A small story to share. This weekend I visited my home town. It’s a long journey that requires flight from Bangalore to Kolkata and then overnight train journey to my home town.

En route, I realised that there was just one guy in my cabin. Soon I realised that this gentleman had cough (and cold?). And indeed it’s pretty cold in that part of India, in December/January. So genuinely he could have cold, or potentially even covid. Who knows?

Even though I was packed with double mask, and am double vaccinated, a sense of fear creeped in. I told that gentleman, Daada Anugraha kare ekaṭi maska paruna (Brother, please put a mask). He obliged! But then as it happens with most of the population, his mask slides to his chin in some time. This happened a couple of times.

I was getting a bit anxious. I opened the cabin door, tried to look for other berth available. But of no use. I stayed outside the cabin for sometime.

I came back. Calmly I pulled out my suitcase from under the berth. Luckily I had my flight checkin tag intact (And thankfully it was unreadable).

I told him again. Daada, I am coming from South Africa. And you know there was no strict check at the airport. So God forbids, you are more prone to the virus then I am. Please don’t mind that I didn’t tell you this earlier.

To my 😱 it seems to have worked. Ek wo waqt thaa aur ek subah train utarne ka waqt. Daada subah tak double mask, aur uske ooper thand ka muffler lagaaye hue rahe. (Since then, till morning he was in double mask and a winter muffler on the top of it)

Thanks for your time reading this small story. 🙂

Update: It’s more than a week now, God willing, I am fine. So probably he would have got only common cold. And I too hope, that he too would have spent his time in peace too without worrying much.

Disclaimer: Reference to South Africa is just in lighter vein, with no ill intentions against travellers from that country, or against that lovely country of AB de Villiers.