1 Ten Seconds

In a bustling shopping mall, where no one knew the other person except the ones with whom they came with, everyone was busy with their shopping and never cared about the others.

While life continued for everyone, there would be a few confused while a few lost, let it be in their lives or their ways.

One of such lost women approached a passerby, "Excuse me, Can you tell me where to find the food court here?"

The passerby, whom no one ever noticed until a beautiful woman approached him to ask for a route, looked around and pointed to his right with his finger as he spoke, "There is one way if you go to the right."

There are many ways to reach the food court and the passerby just informed one of them which would be the most convenient for her.

"Thank you," The woman thanked him and immediately strided towards the shown direction and forgot the face of the passerby within an instant.

Who would remember the face of a man whom you just asked the route for your entire life? She is not ungrateful though. She just held the gratitude for him in his heart. But that also doesn't mean, she would recognize him if one day they meet on the streets.

That is how all the passersby behave with each other. They are a passerby and they will remain the same if not for a special encounter that they could never forget.

The passerby too never cared for her to remember him forever. In fact he too will forget her in another second. Because she is also a passerby in his life.

As soon as he turned around to leave, he heard an ear piercing scream from the direction at which he just moved his eyes away from.

He looked back to find that the woman who just asked the route from him is the one who just screamed so loud attracting all the attention from everyone around.

A thief grabbed her handbag harshly from her making her fall down on the tiled floor. He ran away so fast that no one could catch him.

The previous passerby, who just witnessed this scene from a corner, raised his hand and snapped his fingers closing his eyes.

"Ten"

"Nine"

"Eight"

"Seven"

"Six"

"Five"

"Four"

"Three"

"Two"

"One"

The man then slowly opened his eyes to find the previous beautiful woman who was crying on the floor was now standing in front of him while looking at him, "Excuse me, Can you tell me where to find the food court here?"

He raised his left hand and pointed it towards his left this time while saying, "There is one way if you go to the left."

"Thank you," The woman thanked him and immediately strided towards the shown direction once again. But this time it is the opposite direction to which she went the last time.

The passerby, Horace, smiled to himself and moved in the way he was going before.

As he left, he heard another scream but this time, it belonged to a man. Though he knew what would have happened, he still turned around to take a glance at the situation.

The previous thief tried to snatch a bag from another woman this time but her husband who just turned away for a second had caught his hand on time.

Just one look and anyone would say that the husband of that woman is a fully trained man with all his muscles being shown even through his clothes.

The thief was screaming while saying a series of apologies and a few lies like his hand just struck her bag's hook by mistake. But would a man easily listen to such nonsense when he caught the thief red handed?

The thief was thrashed in all parts of his face and before he could attack his other body parts the police came to get the thief.

Horace smiled at the situation as he turned away and once again mingled himself in the countless population in the shopping mall turning himself into a passerby again.

He just saved a woman and helped in catching a thief with just a snap of his fingers.

But there is no one that noticed this reality or knew about the situation.

The woman whom he just saved had long forgotten everything about this man while the thief that was caught never even knew about the existence of such a man.

Instead it was the husband of a woman who looked strong with all his muscles was the one treated as the hero.

The police too thanked that man for helping them to catch a thief while appreciating his bravery. The surrounding people too clapped their hands for the 'Hero' while Horace left the scene and could only listen to the echo of the sound of the applause that another man got.

But, did he care?

The answer is a big fat 'no' as a smile crept up his thin lips.