An Unfaithful Ride

When we are only concerned about self. 

- Arun Kumar Bharati

An incident I witnessed. I boarded a crowded train ferrying me to the station closest to home. I smile at a young man seated on a seat reserved for ladies and he gets up, disappointed at being denied a comfortable ride so soon. He smiles back, in a resigned way. I can see that he is tired and I feel slightly guilty for a moment at having to cause discomfort. The very next moment is a flashback of repeated instances of molestation and discomfort caused by men, the guilt is gone and I settle to enjoy a privilege that has been long overdue to the women of the country. Before the train stops at the next station, I doze off. I am jolted out of my snooze when the train stops at the overcrowded station and a substantial amount of the crowd spills into the already overcrowded compartment.