Circle of Karma

Stains on the soul

The constant honking of horns and mumbling from the crowd were like needles piercing his body trying to hurt his soul. He could not bear it...His mind was not even on the job..He looked at his watch anxiously which had nearly slid down to his palm, all covered in sweat. Shit..Half an hour more...He took out his cell phone...the battery had died...Ever since the past few days that his wife was admitted in the hospital, the daily routine had gone topsy turvy....He had forgot to charge his phone..

He swore under his breath...The world was ruthless...He was standing here, managing traffic on the street while his wife lay in the hospital, writhing in pain...Was securing the way for the republic day parade more important than saving the life of his wife ?...he...who spent 20 years of his life selflessly serving the police force without any red in his journal...his wife had severe asthma but never had he seen her get so serious as last night...he needed to be with her at the hospital...but his appeal to get excused from providing security at the main highway junction was rejected. The Republic day parade was important and there was not enough man power they said.

He spat on the ground... It's true he thought...compassion, a strong moral fiber and love are not the human race's defining features anymore What could be a bigger example. He tried to recall if he had ever wronged anyone in his life. he couldn't. how could he. after all that's the only thing he confidently took pride in having been a righteous man all his life....Then why was fate doing this to him

There was someone shouting nearby..It brought his mind back to where he physically was. Who the hell was shouting, he said to himself. His fists automatically clenched, his teeth gnashing against each other, he walked towards the source of the commotion....One of his subordinates seemed to be chiding a young lad on a cycle. He seemed to be around 19 or 20..Judging from his shabby look, he seemed to appear like a street urchin.

"What the hell is going on in here", he demanded of no one in particular. His subordinates informed him that the boy was trying to sneak in with his cycle past the roadblock....The road had been shut down due to the parade soon to take place....

He looked at the boy questioningly. "Sorry Sir", said the boy. " I just wanted to take a shortcut...If I take the detour it will take me almost 30 mins longer. I need to reach someplace important. It's urgent."

Those words put him on flames....Urgent ? Here he was, standing in the heat working, while he should have been at his ailing wife's side at the hospital, and this shabby urchin, who stank like he had not bathed for months, was lecturing him about urgency.. How dare he. !!

Something took over him, a feeling that was almost alien to him...a feeling of vindictiveness and before he could even stop himself, he had slapped the boy.

The boy started sobbing. "I won't make such a mistake again sir. Please let me go...I actually need to go to the hospital. Someone is in a critical state".

These words took time to hit him. He kept staring at the boy for quite some time trying to replay every word he had said in his mind. He felt a part of him that he never knew existed trying to break free from the abyss of his soul. ...Was he a vindictive person ? Not really...then why was he actually enjoying the boy's helplessness? How can this boy be excused for a similar reason that he himself was not excused for.....If I must suffer....all must..

" Stay here till you are asked to leave," he said. " U have broken the law and we cannot let you off so easily".

"Sir Please. Someone needs me at the hospital...I need to bring....."

"SHUT UP...If you argue, we will throw you behind bars.. Do as you are told".

The boy tried to say something again but this time the subordinate slapped him... A sadistic pleasure filled his veins as he saw the boy burst into tears. He looked at his watch. His shift would get over in 5 mins. He walked away, instructing his subordinates to not let the boy leave unless he said so. He could hear the boy pleading from behind him as he walked away and soon his voice became incoherent.

He hopped onto his bike and without wasting any time, made off towards the hospital. However, as the minutes went by, he started to feel uneasy. He felt heavier than he ever had..What was wrong with him ? He was obviously dead worried about his wife, considering even his phone was drained and useless, but there was something else too...He realized it was his conscience pulling him down....A conscience that he polluted few minutes back...He tried to brush off the feeling, concentrating only on his wife...but the sinking feeling pierced deeper into his skin. .The boy's sobbing was starting to haunt him..

How could he do that..How could he not feel for the boy having being in the same shoes as him....It's the situation....It got the better of him...That's how he consoled himself....The world turns saints into demons....I am just a normal person...He pulled over for a minute  and instructed his subordinate over the two-way talkie talkie to let the boy go. There, he had redeemed himself and purged his soul of sin. He felt lighter and resumed the journey. 

He had arrived at the hospital....He parked his bike and rushed in....