COURAGE WITHOUT SANITY IS STUPIDITY

                             
            COURAGE WITHOUT SANITY IS STUPIDITY




It was on the last Sunday that I went to Mathura with my son. Due to some problem, I had to leave my car at home and travel by bus. As are the Summers in North India, it was a blazing day.
We reached the holy city after noon. The mercury was at peak. To go to our destination from the Bus Terminal, we took the tempo that seat twelve passengers. We sat on one of the middle seats with a young couple on our side and four youths opposite to us. The rear seat accommodated four other passengers.


The young men, all barely in early twenties or maybe below, had 'Gutka' in their mouths. Being on the extreme right, the hot air was roasting my face. To prevent direct exposure, I covered the side with my handkerchief.
Suddenly, the young wife, who was the only woman in the cab, slapped the youth sitting opposite to her.
'Can't you spit carefully... Twice before, droplets came to my hand,' she yelled at him after reddening his already burning cheeks.


The boy was mad and tried to return the slap that was intercepted by the husband. I screamed at the fuming boy warning him not to retaliate. The group confronted me. Their point was that she should have cautioned him after the first instance only and shouldn't have 'assaulted' their friend. The poor husband was meekly listening while I was having words with the furious boys.
The belligerent woman was unapologetic. The husband was timid. My son wanted me not to meddle in. I was concerned about the dumb but courageous woman. The cabby was indifferent and kept on driving.


Even after I told them the consequences of thrashing a woman, the youths were not ready to let it go. The cab had reached the place where I had to get down.
As I asked the cabby to halt, the boys started screaming at the woman. The husband was so frightened that he asked her wife to get down too. Rightly so, considering the rage of the boys. Poor he. I really pitied him. They had just started their life together and with such short-tempered partner, his life is going to be miserable.


The youths too, came down.
'I will call the police, if you don't go inside the cab and move away,' I sternly warned them. The other passengers told them the same thing.


The cabby speeded away as the boys re-settled. I stayed with the couple until they got another cab to go further.


No doubt, the woman was bold but, my point is that one should never forsake sanity ever so courageous he or she may be.
I am not favouring the tobacco chewing and spitting hooligans but, she should have conveyed her discomfort before taking the extreme step. Could she or her husband have contested with four young men?


Things would be ugly if I had not stepped in.


Good that women are finding voice, but it better would be better if they use their wisdom to understand when, where and how to use it.