Yesterday it rained. Heavily. In fact it rained so heavily that most of the offices - even my own, allowed employees to leave early. In our case "early" translates to just 1/2 hour before the normal out time - 6:30 pm. So I left by 6:15. Wading through foot-deep water, making way through a crowd of traffic-stranded vehicles, unusually high number of walkers and their unusually high number of umbrellas, we finally reached Andheri station. The trains were crowded, but not unusually so. And there is always rush and struggle at the door as people try to get out and simultaneously get into the train... Its a perfect setting for tempers to flare...
As I got in and was standing (if you can call it that) inside the train, there was some commotion at the door.
One voice (angrily): "Stop pushing. Take back your umbrella"
Another voice (equally angrily): "GO in will you..."
First Voice: "First take back your umbrella"
Second Voice: "Whats it to you? You go in first?"
First Voice: "Dont you understand? My spectacles will fall"
Second Voice: "Dont YOU understand, I will fall if you dont go in? (angrily as well as mockingly) Weird fellow! Its my life in danger here and you are concerned about your specs.."
I looked and found out that Voice 1 was an aged guy. His specs had slid down right to the edge of his nose. He was looking angrily back at the guy hanging at the door. This was Voice 2. Apparently, he had his umbrella hanging on the same hand with which he was holding the centre-rod for support. This said umbrella must have come in the way of the older guy as he tried to get in. By this time, the train had started rolling.
The old guy was silent now. But the anger clearly etched on his face.
The young fellow, our Mr Voice #2, continued to chide him. He was joined by his fellow door-hangers, all belonging to the clan of Young Reckless Blood. This probably infuriated the old guy even further. But what could he do? He was outnumbered and could not match the young guy in strength. Also, partially he was in the wrong too. I could see him swallow his anger and move inside. The teasing and provoking comments went on at the doorway.
As the older guy moved deeper into the compartment. Now he had squirmed his way to somewhere behind me, when I heard him again.
Voice 3 (a new voice from somewhere behind): "Will you be getting down at Goregaon?"
Old guy: "No"
Voice 3: "Then please move inside"
Old Guy (residual anger still there in his voice): "Why should i move in? You get down when Goregaon comes"
Voice 3 (now angry): "But if I get down I will drag you along with me. Is that ok?"
Old Guy (voice raised): "Its still time for Goregaon. You stay as you are."
Voice 3 (voice raised): "But why dont you move in now?"
Old Guy: "Dont argue with me"
Voice 3: "What kind of person are you? I ask you politely with respect. And you bark back..."
Now the old guy is silent again.
Voice 3 continues: "For people like you, one should not ask politly in the first place. Had I ordered you 'Come on you bloody laggard. Move back.', then you would have properly moved back without a word. I ask you politely and you bark back at me..."
Now the old Guy must have moved deeper inside the compartment, for Mr Voice 3 was now right behind me, where the old guy had been.
Voice 3 continued to complain and insult and was joined by Voice 2 from the doorway. One partucular comment I clearly remember was by Mr Voice 3: "People talk a lot about how well-mannered the previous generation was. I say its exactly opposite. Our generation guys are pretty decent as compared to these older generation guys". There were not just comments, but jokes and laughter. All at the expense of the angry old man. And they were loud. On purpose. So that the old man will hear it.
All through the charade, I kept thinking about what the old guy must be feeling right then. Having to swallow the poison of his hurt pride, shattered ego and anger... Feeling like a limbless person - unable to do anything about the lava building up in him... Even if he was partially in the wrong, I felt sorry for him...
This is what happens under high pressures and temperatures in the vile Crucible of Mumbai trains during rush hours.
As I got in and was standing (if you can call it that) inside the train, there was some commotion at the door.
One voice (angrily): "Stop pushing. Take back your umbrella"
Another voice (equally angrily): "GO in will you..."
First Voice: "First take back your umbrella"
Second Voice: "Whats it to you? You go in first?"
First Voice: "Dont you understand? My spectacles will fall"
Second Voice: "Dont YOU understand, I will fall if you dont go in? (angrily as well as mockingly) Weird fellow! Its my life in danger here and you are concerned about your specs.."
I looked and found out that Voice 1 was an aged guy. His specs had slid down right to the edge of his nose. He was looking angrily back at the guy hanging at the door. This was Voice 2. Apparently, he had his umbrella hanging on the same hand with which he was holding the centre-rod for support. This said umbrella must have come in the way of the older guy as he tried to get in. By this time, the train had started rolling.
The old guy was silent now. But the anger clearly etched on his face.
The young fellow, our Mr Voice #2, continued to chide him. He was joined by his fellow door-hangers, all belonging to the clan of Young Reckless Blood. This probably infuriated the old guy even further. But what could he do? He was outnumbered and could not match the young guy in strength. Also, partially he was in the wrong too. I could see him swallow his anger and move inside. The teasing and provoking comments went on at the doorway.
As the older guy moved deeper into the compartment. Now he had squirmed his way to somewhere behind me, when I heard him again.
Voice 3 (a new voice from somewhere behind): "Will you be getting down at Goregaon?"
Old guy: "No"
Voice 3: "Then please move inside"
Old Guy (residual anger still there in his voice): "Why should i move in? You get down when Goregaon comes"
Voice 3 (now angry): "But if I get down I will drag you along with me. Is that ok?"
Old Guy (voice raised): "Its still time for Goregaon. You stay as you are."
Voice 3 (voice raised): "But why dont you move in now?"
Old Guy: "Dont argue with me"
Voice 3: "What kind of person are you? I ask you politely with respect. And you bark back..."
Now the old guy is silent again.
Voice 3 continues: "For people like you, one should not ask politly in the first place. Had I ordered you 'Come on you bloody laggard. Move back.', then you would have properly moved back without a word. I ask you politely and you bark back at me..."
Now the old Guy must have moved deeper inside the compartment, for Mr Voice 3 was now right behind me, where the old guy had been.
Voice 3 continued to complain and insult and was joined by Voice 2 from the doorway. One partucular comment I clearly remember was by Mr Voice 3: "People talk a lot about how well-mannered the previous generation was. I say its exactly opposite. Our generation guys are pretty decent as compared to these older generation guys". There were not just comments, but jokes and laughter. All at the expense of the angry old man. And they were loud. On purpose. So that the old man will hear it.
All through the charade, I kept thinking about what the old guy must be feeling right then. Having to swallow the poison of his hurt pride, shattered ego and anger... Feeling like a limbless person - unable to do anything about the lava building up in him... Even if he was partially in the wrong, I felt sorry for him...
This is what happens under high pressures and temperatures in the vile Crucible of Mumbai trains during rush hours.
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