Kids Short Story – A problem in train well managed
Photo credit: giggs from morguefile.com
Its not that Swapnil didnt know this. He had had travelled quite a lot of places all over India. As a result he used to know many pros and cons of many places.
So like this, Swapnil had to go to Bhubaneshwar once. He booked a ticket for him in train. His train was at night. Now he knew pretty well that this train would be crossing over one state and that too at night, when all the passengers would be falling asleep. Also not only in General compartment, but even in sleeper and AC coaches, some localites of the station in that state, would be boarding the train and go to some other station in that state itself.
In other words they would be using this train as their local train for a short distance tour. Just because like this they could escape from booking any ticket for them, as then at that night no TTs would be there to verify whether they have bought the ticket or not. Now that is still good, if after boarding they could have well stood and went to their destination without disturbing the sleeping passengers who have reservation. But no, they unnecessarily indirectly would be demanding a portion of the reserved berth, on which the passenger would be sleeping, as if they also have a part in the reservation as the train would be going via their state. They very idiotically would be disturbing the sleeping passengers by requesting to allow them to sit on their berth.
So the passenger could then well sleep by leaving one half of his berth and just acquiring the other half of his berth. The state peoples would be then sitting on that half of the berth and travelling. Not only that, after sometime the state peoples would also start shifting inside by folding off both their legs and occupying some more space on the berth. So the passenger having reservation for showing respect also automatically would be shifting a bit more. Like this his sleeping also would get disturbed again and again. Now if someone replies back or doesnt answer at first, they would also without telling occupy a part and then start pushing or would also tell that he would not be pushing anymore but would actually be pushing. As mentioned, the main thing was that they would be thinking this to be their rights. This mostly would be happening with passengers in the lower berth.
So when Swapnil was also travelling to Bhubaneshwar, he also unluckily got a lower berth. So he still thought that he would manage only that he have to remain cautious of that state peoples.
As thought, when Swapnil had his dinner and went to sleep, after a long time, the train stopped in one station in that state. Also from somewhere few peoples of that state came and started requesting and sitting in some part of lower berths. Swapnil also was not left free. Now Swapnil also made up his mind that he wont refuse at the beginning but would start his trick after sometime. At the beginning if he refuses, they would still forcibly sit and then push or later on applying his trick would not work out as they would already be knowing that Swapnil was not willing to give his seat and so forcibly would do things and bla bla. But if Swapnil first let them sit and then apply his trick, then they would know he allowed to sit but now facing some trouble and so would not forcibly do things may be. But he has to do something that they intentionally leave his berth. His sleep would get disturbed a bit but not for long and also not many times periodically.
So when one passenger of that state asked Swapnil to shift a bit to allow him to sit, he very gently and kindly like gentleman, as if they should sit, its their right, told “Yes, yes, sure, please..” and shifted aside so that they dont suspect and come to know about that he is going to play some trick later. But as 5-10 minutes passed, Swapnil started his trick.
He suddenly in no time raised one of his hand and bit himself softly and then that state’s person very hard, as if pretending that a mosquito first sat on his body, which he tried to slap and kill, but failed and flew away and sat on the that passenger’s back and he continued his trial there as well.
Quite obvious that how much the beating was hard, the passenger felt it more because of it’s suddenness. He quickly turned to Swapnil and asked the reason. But then was Swapnil’s next and most vital trick. He knew that if he anyway spoke in Hindi or in English or even in Bengali (neighbour language of that state, has quite a lot of resemblance , the passenger might understand and reply back and make it sure that whatever he has to kill, let him slap and kill on himself and not on the passenger as truely the passenger was not feeling any mosquito biting nor in actual there was any mosquito. Swapnil even could not escape saying that its his habit and that in his sleep he cant remember not to slap the passenger but to slap only himself to kill the mosquitoes.
So very normally Swapnil started speaking like South Indians, very softly as in actual he also dint know any South Indian language and softly because if there had had been any South Indian on train, he could not hear the same.
The passenger tried to make Swapnil understand in Hindi that he need not slap him, as he is not facing any problem, but Swapnil kept on speaking in that funny style and gave him the impression that neither he is understanding nor he is able to make the passenger understand what he wants to say. Also he repeated the same act of slapping himself softly and the passenger furiously few more times in the midst of their conversation, which made the passenger completely get up from his berth and go and sit somewhere else.
Swapnil still continued the act of slapping himself softly for few more times after then also to show the other passengers of that state sitting in front of him in his front berth that that was his habit and not that he did to drive away the other passenger from his berth, and then gradually fell asleep. Swapnil was sure that again if anyone else, even if the same passenger again come and sit in his berth, he would have no problem till he is not awakened but if he gets up, then he would again start his act, making it quite obvious that during sleep he doesnt feel the mosquito biting but he does if he is awakened and that while the passenger sat, he was awakened and then unable to sleep due to small space.
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