To start with, the train was ceowded and I was standing. After some time a guy who was sitting left his seat and went to a window seat for a smoke.The effortless way in which he was conversing with the man whose seat he was sharing was quite surprising. After some time he came back but did not ask me to vacate his seat. Nor had his family members tried to keep his seat reserved, as is the norm in more literate ( but less educated groups). I myself got up and offered him back his seat, which he accepted after the polite refusals.
This family got off at Mathura and I got a seat. Then came another man who wanted seats for his wife and children. I was really touched by the lovingly aggressive way in which he managed to get seats for them.
Another boy asked me to accommodate him on the berth on which I was sitting. Before I could say anything, the old man who was on my berth refused. Later, when I offered to share my berth with other person, I could see the expression of hurt on this boy's face. I felt very guilty for having hurt him so. So , I willingly sared my berth with fellow passengers during the rest of the journey.
After Delhi I realised that thew train was becoming too crowded, so i positioned myself nesr the door. there i met another guy from Rohtak. I was impressed by the way he found meaning in this stressful situation by being kind and helpful to this fellow passengers. He kept his bag under the head of a pasenger sleeping on the luggage rack as a pillow for him and helped in clearing the doorway for other passengers at Bahadurgarh.
These experiences apart, I made some resolutions in this trip.
Firstly, belonging to an oppressed group, I identify with people from other oppressed groups such as poor, disabled etc.
Secondly, I have no intention to be a useful member in a society which does not accept me as I am and which has forced me to lead a life which is against my true nature. So, I just have to live my life as I want, irrespective of what the norm is.
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