“Bhaiya ! Do you want girls?” The rickshaw puller said. “All hot girls , high class girls from Maharani and Kanodia college.”
This rickshaw puller was a guy around twenty years and wore faded jeans. In turning a steep curve he almost scratched a scooty. The girls on the scooty panicked and almost fell. Unfortunately , I smiled at the incident. IIT preparation leaves you with less chances to smile , so may be it was an inappropriate smile but a smile none the less.
Probably the rickshaw puller misread that and suddenly became a pimp.
“ Brother! Do you want one?” He interrupted my thoughts.
“No ! I don’t.”
“There is nothing to worry . It’s safe. Only maharani and kanodia girls . ”
“No, no. Just take me to the railway station.” I was a little afraid now that my ride’s control was in the hands of a pimp.
We were silent for a while , the rickshaw kept moving in its slow jerky motion.
“Why do these girls in such high class colleges do this?” I asked.
“For pocket money, of course.” He answered as if prostitution was an obvious option for pocket money. ‛Is it ’ I wondered.
We were almost there. The entrance to railway station was in sight.
“You sure you don’t want one. ”
“I said No!” Though I was curious by now ; fear got the better of me. “ Take me to the station ”
My train was on time. My berth was side lower. It was 10 in the night but everyone around me was sleepy . I too wanted to sleep but as you know the side lower berths are shorter in size, so I couldn’t fit into it. Hence I spread my feet on the foam seat , put my blanket on them and rested my back against the wooden back support of the seat. I was in a resting position but couldn’t sleep and kept tossing left and right. A short sized uncle was watching this from his upper berth besides me. I watched in hope but seldom people feel pity for a seventeen year old boy. If I were a girl , things could have been different. Realizing the futility of it , I start playing game in my phone.
”Can I sit here” a female voice asked.
I looked up. A middle aged woman in yellow and cream saaree was standing before me.
“Can I sit here. I’ll get off at the next station.” She asked again.
I looked around. The bogey was full and people were asleep by now. I pushed my legs a little bit aside without folding them .
She sat slowly.
I looked out of the window into the cold winter night.
“Do you have water ? I need to take medicine.”
I handed over my bottle. And unable to see anything outside, started playing some game in my mobile.
The woman had started getting comfortable on the seat and slightly pressed my legs.
“She will get off on the next station.” I thought.

Almost half an hour had passed since she sat. I was busy in my mobile.
“Can I cover my feet with your blanket, I have fever. ”
I nodded.
First she put her feet on the seat and covered the front part of her feet upto fingers but gradually she pulled the blanket on her entire feet.
I felt a bit odd but next station was coming up anyway.
But it passed like the previous station the lady didn’t move.
I wanted to ask her about her station but couldn’t. Instead, I got back to my game.
Suddenly, I felt my blanket getting stretched. Aunty had spread her folded legs on the seat into the blanket.
I thought it was by mistake but she looked unmoved.
My feet were getting crushed under the weight of aunty's legs. The cramped space of the side berth made the situation even worse.
I didn’t know what to do. I swear , I was sweating in the cold air. I desperately focused my gaze on my mobile screen afraid to look up. I moved uncomfortably.
“Son! Do you want to sleep. I can fit into your seat. You can sleep on mine. ” The short uncle asked from the upper berth.
I stood up and exchanged seats with him showing as less emotion as I can. Didn’t know what has gotten into uncle and I didn’t want to know either.
I slept as soon as I got onto the upper berth.
Sounds of arguments disturbed me . I uncovered my face slightly only to listen that aunty was shouting on the uncle.
“Oh! So that’s why uncle suddenly become epitome of kindness. He tried to have his luck with aunty. ” I thought to myself.
Making sure to not have eye contact with uncle I covered myself in the warmth of the blanket and slept with my innocent smile.