Commuters’ Tales: Two passengers who were smitten by jasmine

Shashi Tharoor calls the unreserved compartment in trains “cattle class” — given how things are now for cattle in this country, that might very well turn into a compliment soon! This is a throwback from a recent train journey. Jumping into the unreserved compartment was probably the best decision I made; it was definitely more fun than holding a confirmed ticket for the air-conditioned compartment. 

The kind of sights, sounds, people and conversations, even if for a few hours, showed me so much outside of this little bubble we live in. These two images probably would sum up that journey for me. This young fellow was snoozing peacefully, between the two doors of the compartment, surrounded by a giant basket of jasmine. Amidst the stench of the toilets nearby, sweat and ‘alcohol breath’ wafting around, the basket of jasmine sure helped me! It’s probably what helped the lad drift into sound sleep as well. As far as trips to remember go, this one’s on top of the list.