FEELING THE HEAT

FIRE BROKE IN THE MARKET THAT JUST OPENS TO BACKYARD OF MY HOUSE IN MOHALI. WE WERE HARDLY 4-FEET WAY FROM ATLEAST 30-FEET HIGH FLAMES.

THE AUTHORITIES DIDN'T PAY ATTENTION TO THE BACKSIDE OF THE MARKET AS THEY WERE IGNORANT OF THE FACT THAT AFTER MARKET HOUSES ARE AT STAKE NOW. PEOPLE OF THE AREA WERE NOT BOLD ENOUGH TO EFFECTIVELY COMMNUICATE TO THE AUTHORITIES THAT THEIR HOUSES ARE AT STAKE.

BEING A JOURNALIST I CHOSE NOT TO BE MUMP; AND HAD TO SHOUT, CRY AND PLEAD, SIMULTANEOUSLY, TO MAKE THEM LISTEN TO ME IN THAT CROWD OF OVER THOUSAND: "WE NEED FIREBRIGADE TO SAVE THE HOUSE LANE CONSISTING OF TEN HOUSES."

EVEN HELD THE FIREOFFICER BY HIS COLLAR AND SCOLDED THE S.P. TOO. INDEED, IT PAID. THINGS WERE IN CONTROL IN NEXT FEW MINUTES. AND FROM A JOURNALIST BECAME A NEWSSTORY CONTENT, MY PHOTOGRAPH APPEARED IN NEWSPAPER NEXT DAY.... I COULD NOW WELL REALSIE THE HEAT OF BEING A MATTER OF NEWS CONTENT.

SOME CAME TO PAT MY BACK, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO FAILED TO DEMAND THEIR RIGHT TO SAFETY. I FELT ASHAMED THAT HOW BAD ARE WE HOMO SAPIENS AT COMMUNICATING, WHETHER SAYING THE BARE TRUTH OR LITENING TO OTHERS.

AT OTHER MOMENT FELT SORRY FOR COMMONMAN IN INDIA WHO HESITATES TO SAY OPENLY WHAT HE FEELS, EVEN IN DEMOCRACY. I AM A JOURNALIST SO HAPPEN TO COMMUNICATE BEST OF MY ABILITES.

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