Train Tales of a Rainy Day!

“Don’t worry I will be home in 10 mins”; says a concerned mother comforting her son. Their conversation is in a vernacular language, which gives out that she is speaking to her son and not a daughter. Another call, at a 3 people away distance, the lady is instructing somebody to keep “hot tea” ready for her, before she reaches home. I could not guess the relationship here, but the idea of hot tea in this suddenly chilled weather, was soothing to hear.

A young boy, approximately 7-8 years old, was standing in front of me, fully drenched, his face wet with trickling rain water. He never bothered to dry himself. In any case, standing at the doorway with rains pouring in, his efforts to dry would have hardly helped. I was tempted to click a picture of him. It would have made a perfect image for this post. But my own hands are too wet, to reach out to my cell. More so I had to be sensitive to the fact, that even a slightest change in my position, could cause inconvenience to my dear fellow commuters.

It’s ironical. However drenched one may be, they don’t want their neighbours wet palm, elbows, or feet near them. Each one maintains as much safe distance as possible, even in a densely populated ladies compartment. It’s almost like a self imposed Stand still order.

When people’s options to swing-sway and move are curtailed, they land up looking up and down. They look up to the fan, with an expression “You are hardly of any use”. They look down, adjust and re-adjust their legs as much as possible to place them in the tidiest available slot. Their Capri length folded trousers may be dripping rain water, but that does not discourage them from expecting the neatest option available.

On getting down at the stations, even the otherwise trailing people, brisk walk their way out. Smart commuters. They know, three wheelers are more in demand than supply on a rainy day. They step out from the crowded local and get into the coyly dressed, curtain drawn rickshaws…..