The Broken Traffic Light in Delhi and the Art of Waiting

Scour the news for an entirely uninteresting story. Consider how it connects to your life. Write about that.

Earlier this week, buried deep within the local Delhi newsfeed, was a headline that barely registered a blip on the public radar:

“Traffic Signal Malfunctions in South Delhi for Second Day.”

No injuries. No protests. Just an intersection left to its own wild devices—chaos wrapped in honking horns and hesitant right turns.

I almost scrolled past it.

But something about it stuck with me. Maybe because I’ve stood at such a crossing—both literally and metaphorically.

You see, Delhi isn’t exactly known for patience. The city moves like a current: fast, loud, relentless. And when a traffic light gives up, it’s more than just a glitch in the system—it’s an invitation for anarchy. No red, no green. Just everyone fending for themselves, eyeballing the oncoming traffic, inching forward with equal parts confidence and fear.

Oddly enough, it reminded me of a week I had recently. One where every plan I made was interrupted. Meetings rescheduled. Deliverables delayed. Life, essentially, not following the script.

No green light. No go-ahead. Just a blank signal blinking at me while I sat still, wondering when it would all “move again.”

And just like the South Delhi crossing, everything got messier before it got better. People (and thoughts) collided. The usual rhythm broke. I was forced to stop. Not because I wanted to—but because I had no choice.

And in that pause, I noticed something.

Stillness isn’t always a flaw in the system. Sometimes it’s the system asking us to wait. To observe. To surrender control. To listen to the internal traffic we usually ignore in the rush of green lights.

Eventually, the signal was fixed. The city moved on. And so did I.

But I’m grateful for that random, unimportant news story. Because it reminded me that sometimes, the universe breaks the signal—not to disrupt our path, but to teach us the value of slowing down.

Of waiting well.