Ticketless Traveler in the Intercity Express

Yet again I leave home 20 minutes departure and huff and puff and make it to my seat in the train. This coach in the Intercity express appears half full despite it being a weekend. I would have imagined a lot of people would travel from Bangalore to Dharwad. I'm sure there will be a reason to travel beyond it being a weekend. 

There is an argument between the Ticket Checker and a passenger - over his supposed entitlement to travel without ticket. It is funny to hear the railway official talk Hindi - not that my own Hindi matches that with the Lucknowi (supposed to be the purest) style. Another random passenger jumps into the conversation supporting the railway official. What a juicy opportunity to kill time on a Saturday afternoon especially when you are in a train. Three more people have joined as I type this and are talking about the possible consequences of putting ticketless traveler behind bars or getting him suspended from duty. 

I must mention there is a man in a pink shirt wearing goggles and peeping into the coach from the end. It's scary because from the time I have started typing, say about 10 minutes ago, he has done it about 15 times. Every time he peeps in, he moves takes his shades off. I think he is keen to know about the commotion between the ticket checker and the ticketless traveler. I know this random event has no significance in my life but please see how his actions are driven from the "what happens next" syndrome.

In the meanwhile, a kid is counting the trees one can see from the window while the mother is teaching her to count beyond 10. I am tempted to say this is a nice way to learn. The reason I want to resist saying it is from the fear that I will become that person who laments how life is ruined by technology. I am not that person because, without technology, I wouldn't be able to blog this live from my phone and publish instantly.