It was surprising. A person like Gautam involved in a road rage! He has been known to be very cool and calm. Perhaps times have changed just too much for anyone to be his normal self :-( you see wisdom of words do not help anyone whose nature is unchangeable… once upon a time there was a saint who lived on the banks of ganga near Haridwar. He was very kind hearted and compassionate being. One morning when he was praying in Ganga water he saw a scorpion being washed away by swift waves. He felt scorpion’s pain and decided to save it. So, he put his hands under the creature and picked up the scorpion with the water. He brought it to safe dry shore and gradually put it down. But sadly as he did so he was stung by the scorpion. It was very painful. Saint fainted. Other sadhus came to his help and asked him about how he got stung. After he narrated the incidence a senior sadhu smiled at him. A few days later similar incidence re-occurred and he again got stung. This time the senior sadhu told him, ‘ I know that you are very compassionate, but it is also important to understand the nature various living beings. It is in nature of scorpion to sting if it feels threatened. A scorpion has no concept of compassion or knowing that is being saved. It may not even realize that it was about to die! So do not waste your good heart in saving such creatures. Gautam understood it and installed it in his mind for all such situations…

Gautam was driving to work on an over-crowded road. Although the roads were very wide; the cars were nearly touching each other side ways or bumper to bumper. The traffic moved a few meters only occasionally. There was a cacophony of horns. People cursed under their breath, sometime even openly if cars did not move quickly enough. Gautam got few meters space in front of his car and decided he will move when traffic will actually start moving. But the car behind him started gunning, revving and honking. Some young boys rolled the windows down and asked him to move. Gautam indicated he can see the space but there was no way after that. So they should chill. They could not take it that an old man had not yielded to their demand. One of the four young ones came out. Gautam did not have AC on, so his windows were open and car engine was shut. Gautam said, I don’t mind moving ahead, but what is after that. I will start and shut the engine just for two meters? So relax when it moves we will all move. The boy looked back to his friends and indicated that this person has to be told in another language. He opened Gautam’s car door and asked him to come out. Gautam was fine with it. Other three boys also came out of that car and surrounded Gautam. “what is your problem? Why are you not moving? If you don’t move we will force you. You don’t know us. My uncle is MLA. My friend’s father is a police officer. His father owns a mall and…” Gautam said, “ok ok your uncle, your friend’s father and your father has a mall… but why don’t you tell me who you are and what you do? I will tell you that I am only an ordinary chap. I have this non-ac car and wanted to save fuel by not restarting the car when…” Before he could express himself completely, a blow landed on his temple! The boy in front caught Gautam’s shirt and shook it. Someone else slapped him and they generally started manhandling him. Gautam had fallen on the road and was being kicked by all four… one boy came close his face and picked him up by his collar. Gautam stood up with bleeding lips, bruises on his face and torn shirt. One boy went to his car pulled out a stick and shattered Gautam’s wind screen. Gautam thought, maybe it will give him better breeze in this northern heat. 

When the strongest one held Gautam’s throat and repeated himself, “move your car now” was the first time Gautam’s hand moved, but totally imperceptibly. No one noticed the movement at all. The firm and threatening voice of the boy seemed to have lost. His face looked confused. He was trying look at his friends and say something. But they did not notice it until the boy started slumping down. They left Gautam and held their friend to help him. Someone said he has poisoned him. And he moved to get the gun from the car. They all started moving back to get their own gadgets. In a few moments they were back. The traffic has started moving by now. Gautam had lifted the injured boy to put him in his car for medical treatment. As he opened the door to place him in, a barrel touched his neck. He circled the boy being carried and hit others with his feet. Other two boys were pushed away and banged on a moving tempo. A hit from the tempo had blown the nose of the boy. He sat down instantly. A car reached close to him asked him to move away, “hey you are blocking the road! Move fast.” Only when the car touched him he realized he must move before he gets run over. He staggered to the side. Two other had a knife each. One of them was a Swiss knife and its blade shone in the hot sun light. Gautam said, “see, i want to take your friend to the doctor, so back off.” But they did not listen and simultaneously they did not notice that a sharp blade had passed through the chest of the boy in front. The boy behind noticed the blade peeping out from the other side of his friend. Before he could take a step forward, the blade grew and entered his chest too. Blade had punctured spines of both and their bodies lay like vegetables, disconnected to their brains. Gautam stepped back. The knife that punctured them was not to be seen anywhere. He glanced at the unconscious boy at the back seat, sat in and drove off.