This is an incident I heard not the niceties of life but hard realities like the darker side of the moon.It happened in a train that coming from Mangalore to Coimbatore and Zaria was the girl in her teens .
She is a fair, good looking girl and was accompanied by her grand parents. They were taking her back to her parents and then she was to go to Mumbai to do College in the subject
she loved to study. She did her schooling in her grand parents place so was full of enthusiasm and jumpy in her childish ways.
Two persons got in a tall, dark, powerf ully built man in his fifties and a girl short and stubby in her early twenties They had their seats opposite to Zaria s
the girl in few minutes stretch herself on the seat and was soon asleep. The Man seemed jovial and in just an hour won over her grandparents with a talk about religions as he himself had belonged to a sect of a church and was himself a well lettered Man .
The four of them were engaged in conversation and Zaria all enthusiastic began to make her point about her beliefs and her intentions of doing some sort of help to her society and the like .
A little later Zaria s grand Mother felt drowsy as time was half past ten laid herself down in the side lower berth just opposite theirs and in seconds went off to sleep. Her grandpa very light sleeper and a late sleeper too excused himself and went and laid in the lower berth in the next portion as theybwere old some kind young gentlman exchanged the place but he was in the next compartment chatting with his friends and thought to come after wards to sleep.
The Man and Zaria was in deep conver sations and she didnt realise that it was 11 oclock and suddenly the Man s tone changed .He was asking personal questions and Zaria was in her late teens but had a naive innocence coupled with ignorance began telling him of her U.G. course and that she was going to her parents and then to Mumbai for the College studies.
He began advicing her to take up Nursing as it had the best opening for jobs abroad especially in U.S.He s supposed to have brain washed her properly so much so she had listened to him in wonder as though he was her mentor.
At this point she interrupted him asking him why he was persuading her to take up Nursing and then came his thunder blow. He said,' I have a son who is working in U .S.and he is tall and handsome unlike me or my daughterin looks. "
He continued and she gave a puzzled look but he went on and on about his son s greatness and kept beating around the bush as it were finally he asked her hand saying I am a good palm reader and I will tell your future .Literally he pulled her hand began caressing it over and over again .saying," What lovely fair hands you have dont you worry my son will like you because you are fair and beautiful and I will arrange your marriage and you can go to U. S. "
Zaria was in discomfort at his gesture and she tried pulling her hands but he didn't leave it .He kept talking about his son but was not detaching her hands still wiping it with his hand pretending to read her palms.
It was then that Zaria looked around and found her grandparents were fast asleep and so was his daughter and there was none but her and the vicious man.
She began sweating and as her habits in times of panic or extreme fear was her tongue would stick to her palate so she was trying to call out to her grandma but words did not come out .
"Oh God ! she cried inside please send some one to help me " Her prayers were answered a North Indian she thought him a Punjabi boy in looks as if he had been recruited for the army for his hair cut seemed to reveal to her that impression was in the next compartment.
Since he had no place he was sitting towards the window seat legs outstretched and he must have watched this little incident going on .At first he thought they must be family but later he noticed that the Man had dropped his high voiceand was talking in an hushed manner. He felt intrigued and at the right moment stepped in when he saw the Man holding the girl 's hand and the discomfiture of the girl.He suspected that it was fishy so got up boldly and came towards Zaria who wad looking with eyes filled with tears of thanksgiving and in a bold voice he asked her,' Do you have water to drink I am thirsty " As soon as the young boy came near he let the hand of Zaria and she pulled it out in relief.
She staggeringly got up and took the water bottle and gave it in to his hands and walked towards the toilet in the far end.
She was so scared and tears were flowing down uncontrollably .She just couldnt stop.She remained in the toilet for more than 15 minutes and a knock was heard and she opened half the door to see the boy standing assuring her to come back and promised he would sit through till Morning and asked her not to worry.
He gave back the water bottle and told her to go back to her seat .
Zaria was too frightened even to look opposite so quickly laid her self covered up in a sheet and turned her back .The God sent Punjabi boy after giving one glare at the Man sat again stretching his legs as if he was a jawan proctecting her.
Thanks to God an intervening Junction came and she could hear boxes being pulled and the Man s voice calling his daughter to wake up and in five minutes they had got down.
Zaria sighed in relief and the boy very gentlemanly in nature went to his berth knowing she was safe.
Early Morning she recounted to her grandpa telling him how that Man had called her to get down with him without telling her grand parents and that, that was the most shocking suggestion of that evil natured Man which gave her the frights .
He got wild with her admonishing why she didnt wake her up but knowing her grand daughter s timidness kept silent.
She turned to thank the young boy but found he was already gone ahead and till today Zaria s fear of trains has not left her and she would never sleep while she goes on a train journey.She remains thank ful to that "God sent boy" all her life.
Certain scars remain for a long long time and Zaria s is one such .