Full circle

The driver just rolled down the window pane and shouted, ‘‘You old hag, why do you come on the road if you cannot walk properly’’. Then he drove away, without caring to find out what injuries the man had suffered. I tried in vain to stop him from running away.

Another youngster who was also crossing the road and had seen the man being hit, ran towards him and waved a cycle-rickshaw to stop and with the help of the people who had gathered at the scene, put the man in the rickshaw and took him to a nearby clinic. I followed in another rickshaw.

Mercifully, there were no fractures, only some bruises. He was given first aid and an injection and allowed to go home. I offered to pay the doctor but the youngster insisted on doing so. ‘‘It is no big deal, uncle,’’ he said.

The youngster and I took the injured man to his house. His family thanked us. ‘‘Only he deserves your thanks,’ I said pointing towards the youngster. ‘‘I wish the boy who hit him had also been like him.’’ ‘‘No, uncle, I only did my duty,’’ he said, somewhat modestly. ‘‘I know the boy who has hit him,’’ the young samaritan added.

We decided to go to his house. The offending youngster was the son of a businessman. We told him about the hit-and-run accident. ‘‘So what do you want me to do?’’ asked the gentleman. His tone was rude. ‘‘Tell your son to be careful in future,’’ I said.

The gentleman was offended. ‘‘What do you think he was driving? A bullock cart?’’ We were shocked. How could a father who was supposed to be a role model for his son talk like this? As we were leaving, the son appeared on the scene, and said, ‘‘Why did the man come on the road unescorted?’’

I had forgotten the incident when one morning while going through the newspaper I came across an obituary notice with a familiar face in the picture accompanying it. It was the youngster who had hit the old man.

I went to the house of the deceased to express my condolence. As the late youngster’s father saw me, his lips quivered and tears started rolling down his cheek. I stood still, I couldn’t even console him.

I was told the youngster met with an accident driving back from a party.