The noon traffic flows relentlessly, even unmindfully. There is no rushing, though. Yet, there is also no breathing space between vehicles -- cars, buses, motorcycles, mopeds, an occasional bicycle. By the busy roadside, there he is -- waiting for a reasonable gap in the traffic-flow. He seems to have enough time with him. He waits. He is old, fully-white, thinned crop of the receding hairline, somewhat frail, in a whitish half-shirt ... ! He waits for long minutes. Someone steps up to him, probably asking if he needs help to cross over. The man looks up -- and declines, smilingly. A few more minutes pass. Somebody else, too, offers help. The man nods ‘no’. After many minutes, the traffic is somewhat relenting.

 

The man -- our protagonist -- moves across the road, as quickly as his wheelchair can take him ! Yes! -- he is in a wheelchair that he is navigating himself. He reaches the road median that he cannot cross with his wheelchair. Somebody rushes to offer help. The man declines. He then turns left and starts wheeling his chair along the median towards the intersection a few meters away. At the road’s end, he stops, turns right -- and waits for a few more minutes -- waiting for the traffic on the other side to ease a little. He makes no hurry. He waits -- for a breather in the traffic-flow, which would happen only when the red signal comes on. As he waits, a woman offers to help. He declines again, smiles, and starts wheeling his chair across now rarified traffic.

 

woman smiles, looking at him appreciatively. As he crosses over, the man turns right, turns his head toward the woman on the other side and smiles and waves. He then proceeds ... to wherever. There is a lane on the left a little distance away. Slowly, the man turns into that side lane and fades away. Some people around who have had the time to watch this little moment of dramatic dimensions keep looking at the man approvingly, silently. They know, the man is proud -- not arrogant -- and confident that he can take care of himself. There is no doubt, they are going to carry in their heads the memory of the display of a rare sense of independence and confidence of the old man in the wheelchair.