Simply Spicy: Methi Matar with Paneer Pulao

Simply Spicy: Methi Matar with Paneer Pulao

To forgive or not, that is the question

I was patiently awaiting for the light to turn green at the signal. As soon as it did, a truck cut across my lane to get through the signal first. In his haste, the truck brushed against the front left side of my car with a scrunching noise. It was peak hour and vehicles honking all around us. Do I get down and harangue him, or do I let this poor fellow go?

Split second decision, I let him go without making an issue of it and continued on my journey. But my co-passengers were very upset and didn't hold back their emotions, letting me have it frontally for allowing that fellow to go. How can you be so daft? You should have stopped him and make him pay for the damage. Make sure he doesn't do it to others and more such... advice.

We reach our destination and I get down to find that one headlight was hanging loose and the front bumper had torn off and was sagging dangerously close to the ground. My heart sank. This was going to cost me at least 10k and I wished I hadn't let that fellow off the hook. I battled with my emotions for a few minutes but realised that even if I'd stopped him, he would not have been able to afford the cost of this repair. So what's the point, let it go.

I had to take it to the repair shop immediately where I was told that insurance would pick up the tab. So I was again glad that I hadn't made a fuss with that driver.

What if I had not let him off? How would my evening have turned up?

A mid-road altercation is not a pretty sight for the participants as well as the public. High tempers, hot words, possible fisticuffs, if not more violence, major time delay in getting on with the journey, FIR, cops, messing with the traffic on a busy junction, high BP, lousy moods and a hangover that could last hours if not days.

On the other hand, we finished all the chores we'd set out to do, with some minor hiccups of having to swing by the repair shop and get it temporarily fixed, which I did after dropping my family at a store.

I would have wrecked this driver's day if I'd stopped and thrown my anger at him. I would have also inconvenienced many people if I'd held up traffic in the middle of a busy junction. However, I just had this warm glow of having responded right in this situation.

The warm glow that only Forgiveness could give....

Thank you Lord for the gift of forgiveness!

My first steps

Why am I doing this??? An hidden aspiration to be a writer? An urge to hang out dirty linen??
Not sure... But here I am taking tentative steps to air my thoughts and share it with those who have the time and inclination to listen to them.
The spring is just about born and the flow will be restricted. Time-permitting, the trickle will turn into a steady flow and at times a raging torrent.
Wait and watch to see how this bud blooms and what flower it will turn into.