“Pay for the ticket or get down from the bus”, the ticket
collector was aggressive now. “Are you going to pay?” he exclaimed at the old
man who was all dressed up in his dowdy clothes, with a series of stitches on
his shirt screaming out his poverty. “Sir, please… I do not have enough for the
fair but I need to go to my daughter’s place. She is ill, please allow me to
travel”, he pleaded his best with wet eyes. “Pay or get down”, decreed the
collector.
“Ridiculous,
why do people travel when they cannot afford to”, Arnav looked more judgmental than
concerned. “Such dowdy poor people reduce the standards of our city, they should
not be allowed here in the first place”, Arnav muttered loud enough for me to
listen while fidgeting with his watch he bought from USA on his last trip. He took
a glance at the old man again and drew into his seat, staring out of the window
with no signs of compassion.
Monday morning
and we were travelling in the state bus to the city Museum for a documentation
of our history project. The populated roads and the nooks, the series of little
native shops at the either sides of the road with human voices of all ages
screaming an invitation to visit them, the old, partially fallen buildings
still holding the flag of “old city”, were all to be taken into account for the
culture study project and nothing better than a ride via state bus could have
been possible.
“Ok driver, stop
the bus now”, the collector made up his mind to have the man out of the bus. The
old man threw a glance at the passengers but none seem to feel his plight. Arnav
witnessed everything but choose to submerge himself in his IPad. “Get down”, he
screamed his best, “If you don’t have the money don’t board the bus”. I swiftly
got up to the conductor and drew a sum of 100 and smuggled it to him. “Let him
travel, he is poor but still a human…. Show a little compassion”, I proclaimed
and started walking towards my seat. The old man nodded his head in gratitude
and wiped his tear off. I drew back into my seat, gazing back at the wonderful
city.
