A chilly winter`s night and around 10 PM. I was waiting for a bus ride along with two others. Being born and raised in Mumbai, I am accustomed to those LED number plate red buses. Somehow I did not understood any other buses.
Much like rest of the world, buses are stopped by waving your hands. So I waved and stopped the bus and entered without asking if this bus will go to my destination. From the looks of the bus, it was shitty as hell. Four people sitting at the back, smoking and maybe drinking too.
I thought to myself it was better to sit in the front rows, the couple too saw those people and sat in the front row.
“Yeah, so who is afraid of them?” she almost protested.
“Calm down, Jhansi ki rani”, the guy with her said. “Doesn’t your medical profession teach you to be cool ?”
“Never mind, what I was saying was that after marriage I want to start a school, like a girl’s high school.”
“With the money you have you can’t even start your own practice. Start working, save some money. I will support you completely in this.”
Overheard these talks and I was amazed. Women empowerment and all, seems somebody is taking it seriously.
“You know as an Indian, you need to start educating the girl child. My parents gave me this level of education, I owe this to those girls from my village .”
“Well ok. If you are really adamant about it. I will support you”, he said with a proud smile on his face. His face just lit up. Before getting off, I went upto them.
“I am sorry, I was over hearing everything you were saying. All I can say is that you got a tough road ahead.” I said with my usual cynic.
She replied with a bright confident smile on her face, “I know”
“Best of luck lady. What’s your name?” I asked as I alighted the bus
She said “j..”.couldn’t hear her and by the time she opened the window and say anything the bus had already speed down the road
I held to myself “Such people give hope to the nation. Thank you god and please bless such people”.
I went home and checked time, it was 17 Dec 2012.
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