Resigned Superhero

D's car screeched to a halt. Muttering expletives, he unlocked his car door and strode with a red face to slap the two wheeler rider.

The rider had jumped the signal and rammed his bike into D's car. It was only later to be discovered that our car's back wheel had lost its alignment because of the jolt.

I rushed out of the car to assuage the two men. I didn't know whose fault it was but I knew more than accidents, the arguments turn ugly. I was worried for D till...

Till... I saw that rider's face. Not more than 20 years old, possibly a school drop out, thin boy with just a little suggestion of a moustache over his upper lip, he was apologising to D. The boy was trying to lift his bike while D was shouting.

He was in a hurry even after the accident. He quickly wanted to take the blame and push off, for it didn't matter to him who the blame sits on. While he was haggling with D over the apologies, I caught a glimpse of his prostrate bike.

My heart broke. It was a "Domino's Pizza - Khushiyon ki Home Delivery" bike. That stupid boy, that reckless boy, that apologetic boy was rushing to carry a pizza, trying to meet his 30 minute deadline!

A deadline that was set by an international pizza delivery corporation. A corporation that could pay $2.8 million to settle a lawsuit brought by the family of an Indiana woman who had been killed by a Domino's delivery driver. A corporation that paid nearly $80 million in another 1993 lawsuit, brought by a woman who was injured when a Domino's delivery driver ran a red light and collided with her vehicle.

D was seething with anger. He had only recently got his car repaired.

He told me later he was not worried about his wheel alignment as much as he was worried for the boy. He said on Mumbai roads one drives out his car with quiet cognizance, that dents will happen.

I was wondering what did the delivery boy think every time he darted out of a Domino's on his bike.

Does he think of himself as a superhero who can bullet through a crowded street to make it to some warm hearted customer who will smile at him for making it on deadline.



Or does he resign himself to a fate where after profusely apologising to people on the street, he will ring the bell to find a customer who will point to his watch to tell that the time's up.