Delhi Metro
“Next station is Rajauri Garden. The Doors will open on the left. Please take care of your loose clothes and belongings while de-boarding the train.”
As the announcement faded in the background K found himself anxious. He did not want to look at his phone screen the entire journey. So, he decided to focus his attention onto something more interesting and from the real world. Thankfully, the compartment wasn’t that crowded and he was able to see across. A woman along with her son was sitting. K struggled to steer his gaze. He did not want to make her uncomfortable.
So, he looked to her left, at the row of men who were sitting idly, some lost in their own thoughts and others in their phones. He carefully studied their faces and wondered how their day was going. Bored, he moved his gaze to their left. He kept steering until he was drawn by a 3 to 4 year old boy who was holding one of the poles and trying to surprise the commuters with some tricks.
“Kids love doing that.” K said to himself.
The boy twisted his legs around the pole and smiled at the row of people before him as if he had performed a circus trick. People laughed and began a fun chat with him.
“What a spirited soul! Little Krishna! The energy of a single child is sufficient to light up a room or in this case a dull mind of a traveller.” K said to himself. He couldn’t stop looking at the kid. It reminded him of his childhood.
Many a time it was he who accompanied his mother to short trips out of the town. He hated bus rides. Everything about it was repulsive – the insufficient seating space, the noisy passengers, often chewing pan masala or smoking Bidis, the irritating hawkers, the stupid Bhojpuri songs, and the worst of it all, no toilets. If only they had metro trains back then. It would have been so much fun to ride on a clean and comfortable train.
“Next station is Rajiv Chowk…”
The announcement broke his chain of thoughts. He readied himself to get off the train. He didn’t want to be pushed as some passengers get edgy while boarding. The train stopped. He made a clean exit. What a relief! He began humming some song.
As he was walking towards the crossing, he saw the child again – walking playfully on the platform. Only this time he was holding the hand of a man in Pathani Suit. And walking next to them was a woman in Abaya.
“They must be his parents.” K thought.
“A snakelet!” Echoed right away.
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