Bus travel
Like every monday, I was waiting for the bus to office. Many of us get on the bus from that stop. Most of them are regular, some are "not so regular" ones and a couple of new faces. Then i saw a lady waiting....i have her seen a few times before. But this time there was something different about her. i realised she is pregnant. Dont remember something like this.. but i guess it has just started to "show out". suddenly she seemed so beautiful to me...motherhood does make one a beautiful woman!!..doesnt it??... i was smiling.. as if my day has been made... unconsciously i was observing her... calm..serene...all the chaos around seem to fade away... she kept one of her hands just below her stomach... have always seen pregnant women doing so.. dunno why.. but i guess either to support herself... or may be this way she can feel her child...be closer to it at every moment.. u never know when the child might kick for the first time...the sign of life.. a new life...their life...the first and one of the most overwhelming moments in the parents' life.
Suddenly the bus' honking brought me back from the world of my thoughts. since ours is the last stop the bus is almost full.. except for a couple of seats. the bus stopped a little away from its regular place. all the people started running towards the bus but i saw the lady couldnt. immediately i went and was walking behind her so that no one pushes her. As we stood to get into the bus.. she saw it was already overcrowded. so she turned around and asked, "is there any bus after this?", i answered,"No". she had no other alternative but to get in this bus. she went and stood in front of the row where three girls were sitting. they saw her but no one moved from their seats.as the bus moved they closed their eyes. i was shocked!! who else but a woman can understand her situation better. she started to look around for some help but she didnt know whom to ask for. i was already irritated.. so i said, " ask one of the girls to get up". she looked at them and with a helpless smile on her face she answered, " they are sleeping". i replied, " but ur need is more important than theirs". on the other side, there were two guys sitting. immeditely i asked one of them,"Can you please vacate the seat for her?". the guy obliged and let the lady sit. she smiled at me..."thanx", i assumed. i smiled back.."u r always welcome", i meant.
One thing i noticed was.. she covered herself completely with her dupatta...i guess to protect her unborn child from "buri nazar".. so much like a mother i thought... may be its so obvious for us...we have been seeing it all our lives... but when you come to think of it... its the law of nature....a bird protect its hatchling..a doe protects it fawn...an elephant protects its calf...from any potential danger!
The bus ride was rough...the potholes..the speed breakers.... and the lady was trying hard to keep herself stable...her eyes were so tired.. she needed the much deserved sleep...just wished i could do something for her.Her eyelids couldnt take the burden for long...finally they came down slowly covering her eyes... she was sleeping..the body moving in rhythm with the bus... as i watched her.. i pondered about the fact that the period for which she carries her baby.. nine months... seemed eternity to me...had goosebumps all over me...what would this child mean to her.. her life.. i guess more than that.. it is just so tough for me to put in words... thoughts of my sister flooded my mind.. she had a miscarriage a few months back... i was blank.. never thought so seriously about it... never realised what it meant to her... what that instantaneous abortion could do to her...physically and mentally... though kept myself updated about her physical health... but i realised that wasnt enough.. she is thousands of kilometers away from me...want to hug her and take all her sorrows away...
While I was entwined in my thoughts, the bus had reached the office. I saw the lady..she was rubbing her eyes...i murmured.."May God bless you and ur child!"...As i got down from the bus, looked at her and said, "take care ma'm". and i walked away from there with a smile on my face.
Suddenly the bus' honking brought me back from the world of my thoughts. since ours is the last stop the bus is almost full.. except for a couple of seats. the bus stopped a little away from its regular place. all the people started running towards the bus but i saw the lady couldnt. immediately i went and was walking behind her so that no one pushes her. As we stood to get into the bus.. she saw it was already overcrowded. so she turned around and asked, "is there any bus after this?", i answered,"No". she had no other alternative but to get in this bus. she went and stood in front of the row where three girls were sitting. they saw her but no one moved from their seats.as the bus moved they closed their eyes. i was shocked!! who else but a woman can understand her situation better. she started to look around for some help but she didnt know whom to ask for. i was already irritated.. so i said, " ask one of the girls to get up". she looked at them and with a helpless smile on her face she answered, " they are sleeping". i replied, " but ur need is more important than theirs". on the other side, there were two guys sitting. immeditely i asked one of them,"Can you please vacate the seat for her?". the guy obliged and let the lady sit. she smiled at me..."thanx", i assumed. i smiled back.."u r always welcome", i meant.
One thing i noticed was.. she covered herself completely with her dupatta...i guess to protect her unborn child from "buri nazar".. so much like a mother i thought... may be its so obvious for us...we have been seeing it all our lives... but when you come to think of it... its the law of nature....a bird protect its hatchling..a doe protects it fawn...an elephant protects its calf...from any potential danger!
The bus ride was rough...the potholes..the speed breakers.... and the lady was trying hard to keep herself stable...her eyes were so tired.. she needed the much deserved sleep...just wished i could do something for her.Her eyelids couldnt take the burden for long...finally they came down slowly covering her eyes... she was sleeping..the body moving in rhythm with the bus... as i watched her.. i pondered about the fact that the period for which she carries her baby.. nine months... seemed eternity to me...had goosebumps all over me...what would this child mean to her.. her life.. i guess more than that.. it is just so tough for me to put in words... thoughts of my sister flooded my mind.. she had a miscarriage a few months back... i was blank.. never thought so seriously about it... never realised what it meant to her... what that instantaneous abortion could do to her...physically and mentally... though kept myself updated about her physical health... but i realised that wasnt enough.. she is thousands of kilometers away from me...want to hug her and take all her sorrows away...
While I was entwined in my thoughts, the bus had reached the office. I saw the lady..she was rubbing her eyes...i murmured.."May God bless you and ur child!"...As i got down from the bus, looked at her and said, "take care ma'm". and i walked away from there with a smile on my face.
posted by Sam | 3:25 AM
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