Kids Short Story – Short distance buses are not meant for sleeping
Photo credit: yli from morguefile.com
Once Swapnil got late while returning from office. Luckily he got one bus going in his route. He got up in it quickly and also was luckier to find a seat for him as well.
He took his seat and was moving fine when suddenly faced one hindrance in his relaxation. The man sitting just beside him was sleeping and was time and again falling on his shoulder. Particularly speaking, Swapnil doesnt have this bad habit of sleeping in bus for some reason. He feels he could well utilize the time during his journey by seeing outside scene, though he might be travelling in the same route for long enough. He believes even after years he would be able to discover something new in that same route, which was there but never caught his sight till then somehow. That could even make his mood fine. Moreover vehicles, different personalities are always a variety each to see barring a few in the same route.
But for others who sleep, he also doesnt have any problem with them till they are in control. But the moment Swapnil has to suffer because they are sleeping, that may be in any fashion, Swapnil doesnt like that.
So here also everything was fine. But the moment Swapnil noticed that the man was unable to control himself and was falling on his shoulder while sleeping, he dint like that anymore. He knew that in these cases requesting in a polite manner or in a pissed off manner doesnt work always. So here also there are chances that it would not work. So its better to apply one trick from the very beginning. He started waiting for the man to wake up halfly, as usually people sleeping in the bus does like being unable to control themselves at times, falls on somebody’s shoulder, then wake up and then after telling sorry continue to do the same old thing. They would love telling sorry everytime than to stop sleeping.
So as expected, once when the man fell sleeping on Swapnil’s shoulder, Swapnil was ready. He quickly held his head and prevented it from touching his part of the shirt on his shoulder. As a result the man just woke up halfly and then Swapnil started. Swapnil gave an expression of extreme pain. To that automatically the man like others was a bit stunned thinking that how his sleeping and falling on Swapnil’s shoulder could give so much of pain.
Swapnil then continued, “No, no, I am sorry for interrupting you in your sleep. Actually what you are thinking is partly wrong and partly right. Your falling on my shoulder dint hurt me in normal sense. But again due to some other reason your falling on my shoulder indeed hurt me.”
Generally people who were already sleeping, how much another person talks to him, he would try hard to listen ignoring his uncontrolled power of closing his eyes back, and then falling asleep once more. So here also the case was same.
Seeing Swapnil getting hurt, though was a bit awakaned with fear and astonishment, the man again felt like sleeping when he was totally confused to Swapnil’s description of not getting hurt and then again getting hurt. But Swapnil knew that what he was going to tell next, would not at all allow him to sleep anymore, rather would do worse to him of even making him leave this seat.
Swapnil quickly, before the man again falls asleep, told a bit silently, so that noone else other than the man, could able to hear, “Actually I am having ring worm on my shoulder and upper part of my right arm covered under the shirt, where you are touching now with your upper part of the left arm. Actually I dont have any problem, but at the same time dont want anyone else to suffer for me. This spreads. So wont like if it spreads to you. Till now whatever you have touched, for that nothing would happen. But I was warning you from further touching me. I am a carrier of this now for long time, so know all details of this. But again please keep it within us and not tell to all. You know, I everyday travel in this same route. So if all comes to know, then there would be some or the other whom I would meet some day. He in turn that day would tell to others new that time. Like this, if everyday, this continues, I cant go to work in shyness, which again you know is not healthy for me. Also I have one now coming out very recently on my legs. So unable to stand as well. No problem, now you sleep, but just see that you dont touch me.”
The man also told sarcastically, “So you mean just sitting close by to it wont spread, only by touching it would?”
It was quite obvious that he was about to tell some more things to Swapnil like, “What boss, how could you carry these with you for long, and even if you carry how could you come in front of all when this is so infectious.”
in front of all shouting, so that all present there at that time come to know, but couldn’t tell and hurriedly got up and left the seat in fear, that if he waits for just few more seconds to inform all, he might save many, but himself wont get saved from getting this. Swapnil knew that the man would not wait longer to tell to all, as his trick was only like that, or else would he not had had refrained himself from playing this trick where he had had a risk of facing an embarrassing situation in front of all.
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