We Indians are a very patient lot. Be it the invasion of the Mongols or the latter day Moghuls , we take everything in our stride. That feeling is very evident in my daily commute on the local train in Mumbai. I would not call it a commute in the general sense though. Where else would you find people girding their belts, adjusting their hand bags for better grip and preparing for imminent battle?!
Just as the ancient Rajput wives used to apply tilak on their husband's foreheads before going into battle, our wives should be doing likewise!!
Everyday is a fresh new battle to be fought! Is it for a luxurious seat? No Sir, the battle is merely for getting a standing position inside. Does the battle end there?? No way. How dare that old uncle standing behind poke me in the ribs? Does not he have any civic sense? My righteous indignation makes me forget that he's so close behind, he's virtually munching on my hair!!
Sometimes I think sardines are more loosely packed than in a Virar local!! At least the poor buggers do not know what's happening inside the can! A cattle train would be more appropriate. But, there also, the poor buggers are light years ahead of us in terms of comfort. Comfort? You will ask. Why do you need comforts for your daily commute? Is not the fact that you are reaching from point A to point B safely, sufficient for you? Well, if you say so. Though, by the time I exit in point B, I look like a golliwog who's been through a particularly rough tumble wash.
Now we come to the best part. Our trains , as you know, have been thoughtfully segregated in to male and female compartments. In this day and age of "alternative" lifestyles, a male of "alternative" sensibilities will have a "rocking" time in a peak hour travel!! Sometimes I think of our poor moral guardians and whether they have thought of any such eventualities. How would they react? Will they install special detectors at all the train stations???!!!
Ah well, that's enough for today. Time to get ready for my "cattle" class ride.
