That Fateful Day in a Mumbai Local

Social Short Story – That Fateful Day in a Mumbai Local

That Fateful Day in a Mumbai Local – Social Short Story
Photo credit: xandert from morguefile.com

Mumbai, inspite of being labelled the busiest city in India, has one way it gets its dwellers to take a break. Yes, I am talking about the world-famous Mumbai Local Train System. Call it dirty, crowded, stinky but it is something that no Mumbaikar can do without and something that unites every Mumbaikar in spirit. Hundreds of travellers every day, who may not even know one another find solace in one another’s company.

A Mumbai local train is typically flooded with people. Conspicuous by their presence are beggars, self-proclaimed singers, and vendors selling all sorts of things who manoeuvre in and out of the trains every few stations. They have become a quintessential part of all those who commute by the Mumbai local day in and day out. And they have impacted my life in more ways than one.

Even today when I recall that fateful day, it fills my heart with deep remorse. I had boarded the Vile Parle-CST train at Bandra to get to my office at Lower Parel. The ladies’ special coach was jam-packed and I hadn’t landed a seat, as usual. I stood sandwiched between a fat lady in a bright red and green saree and a young girl in formals. I had gotten used to being grinded and crushed by other passengers just as every Mumbaikar who has ever travelled by the local is. The train now halted at Matunga where 3 ladies and a young boy in tattered clothes got in. The young boy had an air of confidence about him inspite of being looked down upon by everyone else in the coach. He moved around from one person to another, begging with flair. I, like most others, handed him a Rs 2 coin and then ignored him. He accepted it with ease and continued on his usual round.

Just then there was a loud cry from a fat woman who was occupying one of the seats just behind me.

“My bracelet! My new gold bracelet! Oh god! Where is it gone?!”

She seemed like one of those well-fed ladies who enjoyed living off their wealthy husbands’ money. Everyone around here, after recovering from the initial shock, scampered around helping her look for it. She continued wailing and cursing her fate and the world for her loss. Just then her eyes fell on that beggar kid. Looking at him piercingly, she walked towards him hurriedly.

“You sco**drel! You must have stolen it while begging with your filthy hands!”

And then catching him with his collar, “Did you not? Oh don’t give me that innocent expression on your face. I know your kinds! Come on, give it back to me!”

The kid started crying and tried to mumble at the same time. “No madam, I did not…I was only begging.”

She continued shouting at him, trying to garner support from co-travellers. A few ladies joined her in the exercise of coercing him to blurt out the truth. The train reached the nest stop now and he somehow managed to flee from the train, leaving the lady cursing him with the choicest of words. Her co-passengers busied themselves by consoling her and persuading her to lodge a complaint with the police.

“Yes yes, where will he run away? I am going to lodge a complaint at the next station. They will catch him and get my pure gold bracelet back to me!” she resolved.

My station had arrived and it was time to get off. After having reached the lane outside the railway station, I opened my fist to stare down at the polished and shiny gold bracelet. This should help me fetch the remaining amount needed for Ma’s operation, I thought.

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