#MetroDiary 39: This Too Shall Pass

The metro looks pretty unpredictable at first. However, if you start noticing, you will soon see a pattern. For example, the 7.59 am Metro has has 6 coaches n most of the days! This means you have more people packed in each compartment. At that hour, you can see people desperately running the length of 2 compartments at the last moment to get in the 6th coach. Some, who can afford to wait another 4 minutes, wait. The next one is generally a 8 coach one. The commuters however keep looking at the distance for checking the number etched on the engine of the approaching metro. Once bitten, twice shy! And if you are a regular commuter, you put your fingers in your ears. That is if they are not already well covered by the ear-plugs. Because with so many passengers bending over the yellow line, the driver is bound to honk!  

Today a whole bunch of girls boarded the metro. Monday is the day when I find the college-goers, most serious. They definitely go to college on Monday and in the process make the compartments even more crowded. However, I cannot complain as I get to hear them converse. 

Girl 1: You are looking like that girl in Scooby Doo wearing orange colored sweater!

Girl 2 (in orange): Eh! Really?

Girl 1: Arre! She looks good! I can’t remember her name but she has the same haircut as you. 

Girl 3 (helpfully offering advice): Start wearing orange like her! She looks good! What was her name?

Girl 2: I know I know! I can’t remember the name either! But I can’t wear orange like her. It will not suit me. Main bewakoof lagungi (I will look stupid). 

And she changed the topic. It felt being compared to Velma Dinkley was not her idea of a compliment on Monday morning. I would have liked that compliment though. Who would not want to be the "brain" of a group (except may be the girl who was being offered that compliment)!

With books in hand they went on to discuss video games. How they play with one hand at times, how they started thinking they would just play for a few minutes, how they killed how many and how many times they died! Quite fascinating to hear them till the time another woman caught my attention. 

All disheveled and hair going in every direction, this lady came in and flopped on the floor. No. She did not faint. She wanted to sit so she could open her laptop. People offered her seat but she was too busy looking at her laptop. She frantically worked on some presentation for the next 10 minutes, before gathering her laptop, her notes, and getting up to get down. I caught her eyes and asked, "Tough day ahead?" She was almost relieved to talk. "Yeah. A lot at stake!" I nodded. She added, "The result has to be good!"  And I said (under the breathe) "This too shall pass!" And wished her the best with my brightest smile. May the result be good! And if not, we know, this too shall indeed pass.