THE LEFT OUTS

I reached Banaswadi Railway Station, near Bangalore, one and a half hour before the scheduled departure time of the train. The time then was about 6.50 PM. My train was at twenty past eight. I always start up early from my daughter’s home so that I don’t get struck up in the busy traffic and get late. There were a few chairs available in the hall near the ticket counter. My berth was booked well in advance and I had just to wait for the train with nothing else to do. The night food I had carried was decided to be unpacked only after boarding the train.

The mosquitoes, as usual, began to swarm around me. It was not my first trip from Banaswadi to my home town. So, I was prepared to defend the attack. I took out the mosquito repellent from the outer pocket of my container and applied it on all the exposed parts of my body. That did the wonder and the mosquitoes were off on their run in search of another prey. I settled comfortably on my seat.

An old man who looked around seventy five, or may be eighty, looked at me from a distance and slowly walked to me. He was very lean. His stomach was almost pulled back upto his back. His face looked unshaven for a few days. His cheeks were pulled in completely. He was a little bent forward while walking to me. I wondered on how he was managing to walk without any support. Looking at me, with his weary eyes wide open, he enquired whether there was a train to Hubli that night. I said there was. It was a Sunday and there used to be a train at almost the same time as of my train. I had known it. He bent a little more forward and said to me that he couldn’t hear what I said. I got up from my seat and told a little more loudly that there was a train at 8.15 PM. Then he again enquired from where he would get the ticket. The ticket counter was just near us. I looked at the counter. The lady sitting at the counter had gone in, but the window was open. I showed him the ticket counter and told him loudly that he might wait a bit for the lady to come back and can then get the ticket.

“How much it would be for a ticket to Hubli?” He enquired again. I didn’t know. I said him so and asked him to enquire at the counter.

The pants and shirt he wore were very dirty. He had a plastic bag in his hand which was stuffed in full with his belongings. What caught me by surprise was that instead of his entire ugly, old, weary and melancholic look, he spoke to me in good English.

The lady at the ticket counter appeared again and he promptly went to her. There was none to buy tickets as there was a lot of time for the next trains to come.  I had nothing else to do and so I kept watching him.

After a talk with the lady in the counter the man slowly returned without buying the ticket. He had left his plastic bag near me keeping under my attention, before going to the counter. After returning, he slowly took it and then searched for something inside. His hands came out with a small bundle. He opened the bundle and took out some folded currency notes from it. There was one hundred rupee note, two twenty rupee notes and some coins. He counted them and kept it back. He looked up at me and hesitatingly came to me. He told me that he came from Hubli to the city along with his son. But somewhere in the train, he missed him. He waited for two days hoping that his son would somehow fetch him in this station where he was supposed to get down as advised by his son. But now he couldn’t wait any longer and had to go back as it was hard to stay put.

“He must have searched for me in the train and also here. Failing to see me, he must have thought that I might have probably returned due to his absence. And so he must have by now gone back to Hubli”, he said.

I thought on what he said. No one would leave his old aged father and return alone like that, unless it is intentional. I could well imagine what might have really happened.

“I am running short by sixteen rupees for the ticket, sir. Will you be kind enough to give me that much?” He asked earnestly.

This was a very genuine request. I should help him. I took him along with me to the counter. I asked the lady in the counter as to what the cost would be for a general ticket to Hubli. She said that it would be One Hundred sixty rupees. I told her that it is for a senior citizen for whom a concession would be available. She said that concession can be given if proof of identity is shown. I asked the man whether he had any identity card with him. He had none. Nevetheless, I told the lady that his looks itself is his proof of him being a senior citizen. “No way”, the lady explained her limitation. “The identity card number needs to be printed on the ticket as per the new rule”, she said.

I was any way willing to compensate his deficiency. The man was offering all his money to me for buying the ticket. Miser that I am, I took the hundred rupee note from him. Adding to it a hundred from my pocket, I bought the ticket. I gave the ticket and also the balance amount of forty rupees to him. I knew he had another forty plus too. That could fetch him a light food on the way, if needed.

“Which platform the train would come?, He asked. I was about to reply when a fat women interfered. She had been watching us for some time and then told him something in his language. I could gather from him that she was also to Hubli and that she offered to take him along with. He moved along with her to the platform.

I came back to my seat. Not long after, the man came back alone again. He did not come to me, but went to the steps to outside. I looked at him. His eyes were eagerly scanning and searching each place around. After a few moments, the fat woman also appeared and was shouting from his behind. Obviously, she was calling him to come back. I got up and went to him. I asked him what he was looking out for.

“Just, I want to ensure that my son is not left out by me”, he said.

“Don’t worry, he would definitely reach home either before you or after you”, I replied.

Once again, he followed the fat woman to the platform.

Sitting back on the seat, I felt that my eye sight was getting a bit blurred. Yes, it was. I removed my eye glass, closed my eyes and allowed the little tear out.

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