In A Traffic Jam

II Om Namo Bhagawate Vasudevaya II

Mumbai is known for traffic jam among Juhu Beach, Bollywood, Cricket, Sensex, Market, young hunks, and others. I was in Mumbai with my husband on his official tour. It was summer in Mumbai and we were staying in a luxurious AC hotel. So we were comfortable in the summer in this hotel and whenever we had to go for outing, we used the luxurious car provided by the company. Summer of Mumbai was in no way affecting us. They say ‘the middle class are the most affected class in every situation’ and now we were living upper middle class life style. So, we were not affected at all situations; particularly climate and grocery were not affecting us anymore.

However that day was not like every day. We had a hectic day that day. It was Monday and my hubby was on leave so that we could go for a site view of the city. We went to Juhu beach, Marine drive, flats of Bollywood stars, and then we were moving towards the hotel to have our lunch. It was 12.30 PM and it started to rain heavily. We were at a distance of an hour from our hotel and we got stuck in a traffic jam. The vehicles were jam pack till infinity as far as eyes go. It was raining, and we were in the AC car. But when it was half an hour in the jam, my husband asked the driver to turn off the AC and slide down the car windows and the driver followed. The rain was pouring heavily and the water level on the roads was constantly rising. We had no idea when we could get out of the jam as it seemed very uncertain to disperse in another two to three hours.

On one side was standing a red Santro with its windows closed and they had put their AC on. Three young boys were in the car and three of them were sleeping. The rain was pouring and the water level now has risen up to drown the wheels of the car. Suddenly my husband could see three boys in the car were getting uncomfortable in their sleep. He shouted immediately and opening our car door, rushed to the red Santro. He knocked the doors of the Santro hard, but the boys were almost senseless to respond. Then he shouted and the public from the surrounding vehicle gatherd to see what had happened. No one had any clue what to do to save those boys locked in the car and all were shouting and had made the atmosphere chaos. We all were standing next to the car just clamouring and seeing the boys die in the car. We could not understand what was happening to the boys. Some rumoured that the boys were committing suicide. The time was rushing and the boys had become completely still by now. Now there was more clamours and chaos in the atmosphere and we were doing nothing effective.

Then, my husband rushed back to our car, took a heavy iron tool from the car and rushed back to the Santro. He then gave a strong stroke to the windows of the car and broke it. He completely broke the two window panels of the left doors of the Santro. He then opened the car doors and pulled the boys out. The boys were breathing but their eyes were still shut and they were not at all responding. The rumour about their suicide again started in the crowd. Now, my husband shouted loud at the crowd to calm down. He said, as the car was closed and the windows were sealed at the same time the rain water had drowned the wheels of the car, the AC machine of the car was not able to ventilate the car and the boys were suffocated in their sleep. To this, the crowd got calm. Now our next action was to take those boys to a doctor. But the jam and the rain! We were really too panic by now.

Incidentally there was a doctor in the crowd. He came forward to check the boys and after checking them, said they were fine and there was nothing to panic about anymore. He came to my husband, greeted him and thanked him for saving three lives. The crowd came forward to greet my husband. It was 4 PM by now. The boys got back their sense and then knew about my husband. They thanked my husband. By now the traffic began to move and slowly disperse. Thus we returned to our hotel from the hectic yet memorable traffic jam.