The law smiles

The small altercation threatened to turn into a serious confrontation. I and the autowalla stood facing each other. The latter was adamant t...

The small altercation threatened to turn into a serious confrontation. I and the autowalla stood facing each other. The latter was adamant that he would not go where I had asked him to take me. He said he was waiting for some moti sawari. His companion stood solidly beside him looking very appreciative of his friend8217;s aggressive, ready-to-punch posture.

I had no companion. I just asked him if he was not doing something wrong by adopting that kind of attitude. Wasn8217;t it his duty to carry every sawari, whether moti or patli, to his destination? He said he was simply an autowalla and if I wanted some 8220;dutiwalla8221;, I should look elsewhere.

By then half a dozen people had gathered on the spot. On Indian streets, there is never any dearth of people wanting some free entertainment. I knew the crowd of six would soon swell to 60 and then to 600. The presence of an audience had only emboldened the rogue. He seemed eager to enlarge this small row into a full-blown brawl.

In my younger days I wouldn8217;t have taken long to react to such insolence. Fifty years ago, the crowd would have sided with me. Now I wasn8217;t sure. I got the feeling that the presence of the crowd had actually added the size and stature of the man. He looked giant-sized and omnipotent like a sumo 8216;bhai8217;. But despite all this at one point the old spirit surged within me. I clenched my fists and grit my teeth. But the very next moment I realised there was no punch left in my fists and I had only a few good teeth left which would not stand gritting. I was no longer 22. I was 72. Instead of the taut muscles, I had a shrivelled body with a bunch of crackling bones and 30 years of diabetes had taken away my self-confidence.

But I took courage in both hands and confronted the man with, 8220;Aren8217;t you afraid of the law?8221; This time it was his companion who replied, 8220;Where is the law?8221; he asked. Just then, as if in answer to my prayers, the Law happened to come that way, on a bike. 8220;Here is the Law!8221; I told the man, holding out my chest a good four inches. As I explained the situation, the Law listened. Explanation done, I stood by expectantly. The Law broke into a broad smile. Then he turned and sped away. The autowala looked around and smiled in triumph. The crowd smiled back. And what do you think I did? I smiled, too, and quietly slunk away. Back home I told my wife, 8220;Law and order has greatly improved.8221; How, she wanted to know. 8220;The law now smiles,8221; I said.