Your Safety, Your responsibility!

There was a little girl. Highly pampered, happy-go-lucky and princess for the day - as it was her birthday.

When she opened her sleepy eyes early in the morning, all she could see was - pink balloons. All over the room. Within seconds she recollected that it was her birthday. Oh yes, it is! As she was going to jump out her bed, her parents walked in with a big box wrapped in a red glittery sheet. She yelled "Yeah, it's my birthday, Papa, Mummy!" Her parents hugged and wished her birthday.

Without much delay, she opened her gift. It was a red car. A red remote controlled car. Big one. That little girl started crying. She threw away the gift. She started yelling, "I told you I want a white helicopter. I don't want any other gift!" She turned around, hid her face in the pillow and started crying loudly.

All her mother wanted to do was, give her a tight slap for such a behaviour. But her father tried to control the situation. He said, "But I thought my princess will love this gift. This is the most wanted toy around in world right now. But if you think you want something ordinary, we will get that too!"

She stopped crying, turned around and looked at the red car. It was good. It was very flashy. It was amazing. She was already in love with it. She jumped out of bed. Took out the car from the box and there she was, playing with her new fancy toy.

Her parents smiled. She was their princess and they wanted to make every day of hers - grand. A fairy tale. She got the best dresses to wear, best food to eat, best school and an over-protective childhood with her mother shadowing her to every nook and corner. All her demands were given in and she always had one. Her parents never complained. She was their only child who was born after years of their marriage. Well, that was the explanation they gave to everyone else, who thought their daughter was over-pampered and they were over-protective about her. 

They went ahead for the party preparation. In evening, there was a huge party. Food, friends and family. Everybody was there. Everything was there. It was just a dream birthday every little girl or boy could wish for. The little girl got it. But her fairy tale life was to be over soon.

Bearly she had come out from the nostalgia of her birthday, one day when she returned home from school, she saw a huge crowd. Outside her house. Silence or not. Crying. Howling. She couldn't understand. All eyes got pinned to her when people noticed her, with pity in their eyes. As she reached near her door, she saw the most terrifying seen in front of her. Someone was lying on the floor and that was her own mother who was howling and crying and shouting. Her granny came near her and hugged her softly. She gently put the words in little girl's ears that her father has gone to meet God. She knew what it meant. But she asked her granny a question, with hope in her eyes and tremble in her voice, "Will he be back home soon?"

There was a silence. Everyone knew the answer, no one gave. 

After her father passed away, they stayed in the same house. But it was not warm any more. No parties, no fancy toys. Rather no new toys at all. All she could hear from my mother was that they need to save more. Her mother started working. The neighbours or someone in the family used to be around the little girl after the school when her mother was off to work.Or she used to be all alone. Sometimes on cold food or sometimes on just cold milk. 

Her mother's salary was not much. But it was enough for food, shelter, few new clothes and her school expenses. When she did good in school, she even got one Mcdonald's burger or one cold drink or a packet of chips or a chocolate. Life was still going on, it was good with her mother around. Her mother used to do little things to make her happy, trying very very hard to cope-up with her ever increasing expenses and trying to fulfill less-expensive demands.

Life would have been more easier and dreamier with her father around. She would have had her mother for everything. She wouldn't be left on mercy of neighbours or some family member who often cribbed that they need to baby sit her every day. She wouldn't have craved for things which she actually never valued before. She would have had hot meals. Every day.

She felt cold. 

If only, he was around.

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She was just about the same age, eight or nine. Her mother didn't remember her date of birth clearly. She was her father's angel. They were not very rich. But they lived happily. Her father went to work as a guard in a bank. Her mother took great care of her and her two little brother. One was around 5 and one was nearly 2.

 

Her mother used to take them to school and used to come to pick them up. Her mother used to stay at home for her little brother. This little girl and her brothers had little demands but equally protective childhood and good hot food to eat. They used to do what kids do - play, study and play. That's it. They made a complete happy and content family.

Until one day.

Little girl and her brother were waiting to be picked up from the school. But there was no sign of their mother. They thought that their mother might have got busy with the toddler or forgot to come. So, they held each others' hand and walked back home. It wasn't a long walk. But when they neared their home, they saw a lot of people.

When the crowd realized the kids' presence, they started whispering and staring at them. The kids were only little. They felt really awkward. All they could think in their minds was - What's wrong. Why are they staring at us. Did we do something wrong? Then they heard their mother's voice. She was crying. Very loudly. They ran and they saw someone lying on the floor. Covered in white sheet. 

They held their hand tightly. Both of them were only little. They were scared. When they went near, they saw. It was their father. They couldn't understand exactly but tears started rolling down their little eyes.

Everything changed after that day.

Little girl's mother used to wake up real early cook and clean and go off to work. Little girl used to do remaining household work and taking care of her brothers. She held their hands, dropped the elder one to the school, waited outside the school with the little one and walked back together, to the place called home. 

She became a little God mother to her brothers. She served them food. Cold. They all ate together. Then she used to do the remaining work for the day.

No play. 

No school. 
No childhood.

***********************************************************************

These two little girl's were not related. Not by blood, not by stars and nor by destiny. But after a certain stage, their life was similar. Cold. 

They were connected by CARELESSNESS. Carelessness of whom? It doesn't matter. Really. 

This is what happened the day when their lives became similar:

It was around 11 'o' clock. Just that one little girl's father was driving his car WITHOUT HIS SEAT BELT. He was going for a client's meet. He was taking updates from his colleague. ON A PHONE. WHILE DRIVING. He didn't get time to get the details in office, so he thought, ring up and take down details. 

How much will it matter?

It was an empty road and other little girl's father was trying to cross the road. He did this every day. To go across and get a cup of tea. Without Bothering About The Zebra Crossing. Without considering about the green/yellow/red lights. 

How much will it matter?

A young boy BELOW 18 was driving. HE WAS HAVING A BAD HANGOVER. Still not in his senses completely. 

But again, how much does it matter?

There was a collision. No one know who was at fault.

No one knows how and when! 
But it did happen.

Police records claim that two lost their lives - on the spot.

One was critical and partially paralyzed. 

Can you still say, how much does it matter?

IT MATTERS! 

Every bit of your attention. Every bit of the rules.

Cause not only two, but there were many more who lost some part of their lives. 

Who was at fault? 
-- All of them.

How it happened?
-- Lack of responsibility, carelessness.

Who was the one who tried to save the situation?

-- Who knows? 

Who paid the price?
-- All families and they themselves.

All these questions and all these answers, does it matter at this stage? 

No it doesn't!

Cause the harm is done, and the price is being payed by their lives and their families' state. 

ACCIDENTS DON'T HAPPEN EVERY DAY. THEY HAPPEN JUST ON ONE SINGLE DAY.

BE ALERT CAUSE IT MATTERS!

Your life is in your own hands. Just remember the 5 rules:

1.      Don't drink & drive: Give yourself another chance to get drunk again. Don't end your story at once!

2.   Wear your seat belt: Wearing your seat belt will not make you a loser, not wearing it will certainly do so! 

3.     Follow traffic Rules: Rules are meant to be broken, is not cool at all. You can't risk your and others life for some foolish fun. We don't have a reel life, it is real life, you might not get a second chance at all. 

4.   Stop the car if urgent: If you have to answer a call or call someone, stop your car at a safe place and make the call. Just ensure that you do call them again, today and tomorrow rather than making them wait for ever and ever. 

5.    Thumb Rule::BE ALERT: Accidents don't happen every day, it happens that one day you were not careful enough. So be alert. At all times. At every cost. Be Responsible. 

BE ALERT! Be Safe! Be Responsible!

Nissan has taken over a project to alert people about their own responsibility on the road. Nissan is helping people drive safe and is promoting - SAFETY for you and for your family and friends. 

Nissan started this program in 2012 and have reached to various cities and around 2 lakh people and still counting. 

The Blue Citizenship is enriching people's life and making it safer and happier. Let's join hands with Nissan and create the awareness. Your life is important. Live it. Safely. Be  Responsible. 

This blog is for the Indiblogger activity in association with Nissan.