What does it take?

We had our lunch at hotel Opel, good Kolhapuri meat dishes and with satiated appetite we were back on the highway. Telling each other not to doze off lest the driver, (my hubby) felt sleepy we all relaxed into our seat. I under pressure from concerned hubby agreed reluctantly to wear the tight seat belt over my overstuffed tummy.

Cruising at 80, 90, 100....100-120 km/hr and more. Smooth roads lush greenery on either side, soft music and the snores of our fellow passengers....we were fine. Caution bends ahead, my husband slowed down gradually and we were now at 60- 70...still cruizing the occasional over taking, honking at trucks who dint want to maintain lane discipline, I rest my head on my husband’ shoulder.
“Shall i drive?” now toh I have my license na....My husband’ smile says it all...
We pass through small villages and dirt roads....njoying the music and turning down the volume, our friends are fast asleep....

We are back on the highway....talking, smiling laughing, discussing and debating everything under the sun. Who built these roads to who maintains them.....just the two of us....we notice trucks moving at very slow speeds coz of the load they are carrying, will take them days to travel to their destination....how in India we don't have the concept of the airconditioned driver cabins for truck. These chaps in sun and rain drive and keep driving.....my husband got into details of mechanical engineering, about load and speed and different types of engines.....

Some chewing gum and “ready to become warm again” apple juice.....we are 30 minutes into driving, from our last halt....some junction ahead... a huge crowd, may be a city or township close to the highway....We slow down....a milk truck with its face partially into the divider, we are all fully awake, my husband manoeuvre’ the vehicle from the left to stay far away from the accident but we cannot miss this site.....a man is lying on his back under the truck a huge crowd has gathered....pool of blood...smell of death....its a fresh accident must have happened minutes ago....a lifeless body....no cries...no emotions...no milk truck driver or cleaner in site.....we slow down down, halt a little far away turn around, my husband removes his seat belt........ "there are lot of people there.....they’ll take care.....", "they must have called an ambulance na?" We drive away.....we are all silent.....drive in silence....no smiles....all serious and cautious....more cautious....

Music from 3 idiots is on....our friends have again gone to sleep....I keep my hand over my husband’ hand, he holds it tight and continues changing the gears.....turns the volume down and asks me, We should have halted....we should have...I don't know why I drove away. We could have done something, at least ensured that an ambulance was called and waited for it to arrive, checked his pulse....called his relatives.....administer some first –aid, put him in our car and taken him to the medical college at Kolhapur. God knows whether any of those onlookers called an ambulance or just like us were mere spectators. What if he was alive, what if he was just unconscious, how did we conclude on the spot “margaya”? What if it was you or me lying over there with this huge crowd around us and all cars speeding away.....what do we do? Wait for death? What is the use of all this education and knowledge....We cant help fellow human beings? What is the price of some stained car seats? Life?

My husband was very livid....said even if we are alone and we come across something like this, we have to do something, we cannot turn away......
I had another thought process running...what about all the hassles? Police? What if we try to help and we only get troubled? Troubled by whom?

Who can trouble you more than your conscience.....