Chaos

You can’t win every fight with a fist.

Certainly not, when you are in a tight position and not able to move your fist freely. Angry people are looking down at you with every intention of getting their pound of flesh. I sandwiched between angry people and a stone wall. All I ask myself is what did I do to deserve this. What was that wrong move that had landed me now here, in this dreadful corner. Was it snoozing the alarm? Was it waking up late? Was it rushing the morning washings? Or, was it that I missed my pooja again?

The alarm was as usual on time but then my body clock said different. It told me that its still dark. There is this other part of me that said you dint leave the curtains open to know for sure. Listen carefully, the people who wake up early are not making their usual sounds. There, the other part had failed to prove otherwise, So I turn the other side and back to sleep.

Drrrr !!! the neighbors mixer grinder sound hit me like a bolt. Up I jump off the pillow and look around. The first thing that interested me was the clock and its angry face said its 7:30 am. Wham!! I run into the bathroom. Clocked every activity and even finished bathing. I coming out and less angry clock said 7:50 am. Dressed up and hit the road by 8:15 am. Don’t ask me how I did it. I know I should be in the Olympics.

Bus stand as usual was crowded. We believe in space, we show that by standing away from others. So the crowd was spilling beyond the stand shade and spread 100 meters on its either sides. People from all walk of life were waiting to just place their foot or least the toes on to the bus. Every bus was so crowded that its foot-board was scrapping the road. The driver was not stopping at the stand for fear that he cannot drive past it if he does. The Bus would stop half way to the next stop so passengers getting off at both the stops can get off after a lot of pushing and shoving.

Finally, a half empty bus turned up at the stop. People were crowding around both the bus steps like flies around honey. Me, as usual stood myself near the rear foot-board with my left hand holding the window closer to it. Idea is that if the bus driver decides to take off I for sure would be pulled and find a foot hold. Until then, hand like Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible style. Bus still had not started. I felt a creepy hand on my butt.

I have this habit of carrying my purse in my back pocket of my trouser. I turn around and glare at this weasel who in his drunken stupor was trying to pick. Ouch ! caught, change strides, nope wait need to defend my action.

“Get on to the bus. Why are you blocking my way?” He said in his drunkard drawl.

I keep quite. Battle lost. Finding me still glaring at him. He walked away swaying.

This bus was not that crowded as the ones that dint stop, so I could actually get into the bus and push my way to the middle. I rested my self by leaning on the hand grip connected to floor and roof. Turned towards the window so can breathe easily. Everyone who boarded the bus first took every available seats and rested them selves. One flabby Gentleman had boarded from the front of the bus and sat himself in the seats allocated for Physically challenged and senior citizen. Those seats otherwise would be occupied by women in the bus. Now that He had taken the seat 2 women who could have sat were left standing among the crowd. This did not go down well with one Woman.

“Can’t you find a seat among the men crowd?” She said.

He kept quite.

“You.. I’m talking to you. Don’t you hear me?” She said.

He remained oblivious.

“Look how he’s acting ignorance. This place is for physically challenged not for people like you. Get up and go find seat somewhere else.” She said.

He ignored.

This angered her. “You arrogant fellow…all you men are like this” She said. And went on body shaming spree.

Men in the bus, including me started shuffling uncomfortably. We all were steeping our neck to have a look at this man who could stand all the obscenity without even a grunt.

“Slap that shouting B!7(# quite” Said the guy beside me. I looked at him. He was at least a foot shorter than me, not that strong built. He was not too loud to be heard by the shouting Woman but enough to be heard by few of us close by.

“Wow!! What are you up to mate?” I thought. I turned away displaying disinterest.

“You men have to be slotted like pigs.” The Woman was saying. The Gentleman was still quite.

At this, some of the men got angered. They collectively asked the Woman to stop.

The Guy beside me jumped again, “Slap the B!7(#!! Slap the B!7(#!!” acted as if He had every intention of doing it but showed no sign of moving from beside me. All barking no biting.

“All you men are alike. You deprive Women of her basic rights. You can’t even stand a Women asking questions.” She said. This time targeting all the men.

“What are you getting at?” A man’s in the front asked. All this while, bus was on its course stopping at the designated halts. Dropping and picking up people. The driver I believe is used to these petty fights.

The guy near me slowly moved past me. The Woman was still going on abusing. The Bus stopped at the next halt. There was a big sound. The Woman who was shouting now was silent. There was a shuffle at the front foot board.

“He hit her.” said a middle aged tall man in front me. From the look of it he was some kind of daily laborer. His voice sounded excited.

“Who?” I asked.

“Remember the guy standing beside you. Here? He did it. He was getting off. Gave her a tight one and ran off” He said now smiling. It was more happiness at justice rendered.

“Poor Lady” I said. Genuinely, felt sorry for the Woman. I don’t believe violence retaliation is the solution, that too on Woman is a big no.

“Why poor? You heard all that she was saying. How could you be so naive to say that?”

“You b@57@r6. Stop the bus. Don’t run you coward. Stop the bus. Stop the bus.” Said the Woman now that she recovered.

“You can get off at the next halt. Cannot stop now.” Driver said.

“I want to get off now. Right now!! Stop the bus. I want to get him. STOP!!!” She said very loud now.

Others also asked the driver to stop. Good riddance, I guess everyone was thinking. The driver finally gave in. The Woman got off and was seen running back to the previous halt.

There was heavy breathe from many on the bus. The shouting had quite disturbed many on the bus. Now that it stopped every one was finally felt the silence. The bus stopped at the next halt. The Gentleman got off. Two ladies who were close to the seat settled down.

The bus was now moving slowly and crowd was getting lesser.

“Ayyo !!! my gold chain.” Shouted the lady in the front seat.

Everyone of us in the bus got alert. One of the lady who took the seat left by the Gentleman was panic. Taking the cue other ladies were also checking for their ornaments and purse. Men were also checking their pockets now.

"My purse!! My purse!!!" said a guy in panic. He was in a young guy in well pressed shirt and trouser. He was probably in IT industry doing some software development may be, had a ID to prove his software industry affiliations. The ID also said his name was Ravi in bold letters while the surname is too small to decipher. He was not after couple of people to my right closer to the exit. I checked my pockets too just to be sure just to be sure that the same fellow had not taken my purse too without spending time feeling my butt. My purse was intact but wait there was something in my front pocket. I fetch it out. Its a purse.

Now My hands were shaking. It was not my purse. I slowly showed it to Ravi.

"Yes it is mine. Thank you." He said and started to check the contents. It was empty.

Thap !!! a slap landed on my cheek.

Angry people are looking down at you with every intention of getting their pound of flesh. Me sandwiched between angry people and a stone wall. All I ask myself is what did I do to deserve this. What was that wrong move that had landed me now here, in this dreadful corner.

"Are you nuts?" I asked holding the cheek at the guy who hit me.

"Yes but how did you know?" He said.

"Excuse me"

"My name is Natraj Santhanam. People call me Nats. How did you know?"

"That's not what I meant. Sorry"

"Never mind. Give his money back to him"

"What do you mean his money? I dont have any/"

"You have his purse. You should also be having his money. Go ahead give it"

"I don't have it. I don't event know how his purse got into my pocket"

"See now he is acting innocent. Give it or I give one more tight one?"

"I dare you... Not another time. You have a problem lets sort it through talks"

"What's there to talk about?"

"Ok. In that case, let's go to the police. Let them take the purse and check the inside of a purse for fingerprints and trace the culprit" I said. "DRIVER TAKE THE BUS TO POLICE STATION" I shouted.

Now there was silence. Battle won. No one is ready to take the bait. I turned to Ravi.

"How much did you have and what all did you carry?"

"I was having my credit card and little cash not much though," He said

"Do you have any emergency cash?"

"No"

I took out my purse and gave him a hundred.

"I can spare a hundred. Do take it you might need it." I placed it forcefully in his hand when he was hesitant.

Now people around were looking at me like a good guy in the wrong place. All the anger they had carried now changed. Forgotten. Life goes on.

I got off at the next halt. I smiled at things. Chaos makes people stop thinking straight. Earlier, The Woman and the Guy put up a show and stole the gold chain from the Lady. But actually, the Gentleman who was the reason behind all the chaos would never be suspected to be part of the play. He was the diversion.

In my case, me giving the hundred was. People around me took me for granted that helped me in taking the mobile phone too from Ravi. Now I can go online and shop using Ravi's credit card and mobile phone for OTP.