It was yet again the most anticipated day of every week, Friday. I was glad my working hours had come to an end and I could go home to welcome my weekend. It usually took me 20 to 25 minutes to drive home, the 9 kms distance between my office and home by bike. I always preferred the highway, of course neglecting the rash race among the various local and city buses, dancing between the lanes. It was a warm day, the wind found its way to brush my face through the helmet, saving me from the suffocation, which I always felt while waiting at the traffic signals, sometimes forcing me to even remove the helmet as I waited.
This ride on Friday began with no difference until I covered some 5 kms, I faced a long line of vehicles stranded, struggling to inch forward. Immediately, different scenarios popped on my mind - Was it an accident? Was some VIP passing? Did some vehicle topple? Was it road maintenance? With these thoughts, I following the bike in front of me, the driver who made his way front using the narrow space to the left of the bus, sometimes getting down on the pavement too. A separate queue for two wheelers were created who took the special narrow path, with a feeling of nearing their destination.
After at least 10 minutes of carefully strutting, putting numerous buses and other heavy vehicles behind me, rubbing my floaters hard on the road changing its color to dust, I could slowly see the traffic clearing at a distance. Encouraged that I could reach home in a few minutes, I drove forward trying to find the reason for the jam. Till now I don't have the slightest clue about the source. For a city like mine, traffic jams on the highway were rare. Anyway, after passing one of the major junctions, my heart sank seeing another swarm of vehicles. "What's the matter today?" I asked myself. I peeped upwards to get a glimpse of what was happening ahead, but in vain as all I could see were the tall buses hindering my view.
The process of juggling on the narrow space on the left began once again. On reaching the front, I witnessed the reason for the jam.
Though not a major junction like the previous one, vehicles from either sides of the highway wanted to get to the other side. And with vehicles from my side already speeding to catch up on the time they had spent on waiting, the jam was born, or I might say here, a deadlock on the highway, with none of the vehicles able to move to give space to allow at least one side of the vehicles to flow.
I stood there in the first row watching the deadlock. A huge van from the left wanting to take the right. Few cars from the right wanting to take the left road. And vehicles of all kind behind me wanting to take the straight route, the highway. Every driver was looking at the other, with confusion at the same time with arrogance. No one wanted to back down.
I looked left and right helplessly, trying to search for the solution in the air and wanting someone to grab them. Suddenly I felt a determination, a strong feeling of wanting to do something, wanting to show the world how one has to take responsibility, step up and be a leader. My legs slowly moved to the side stand, my hands to the key to switch off the ignition. My heart beat faster. I looked around again to see if anyone else was taking that responsibility. There was none.
Suddenly there was extra honking as I saw a man, signaling another guy to my left, pointing to the other side. There was a small escape route between a car and a bus to my right, a route which only two wheelers can pass through to the step on the other side. Slowly, all the bikes started squeezing through the space, continuing their journey to their destination. I heard honking from behind me who wanted to follow the same route. I stood transfixed for a moment. I remembered my determination for a moment looking at the jam in front of me and then saw the escape route. I felt a sudden pressure mounting inside me.
I succumbed to the pressure. My legs moved away from the side stand, my hand away from my key back to the accelerator bar. I swiftly moved through the gap, applying the brakes intermittently not to brush the vehicles on either side and in a moment I was facing an empty road. Immediately I felt angry and frustrated. I looked through the rear view mirror. The traffic deadlock still existed.
Why didn't I get down and guide the traffic? What stopped me? What changed my mind? Was I scared in someway? Was it because I was a girl and me standing in the middle of all men, regulating the traffic would be against the society rules? Did I fear the policemen would come and reprimand me in some way? Did I doubt my ability, that I probably wouldn't be able to find the resolution? Did I panic thinking what if the people around me don't follow my instructions and I end up making a fool of myself? Was it because I felt it was none of my business, and I have a way out and I should take it instead of trying to become a hero? Did I worry someone might actually record or take a picture of me and I become a joke on the social network?
I noticed a traffic policemen at the next junction, looking in the direction of the jam sensing something was wrong. I wanted to stop and inform him about the jam. But again, disappointing myself, I didn't stop. I kept driving, passing the rest of the signals at ease, with not many vehicles behind me. I still wonder why I couldn't take responsibility that moment on the road. Those were the people of my city. It was my city and yet I couldn't gather myself to stand up. Do I actually have the right to complain about the things around me, if I don't have the courage to grab an opportunity to right a wrong, as simple as a traffic jam. Do people have the right, to write and review and criticize the smallest of the issues prevailing in the country, if they don't have the courage to actually stand up and do something about it?
Writing about issues, forwarding it and making it viral does bring awareness to a lot of people. We do have the freedom of expression too. But instead of whining and complaining about the issues, wouldn't it be better to actually try and find a solution to it, collectively? Yes. Finding a solution is definitely not easy, but is complaining the solution?
I can openly say I don't have the right to complain about traffic when I had the opportunity to do something about it. Hence, as a citizen I believe each one of us has the opportunity to do something. But how can I find the solution to the problems. Simple. I just have to solve the galore of questions on my mind first. The rest will fall in place on its own I believe.