream job. Two years he spent on finding to get placed in any good school. All school authorities ignored his ability because of his unwillness to give the acres for the future of students of the country. They thought by getting his acres they would be able to provide good facilities for their students. Anyway that did not happen, as the authorities of the schools still think that a teacher must have a mind to donate some of their wealth for the students who they are going to teach.
When the time came he understood that his knowledge and ability was not going to help him to fulfill his dream he decided to find another job for his bread and butter. His family urged him because of his aged mother’s rising medical expenses. Somehow he was able to convince the selection panel for the post of a traffic warden where also he had doubt before getting the appointment letter that he was over qualified for the job and it may be a reason to delete his name from the list. But the panel has proved their kindness by taking him into the job while this post also needed recommendation from the high authorities.
“Ahh! It’s Monday” Naresh remembered when he found getting undisciplined lineup at the signal point. It seemed everyone there showed their impatience by wasting their five minutes in that junction.
“Nari…” He heard the very pleasing sound of his colleague Martin who was also on his duty at that signal.
”I am so tired and want a tea, Can I?” he requested to him. He remembered that every day when the time at the peak hour, Martin used to go for his tea.
“It’s getting a big line; I am not able to control on it without you” he said.
“It’s ok dear; anyway these rascals are not obeying our signals, they only fear when they found a real police man holding a wireless set. They will manage themselves. Why should we bother?” Showing one old man’s car to Naresh, this went off at middle of the junction. “Come with me, don’t get tanned in sun.” He said with a laugh. Naresh showed red signal to all side and ran to the car and pushed it with his hand for park it to side. “You brave man!” Martin said and went to a fast-food center nearby.
When Naresh returned to his position people started crossing the junction from all sides. And there was a total chaos and confuse.
“Dam it” Naresh whispered.
After do long tiring minutes of struggle Naresh would again controlled the traffic.
He looked at his watch,” It’s was almost 10, there will be less traffic.””Martin had not yet returned” He remembered and gave the green signal to his right side. There were only few cars and some bikes to cross. They went. He saw a car coming from a distance. He showed a red signal to that and allowed green to the next by turn which was from his front. By giving that he saw a lady with her two Children walking through the middle of the road.His eyes stayed for a while on those children. “Very cute walk” he thought. Suddenly he felt something big passed through him. He closed his eyes and found it hard to stop himself from falling. He smelt burning tires. When he stood up something red into his eyes.
. . . . .
“You have a visitor” Naresh heard a pat sound on the iron grill with a stick.
He stood up. On the way to the visitors cab he remembered the words of his mother when she visited him last time. As per her promise there was a chance to get bail from the first class court today. Yes our unlucky well educated Naresh was in sub jail for the last two months. And all these days he asked himself what he had done?
“I am from the advocate’s office and you got a condition bail” Said the visitor
. . . . .
One day he found the answer to his question “what I had done?”. The day he visited his advocate to know about the charge sheet failed against him. Advocate told him,” You were charged against Section 308.”
“What does that means?” he asked.
“308. Attempt to commit culpable homicide. You committed the crime by failing to do your duty. Due to your irresponsibility you are the course of three deaths.” “According to this charge sheet you allowed persons to walk along the road and showed green signal to the drivers to cross the junction in their vehicles. It resulted in the car killing three persons which included two children. Also you failed to do your duty” He continued,” After you did not rush them to the nearest hospital, they lay on the road for half an hour. You failed again in your duty. And they surumned to their injuries. It was your responsibility to protect their lives.”
Naresh seemed out of mind.
“It is a serious charge with many eye witness, I know it’s created” advocate showed his sympathy to him.
“I will take it as a challenge. I will prove it to the honorable court that it is created as it was, we have to appear on 14th of this month. Don’t worry about this, I will manage. And….” He stopped.
Naresh stood up and turned outside. He found it crowded outside.
“Don’t forget to bring our fees on that day. My sir is charging only 25 to one appearance in lower court. It’s 75 at High, remember that.” He heard an authoritative sound. It echoed in his ear. And he again asked to himself, “What I had done?”
. . . . .
“The prosecution proved that Mr. Naresh failed to do his duty and…so the court made its decision that…”
Naresh went outside to the high court. He found the advocate on his way out, who appeared for him at the high court.
The Junior Advocate told,” My boss had told you before, your case had too many eye witnesses, and we can’t over rule them easily. Now we have to go for an appeal at the supreme, don’t worry, my boss himself will appear for you there. And as you know he is too good at his profession. He never failed in any case which he appeared himself”
“Rascals, I lost my acres, I lost my mother, in these entire six years.” he lost his sound; He just walked through the court. It echoed in his ear again the old question. “What I had done?”
. . . . .
After some time the junior advocate asked to their peon to check the crowd he had seen from the court window. He smelt an accident on there. The peon ran outside and asked one from the crowd, “What’s the age? Did you see the vehicle?”
Naresh Lay in a pool blood there. The peon found a shivering traffic warden nearby.Written By : SIDH
