HORN OK PLEASE!

I..always believed , I was a good observer...since my childhood, e.g. when it was asked in the english class,what is the right term for the barber ,I had promptly answered Hairdresser, for I had seen it on the nameplates... but it took me several years to realize that being an observer means being a mere witness ,It just means you are a bit less ignorant than others in some aspects, it doesn't mean you are a good interpreter, for when it was asked again by someone..what is common of all the Tankers & Trucks...I was the first to reply, "HORN OK PLEASE" ,it did not mean anything to me then...untill recently when I discovered those discrete words were really not senseless and the spaces between them were really not empty...there was somethingg written in between,it just needed a different perspective.

A regular evening for me,when I left office and headed towards home...the mood was differentt than ususal...

..................Hum hain raahi pyaar ke hum se kuch na boliye...

Jo bhi pyaar se milaa hum usi ke ho liye.....

I was humming this tune while riding on my bike..I never rode like this before on that road, at the speed of 40,the speed at which the engine produces the sweetest sound giving you a sense of harmony (Please excuse..every biker has got such weird notions)...was giving way to those who wanted to overtake by honking continusously signalling that boss I am going to go that way..don't even think of blocking me...or else...I will honk even more!!

Not necessary that they might be in a hurry or the traffic was heavy... It was just that they wanted to be ahead...of someone..rather everyone..or probably no one?? I was one of them few days back. I used to rush past other vehicles experiencing the doppler effect,sometimes feeling sorry for them and many times happy for myself...but it never lasted long,coz there were many vehicles still ahead of me, I honked everytime somebody wanted to cross the road to stop him/her and allowing myself to keep going with the same speed. But something had happened which had changed my attitude, It was not some realization, it was the helpless situation...my bike's horn was damaged It did not speak..or should I say, shout???

The moment I started the engine my left thumb went to the horn..but no sound , I smiled to myself...and came upto the office gate and again my thumb went to the horn...what for ...dammit! I said to myself, don't you understand it's not working! As a result I had to look to my right and then to the left before hitting the road... I had no other option but to take a chill pill ... My bike had lost its voice...My voice...I could no longer make my presence felt on the road..Everyone was speaking,talking,shouting,yelling,screaming,crying... but I was silent...or I should say.. at peace...I was not in a hurry, but I realized I never was... I allowed others to go ahead...some threw a glance at me as if i was underusing the capabilities of my bike by driving so slow, (40 ..by no means is slow.. probably it is, as compared to 45 or 50) few others acknowledged my kind gesture. I felt satisfied.
I slowed down at a junction to allow a lady with a small kid to cross the junction, unlike in previous cases when I honked as if to command , "Stop! right there!" It was not just the sound of horn.. It was my ego. But this ego, did not help me at the traffic signal, it never turned red into green for my honking,evryone was at the same level there, people who drove fast in automobiles, also those who peddled their way slowly on bicycles and even those who pulled heavy carts loaded with goods...
but just for a moment , as soon as it turned green, everyone started speaking (honking) , shouting...just one beep from some restless guy was sufficient , all the others started honking too...for no reason..yet another example of man behaving like a Dog, just one bark is sufficient ,all the rest pitch in.
But a bark may not be as harmful...it is the same always, and predictable... I have heard some weird horns which would cause heart attacks even to a strong hearted person.
I suddenly remembered the conversation with Rahul about necessity of having a 'sound' horn.. him saying that it was not really necessary and me explaing him a specially devised theory about maintaining the speed with the help of a horn...it made me smile again as I reached home and got down to open the gate when I heard a loud horn..somebody was passingg through that narrow lane,warning me not to even think of turning back... But...I felt it was unnecessary... I looked at him and saw a sense of satisfaction that the message was conveyed effectively...probably he might have seen my pitiable expressions in the torch of light thrown by his headlamp... I did not expect any gesture of sorry from him... I just wanted to tell him, "My friend...

HORN (is) OK...(but)..PLEASE.."