I got up a bit late today, thinking I'll have to be stranger today. Got ready and started my journey. I reached the auto stop and took an auto to the metro station. I reached metro station and as expected I didn't see any familiar face. I was only 5 mins. late and here I am in a strange world.
I got out of the metro station and took the subway to the bus stop. Subway has got life of its own, so vibrant and so lively. I am leaving the Subway story for future.
By the time I reached the bus stop, I have already missed my usual bus and my usual strangers. I took a different bus today and it was fully crowded, you’ll hardly find a place to stand. It was a low floor bus, 3/4th portion of the bus is low and at the back 1/4th portion is on rise. There is a small 2 step stair from lower portion to upper one. I was standing near the stairs in crowd.
There was this guy standing next to me caring a bag. He was looking very dull in the early morning. I thought he might be retiring from some night shift job, making him so exhausted. To my surprise he caught hold of my hand and asked me to move a bit so that he can sit on the stairs. I said to myself, there is hardly any space to stand and he wants to sit. Anyhow I made some space for him.
'Thank You' he murmured. He told that he is having temperature and his head is spinning. He wanted to close his eyes and take some rest. I touched his forehead and it was burning.
I was happy that he got space to sit and get some rest. Meanwhile people kept hopping in and out of the bus. Whenever some crowd gets in, someone from it would start cursing the guy. Some people even stepped on him. He sat there quietly saying nothing.
We have got a very bad habit of passing judgment without even knowing the situation. I told few people cursing him that he is not well.
"What the hell we have to do with him not being well!! He is creating problem for others. If he is not well, why the hell is he travelling?"
It’s very difficult to make educated people understand sometimes.
At next stop a middle aged person hopped in. He wanted to go the rear end of the bus and stand. People asked him to stand where he was, but he insisted on going back.
"Mine is the last stop, I'll go back and stand there peacefully."
The guy was still sitting there and trying to get some rest. This middle aged man was making all efforts to go back, but the bus was heavily crowded. He got a glimpse of the sitting guy and started shouting on him.
"It’s because of these illiterate people we have to suffer. See how happily he is sitting down there and I am struggling to get a place stand.
Stand up otherwise I'll step on head and move ahead."
I was about to say something, but before I could the guy stood up politely. This middle aged man gave him a stare and moved ahead angrily. I started to feel guilty, don't know why. I got down at the next stop thinking about our mentality.
Never mistreat anyone, next time you might be at the receiving end...
I got out of the metro station and took the subway to the bus stop. Subway has got life of its own, so vibrant and so lively. I am leaving the Subway story for future.
By the time I reached the bus stop, I have already missed my usual bus and my usual strangers. I took a different bus today and it was fully crowded, you’ll hardly find a place to stand. It was a low floor bus, 3/4th portion of the bus is low and at the back 1/4th portion is on rise. There is a small 2 step stair from lower portion to upper one. I was standing near the stairs in crowd.
There was this guy standing next to me caring a bag. He was looking very dull in the early morning. I thought he might be retiring from some night shift job, making him so exhausted. To my surprise he caught hold of my hand and asked me to move a bit so that he can sit on the stairs. I said to myself, there is hardly any space to stand and he wants to sit. Anyhow I made some space for him.
'Thank You' he murmured. He told that he is having temperature and his head is spinning. He wanted to close his eyes and take some rest. I touched his forehead and it was burning.
I was happy that he got space to sit and get some rest. Meanwhile people kept hopping in and out of the bus. Whenever some crowd gets in, someone from it would start cursing the guy. Some people even stepped on him. He sat there quietly saying nothing.
We have got a very bad habit of passing judgment without even knowing the situation. I told few people cursing him that he is not well.
"What the hell we have to do with him not being well!! He is creating problem for others. If he is not well, why the hell is he travelling?"
It’s very difficult to make educated people understand sometimes.
At next stop a middle aged person hopped in. He wanted to go the rear end of the bus and stand. People asked him to stand where he was, but he insisted on going back.
"Mine is the last stop, I'll go back and stand there peacefully."
The guy was still sitting there and trying to get some rest. This middle aged man was making all efforts to go back, but the bus was heavily crowded. He got a glimpse of the sitting guy and started shouting on him.
"It’s because of these illiterate people we have to suffer. See how happily he is sitting down there and I am struggling to get a place stand.
Stand up otherwise I'll step on head and move ahead."
I was about to say something, but before I could the guy stood up politely. This middle aged man gave him a stare and moved ahead angrily. I started to feel guilty, don't know why. I got down at the next stop thinking about our mentality.
Never mistreat anyone, next time you might be at the receiving end...
