A Society Of Errors

The boring physics classes had got over. I jostled through the weekend night city traffic to reach my residence located in the suburbs of Bhubaneswar. On reaching home, without saying a word to anyone i shot off to my room and closed the door. i didn't bother to switch on the cd player and turned the radio on instead. The local FM station played the track "alvida" as the chill of the water of the shower hit my bare back. I felt nothing as i was all numb. Saurav had slept off while studying. I went downstairs on mom's call for dinner. Roti and Paalak paneer never tasted so bad.
Mom got worried on seeing this side of me. She asked me what was the problem. I said her all...

I was waiting for buddy Sohail. We used to go to the same tutions and he used to pick me up and we use to go together. He start complaining about the assignments that were due to be submitted that day. As we rode chatting, we saw crowd on the midst of the road. It seemed like some bloody serious accident might have occured. As we neared to the spot i saw a bicycle totally bended from the frame as if it was crushed by some monster truck shit. A closer look revealed that the cycle resembled the one that my sibling saurav had. A cold shiver went through my spine. I ran towards the crowd and made my way through it. A kid lay there with his head rested on the divider of the road which was by now painted red with the blood from his wound. People had gathered around him. He wore a school bag which was now tattered and was on his way to his tutions i presumed. His legs were badly bruised. He lay there motionless. People were talking that it was a hit and run case. Some DiI was waiting for buddy Sohail. We used to go to the same tutions and he used to pick me up and we use to go together. He start complaining about the assignments that were due to be submitted that day. As we rode chatting, we saw crowd on the midst of the road. It seemed like some bloody serious accident might have occured. As we neared to the spot i saw a bicycle totally bended from the frame as if it was crushed by some monster truck shit. A closer look revealed that the cycle resembled the one that my sibling saurav had. A cold shiver went through my spine. I ran towards the crowd and made my way through it. A kid lay there with his head rested on the divider of the road which was by now painted red with the blood from his wound. People had gathered around him. He wore a school bag which was now tattered and was on his way to his tutions i presumed. His legs were badly bruised. He lay there motionless. People were talking that it was a hit and run case. Some Di$&heads talked about this being a deliberate murder. Nobody knew what had happened.They just talked and they talked bullshit.Many cars drove by, but nobody even bothered to stop and help the guy. I was totally scared at that moment. Sohail advised me that we go to the nearest police station and report the case. I made frantic calls to the PCR to no avail. They said they would take thirty minutes to reach the spot. The cops of Bhubaneswar really suck. They are no good when it comes to emergencies like this. They spend most of the day collecting fines( and bribes). The kid was almost dead when they reached. The police then started to clear the area. They were pretty reluctant to take the body to the hospital as they said he was already dead. The public present started venting its anger against the cops by pelting stones at them. By then a van arrived which seemed to be from a local tv channel. A very pretty lady emerged out of the vehicle and started talking the nonsense that she's was being paid for.
amp;heads talked about this being a deliberate murder. Nobody knew what had happened.They just talked and they talked bullshit.Many cars drove by, but nobody even bothered to stop and help the guy. I was totally scared at that moment. Sohail advised me that we go to the nearest police station and report the case. I made frantic calls to the PCR to no avail. They said they would take thirty minutes to reach the spot. The cops of Bhubaneswar really suck. They are no good when it comes to emergencies like this. They spend most of the day collecting fines( and bribes). The kid was almost dead when they reached. The police then started to clear the area. They were pretty reluctant to take the body to the hospital as they said he was already dead. The public present started venting its anger against the cops by pelting stones at them. By then a van arrived which seemed to be from a local tv channel. A very pretty lady emerged out of the vehicle and started talking the nonsense that she's was being paid for.
Sohail and I finally managed to get out of the scene. I was worried about what had happened to the boy. Was he still alive or not?? questions popped up. Hell no answers were found. Sohail stopped the bike a few kilometres away from the spot near a Paan-shop.Both lit a fag each which was pretty much required to calm us down. We debated whether to go to the classes or not. Though we were late we still went to the tutions. Sir gave us dirty looks. I was feelig like pelting a stone on his face.
After telling this story to mom, i slept off.

I woke up at 5 am next morning. Never before i waited for the newsapers in this manner. From the terrace i saw Mr. Mishra ,my immediate neighbour instructing his servant who was in our garden for flowers. Yes i really hate this habit of the oriya people always having their eyes on other's possessions. This is the same Mishra who had won the award three years in a row for the best house garden of the colony. I really hate him. The papers arrived but i found nothing about the yesterday's incident. The next day happened to be 14th november ie. children's day. I found out that the boy who met with the accident had died and this was put up in the obituary columns of the daily that day.
Now guess what the headlines of that day read???

" Australian doctor arrested in Puri on charges of sexual abuse to orphanage children"

This is the society and the system where we exist.