training back home (continued)
"Do you want to get off?" he asks me.
"No".
"Just asked, You know. Its better"
"Uh ok.. no problem" i smile and pray he doesnt talk any further.
"You know, this thing happenned this morning".
Smile.
"This woman was trying to get off the train. She had these two kids. The kids couldnt get off."
'Now whats this?' i think and keep smiling
"So when she tried to get on again, the train started and she fell off the platform into the tracks."
'Not unusual'.
"And under the same train. Cut in two."
'Niru. He had seen something like this. I remember how traumatised he was that day.'
"She died on the spot. Her children told us that they were on their way to the hospital to meet someone, probably the father."
'How would i react if I saw something of this sort?'
"I mean she was poor and all that and maybe she was off to see her husband who was serious or something"
"Its not too good to take kids along in trains in peak hours."-'what am i saying ?'
"The kids didnt even know the address."
'How would i have reacted if i had seen this?"
"She was probably a muslim.."
"Hmm"
"But whoever she was, how does it matter?"
"Yes, its really bad in the morning, for women and children".'am i saying it again?'
"Fact is, she mustve not been too well off."
"Agreed, well off people dont take their children to hospitals in crowded trains at rush hours."
"The train stopped after that. Thats when they asked the children about it."
'Wonder if the kids reached home safely afterwords. Wonder when this casual chat stopes. No, this isnt that, he is trying to ease his own pain, i guess. Its ok then. Would i have been able to handle this?'
"A lot of people wept."
"Yes?"
"They couldnt do anything about her. She was split in two. Died on the spot."
'On dot?' "I understand."
"A lot of people wept. I could see. Its difficult to forget. I couldnt all day."
'How would i have reacted?' "I understand."
THE TRAIN REACHES THANE NOW
"U know thats why i asked you if u wanted to get off ... i mean...." he says.
"I understand."
"So are you a student?"
"No. I work."
"Ok." smiles.
"Well, till next time." Offer to shake hands.
Shakes hand."Yes. Take care of yourself."
"You too."
On my way home i thought about it. About whether i would be able to handle such a situation. The empty streets at night seemed very beautiful.
"No".
"Just asked, You know. Its better"
"Uh ok.. no problem" i smile and pray he doesnt talk any further.
"You know, this thing happenned this morning".
Smile.
"This woman was trying to get off the train. She had these two kids. The kids couldnt get off."
'Now whats this?' i think and keep smiling
"So when she tried to get on again, the train started and she fell off the platform into the tracks."
'Not unusual'.
"And under the same train. Cut in two."
'Niru. He had seen something like this. I remember how traumatised he was that day.'
"She died on the spot. Her children told us that they were on their way to the hospital to meet someone, probably the father."
'How would i react if I saw something of this sort?'
"I mean she was poor and all that and maybe she was off to see her husband who was serious or something"
"Its not too good to take kids along in trains in peak hours."-'what am i saying ?'
"The kids didnt even know the address."
'How would i have reacted if i had seen this?"
"She was probably a muslim.."
"Hmm"
"But whoever she was, how does it matter?"
"Yes, its really bad in the morning, for women and children".'am i saying it again?'
"Fact is, she mustve not been too well off."
"Agreed, well off people dont take their children to hospitals in crowded trains at rush hours."
"The train stopped after that. Thats when they asked the children about it."
'Wonder if the kids reached home safely afterwords. Wonder when this casual chat stopes. No, this isnt that, he is trying to ease his own pain, i guess. Its ok then. Would i have been able to handle this?'
"A lot of people wept."
"Yes?"
"They couldnt do anything about her. She was split in two. Died on the spot."
'On dot?' "I understand."
"A lot of people wept. I could see. Its difficult to forget. I couldnt all day."
'How would i have reacted?' "I understand."
THE TRAIN REACHES THANE NOW
"U know thats why i asked you if u wanted to get off ... i mean...." he says.
"I understand."
"So are you a student?"
"No. I work."
"Ok." smiles.
"Well, till next time." Offer to shake hands.
Shakes hand."Yes. Take care of yourself."
"You too."
On my way home i thought about it. About whether i would be able to handle such a situation. The empty streets at night seemed very beautiful.
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