It was a short, packed, visit to the city of joy on a really pleasant Sunday. Tall buildings in the suburbs offer views that make you forget the chaotic, environmentally challenged areas that we city dwellers spend all our time in. The slogan chanting, not very far away, of a mass of demonetising oppos-ers brought some noise into the the pleasantly chilly, sun-bathed, dining table we were working on. Another sensory organ was immersed with the smell of  frying pomfrets, and the nerves within the cranium rested in happy anticipation of being taken over by the third sense. A gentle salivation was brought about by the subconscious. Neither of us was really aware of it as the neurons were deeply focused on completing a target in time.

There was some time to spare after the quick post-lunch snooze, and in that state of happiness, we decided to take a short trip to that one stop-forest of city dwellers-the mall. A sweet white Samara was purchased to celebrate this meeting. A couple of shoes and some clothes were added, to clutter up the the already space starved apartments. And barbecued chicken wings also went into the bag.

There were a large number of empty spots in the enormous parking area. Those empty spaces were not however found suitable enough to the folks who had parked their car behind ours. Who also perhaps harboured the notion that it is a good habit to disappear after parking a car in such a manner.

I have recently achieved a partial state of inner peace and therefore advised Ma'am to try and back the car and maneuver it though the small space the said car owner had been considerate enough to leave. It would have taken about 25 back and forth movements, and a lot of frustration, but I could see no other way out, My friend was wiser than me and took the decision of fuming as a better way to resolve the impasse. It worked. Soon enough the young chap swaggered towards the car and at the exact moment that his key touched the lock, he got a earful of what my friend thought about his thoughtlessness.

Suspense built up as he moved the key away from the lock and started walking back to where he had disappeared to earlier. Apparently he didn't appreciate that it was not OK to park one's car behind someone else's car, and disappear in a paid and empty parking lot. Apparently we should have patiently waited till he completed whatever he had gone to do, and been grateful for being able to leave at some point of time at least.

The same advise was given to us by one of the many security personnel strolling around the empty parking lot. We should have waited patiently. Period.

My new-found inner peace helped me to resist arguing with the logic-defying logic. I remembered the quote 'Don't argue with an idiot. They'll bring you down to their level and defeat you with experience.' Such wise words.