Peak hours ! just in time to see the Ladies Special speeding away! Darn ! I reprimanded myself for dilly dallying in my walk to the 'Bus Stop'.Although it was a feeble sign of showing my helplessness yet I stomped my feet in exasperation.
As a matter of fact ,there are days when you get up on the wrong side of the bed as it were ! Gosh! the whole day goes haywire,Rumble tumble in short a messy day if one may call it.
One such day was today I surmised because in the morning I had left behind my bus pass on the table so had to pay my way to College,forgot to take the College Library reference book as I had to pay late fee which would be doubled and even got a stern piece of advice from the Librarian and now will be late by an hour or so as I had missed the 5 .20 bus.
I applied brakes to my wildest fancies as a bus was fast approaching. I had to think fast which I did .'Never mind 'I told myself if I had to take this bus for then I have to take two buses to get to the Railway station but my direct bus would n't be coming till after an hour so I opted to take this bus and got on .
Thank God I made in a whirl wind travelled by two buses and in an hour got off at the station but the station was packed with people returning from work and offices.
I made my way through the crowds which kind of resembled to me as honey bees in an honey comb but some how squeezed in between people to reach the place where the Ladies compartment would be and breathed a sigh of relief !!Little was I aware that Lo! I was in for more trouble and the day wasn't yet over for me .
The train arrived on time but sadly my time was n't goodI guess, so it was thribly packed and I managed to get one leg and the other was out but since many were hanging I consoled myself. However what came over me I simply don't know but in a placid tone I told the person before me to move a little inside but lo ! to my utter dismay I found it was the Flowers selling woman in her mid thirties a robust Woman was adamantly refusing to give way and began shouting at me .I think she must have had some grievance against College studying girls she began lecturing about how girls think they are queens simply because they are able to go to College etc etc .Actually it was she who had jumped at the last minute as the train began to move with a rounded basket as if she was doing acrobatics but now was scolding me because she wanted to get inside and felt I was her target.
One who travels in these Electric trains knew one should never get on to an argument with the flower or fruit vendors because they would be so dominative and would speak no shout in a language not just harsh but just too demeaning to the ears .They have a law unto themselves and knowing it all I went into hushed silence .
I was un ruffled but inside was becoming tensed for her right hand had got in between one of my doubled plaits of hair and through it she was holding the main rail with a basket on the left .
She was pushing me but without any use because there wasnt even the tiniest space and as she tried repeatedly to go in she was pulling my plaited hair which caused me great pain.Worse still she looked at me and I knew I was going to be the brunt of her words.
In a loud voice she said " Can't you put up your hair and pin it up nearly.?"
I looked at her pathetically mumbled ,"My hair is plaited and doubled up only ? and another woman came to my rescue who saw my hair was plaited up already chided her in a hot retort ,"Dont you see her hair is plaited up and it s you who is pulling her hair ?"Both were glaring at each other about to start a fight I woefully guessed but didn't know what to tell to pacify them .She was pulling my hair and the pain was unendurable but still I had to grit my teeth till tje next station comes and it would take another 4 minutes .
However in this struggle to relieve my hair from being pulled more in slip shod second the Shoulder bag on my left arm slipped and flew lime a kite .All who saw could only shout" Oh the bag! the bag!".The bag went swishing past and don't know it must have fallen in a' no man s island "I grieved to think as the place probably where it landed had nothing but trees ,thick foliage and high bushes besides it was dark as Night had come.
But all finishedI thought to myself for retrieval was near impossible.
I decided to tell my dad for it was no use hiding matters as the purse had some money my student Identity card Library card Railway pass favourite pens dear to me all had gone lost. My Assignment notes and text books wrte also there.
My mood was spoilt and cried myself to sleep right away.My father always a very practical person and would nt make me feel low said "no use crying over spilt milk 'encouraging me in a humorous that its not the end of the world .
Next morning the time nearing half past seven o'clock I was getting ready when some one knocked on our door and when my father opened the door.To our great surprise a Man in early thirties, unknown to us had come and in his hands was my shoulder bag .I shrieked in joy and I quickly took it and opened the Bag and found to my great amazement all my books, purse, papers, all were there.My joy knew no bounds and I kept on thanking him and so did my dad and mom too.
It seems as he was making his way through the railway track he saw a Bag lying with the contents strewn near by. As my bag had a zip it had opened due to the force of the air when it had landed the zip had got cut off.
He checked the purse and found the address but it was night time so he had come the next morning to hand it over.What a noble gesture ! My parents kept praising him for his sincerity and when my dad tried to give him a token of gift for his sincerity he refused outrightly and my mom compelled him to have a cup of coffee and he agreed.
Till this day whenever I recall my college going days that day that Man s gesture of goodness remains in my heart leaving an indelible mark.
So am I right in saying there are some days which turn adverse or is my own imagination? or Some days does God go on leave allowing us to face the onslaught of a bad day ? I leave it to you readers to reach a conclusion because if Only I had left early and had been more meticulous I could have avoided such a day ? I don't know really I don't.! However one blessing in disguise my bag did come back but only the next day?!!!