I could have said so many things to her for that action.
It must have been the summer of 2009.
I was on my way back home for vacation.
It was an evening train starting from Sarai Rohilla.
The lady must be in her late 30’s.
I could make out a little bit of what she was saying.
It must have been a Hindi dialect of Hindi.
She was constantly slapping the child, who had his tongue out and motionless.
It kept going for over 5 minutes, and the kid started crying.
I had a bad day, and I was in pain too.
I got lost in my sleep.
I fought with my boss and was heading home to my parents with no clue.
I was thinking about what I could have done better to avoid this.
North Indian summer could make life hell, with temperatures hitting anywhere above 36 degrees Celsius.
It cools down at night, but for non-ac sleepers, it’s like an oven. The fan throws hot air.
Traveling in Indian Railways was no fun: constant delays, people fighting for seats, TTE making a fortune.
It must have been early morning: a man with a big mustache and button-shaped eye trying to wake me up.
He looked in pain, and it came like a request.
But the loud thud had woken me up.
He asked me to wake them up: the lady and child, sitting in the next berth.
After somtimes, he scremed “Ladki aur pota ko utha do.” [wake up the lady and my grandson] pointing at them again.
After multiple attempts the old man said: “wo behri hai aur beta uska mirgi ka sikaar” [she is deaf, and her son has epilepsy ]. I was processing what happened by then, the lady had woken up and was out at the platform.
I thanked the almighty for not meddling in their business at the start of the journey.