A STREET FIGHT
Street fights are common mostly in villages and some sub-urban areas. Lacks of education, culture, basic amenities etc are the main reasons for it. People, especially women quarrel for trifles which may even reach unimaginable proportions. Street fights usually start at public water taps, ration shops, bus stops etc.
One day I was studying in my room when all of a sudden I heard hot words being exchanged between two persons in the street. I paid no attention to it thinking that it would be a minor quarrel but soon I heard voices of a large number of people. I peeped out of the window and understood that it was a street quarrel. I went downstairs and reached the spot in the twinkling of an eye. I was at my wits ends to see them clasped. The people were standing around them and enjoying their quarrel, but none tried to pacify them.
I asked a person standing in the crowd about the cause of their quarrel but I could know nothing about it. One of the persons quarrelling was my neighbour. His forehead was bleeding because the other person had bruised him. I requested the people to pacify them but none liked to mediate in the dispute. All of a sudden a young man came forward and tried to separate them. He alone could do nothing. The latter was still abusing my neighbour, warning him that he would set him right when he met him again.
There was an old man standing in the crowd. It was decided that he should come forward and end the dispute. He was to give his decision and both agreed to act accordingly. First my neighbour said that the other fellow was going on a bicycle through the street and fell headlong after hitting a child. He received a few scratches on his body. He advised the latter to ride slowly because it was the rash driving that caused injuries to both him and the child. He took it ill and started showering abuses on him. He could not pocket the insult and exchanged hot words which took the shape of their fighting.
The other fellow said that he was driving the cycle very carefully. All of a sudden the child crossed the street. So he dashed against the child. My neighbour abused him and he remained silent. Then he slapped the cyclist. It was a matter beyond his control. Therefore, he gave a slap in return which finally resulted in the open fight.
The old man declared that the fault was of my neighbour. So he apologized to the cyclist who went his way. The crowd also got dispersed.