Irresistible temptation

I could read his mind right from the start. He was working his strategy like a professional poker dealer in a grand casino at Las Vegas. The lack of glitter and fun fare was no hindrance. The same energy, vigour and enthusiasm oozed out of his narrow vision. I was quick to sense the wickedness of his plot. ‘This is not MGM and there aren’t any slot machines to gamble on,’ I wanted to scream if that could put any sense into his diabolic plan. But today was just like yesterday and the day before that and the day before that day. I found no words coming out of my open mouth.

I realised that I was racing against time. ‘Now or never!’ With the determination enough to bend the rods hanging over the Hudson Bridge, I went through the opening lines in my mind: “I understand, you mean no harm, but...”  I reassured myself for the umpteenth time that it was diplomatic enough without sounding offensive to get him to see the point. Only I could not quite fathom my desire to use diplomacy for a chronic problem.

It dawned on me finally that it had to do with the books I had been reading lately. “Always try to understand why people do the things they do; they are just what we would be in their positions,” I had read all ‘self-help gurus’ advocate in their books.
“Well, let me try to understand why he behaves this way day after day,” I reflected.  However, it remained as mysterious as the Bermuda Triangle and as intriguing as the Grand Canyon.  I thus decided to overlook the empathetic approach.

I instantaneously resolved to enact the pro-active rather than the re-active behaviour that Stephen Covey vouched in his best seller, ‘The 7 habits of highly effective people.’ ‘Pro-active’ I muttered to myself, even as my teenage daughter stared at me through red fiery eyes and twitching lips that whispered, “Mom, he is at it again. Check him!”

I moved forward, clenching my fists. Alas! I was too late. My driver had already criss-crossed, accelerated and jumped the correct lane to the left most side of the Kamaraj Road-Brigade Road signal to take the right turn to M G Road! Just like a hundred other bylaws that are broken everyday in our country, this too happens only in India.  As one of our bureaucrats nicely summed it up recently, ‘We are all like that only!’ Drivers and lane discipline (or indiscipline) are like the dog and the lamp post. The temptation is just too irresistible!