While my car slowed down to get into the main road from a
lane, I saw a man walking cautiously and trying to cross the busy road. A lady
was behind, at a distance and the man appeared to be escorting her with great
respect. I could make out he was speaking soft and surely advising her to be
careful. Since he was walking close to my car, I recognised the man. He sells
vegetables in the neighbourhood and makes brisk business. I could see affection
and care in his eyes. He was leading his Queen, I thought. There was no doubt in
my mind that the lady he was escorting was his wife. I admired this man and for
a moment even forgot that he always sold vegetables with very high profit. I
watched both of them as long as my car and the driver allowed me.
The car was now picking up speed and I remembered an
experience some years ago. I and my wife had visited a diagnostic centre for
our routine fasting blood examination. While my wife waited on a sofa I was
completing the registration formalities at the front office. A man, speaking in
a loud voice, was entering the arrival lounge of the diagnostic centre. I could
not have missed noticing him. He was followed by a lady who seemed a bit
subdued. The man soon pushed an unsuspecting customer in front who was waiting
for his turn at the front office desk and loudly asked the lady to come and say
her name, age etc. The lady appeared resentful but complied with the
registration formalities quietly.
My wife and I went to the blood collection chamber when our
turn came; but I saw the loud-mouthed man and the lady already waiting at the
door even though their turn was yet to come. Before we could take our seat for
the technician to attend to us, the man shouted at the lady to walk fast and occupy
a seat before the technician. He almost pushed her forward. For the first time
did I hear her soft voice of reason. She said she would take the seat only when
her turn came. The man was fuming.
After our job was done, we were about to leave the premises
and walk to our car when I heard the loud-mouthed man again; from behind. He
was still speaking loud at the submissive wife following him at a safe
distance. The man's demeanour gave the message that he was resentful of the
torture the lady had inflicted on him by making him waste his morning on this
avoidable job of escorting her to the diagnostic centre.
My wife had restrained me when I was about to reach the man
to teach a lesson on how to behave. I kept the anger to myself and got into the
car.
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