Two train journeys, two different co-passengers and two completely different experiences..

My co-passenger in my first train journey was a man perhaps in his mid or late thirties. A muscular and a fairly hefty man and was on a corporate sounding telecon when he plonked himself in his seat. I was in my favorite seat – the window seat; and was happily looking out of the window at the people walking in the platform. As he sat, part of his mid-lower torso spilled into a portion of my seat. Reflexively, I could feel my body moving closer to the frame of the train. I looked down at the seat, or rather the part of the seat that was supposed to be mine for a few hours and then looked at this gentleman. He was so engaged in his conversation that I wonder if he even was aware of my discomfort.

I could not but eavesdrop on the conversation that he was having. He was informing the person at the other end, on the need to get the business that they were intending to get, and also a party that they could have, if this business would come through. Well, looks like he was getting into his party mood already and he slouched further down his seat. Thus leading to more part of my seat being occupied. I went further near the frame. This time I decided to look at him in his face and looked down at the part of the seat that was, as though to say, ” I am not as thin as I was before and I need my full seat, sir.” He got up immediately – to continue his call outside of the compartment!!! Whew, I occupied my seat completely. A short lived happiness.. He was back in a minute.

He sat in his seat and I could see his eyes on me for a few seconds. This happened a few times all thru the train journey. I was wondering initially if he found me familiar looking or if he wanted to ask something. After a few times of this, I wanted to tell him the way I would tell the children I work with, when they stare at me for a few seconds, “Well, I know I look pretty enough. Thank you. But I am not comfortable with this stare.” I did not muster enough courage to say this anyway!!!

An hour into the train journey he put on his ear phone, kept his phone upright on the table in front of his seat and started to watch a movie. A movie starring Amitabh Bacchan (If I turn my face to the side he is sitting, I cannot but see what he is seeing, you see). He was so engrossed in the movie that neither did he see me standing waiting for him to move, so that I could step out; nor did he hear a few of my , “Excuse me’s”. I thought he had actually gone to sleep while watching the movie. So I bent down a bit to look and ready to tap him to get his attention, when he opened his eyes to see me standing; waiting for him to give me place to step out. He silently put his table upright and moved.. OOF, finally!!!

A while after I returned to my seat, he rested himself comfortably and fully in his seat. I rested fully in my seat too, thinking that he would now not intrude into my seat. NO! NO! That did not have any use at all. Instead, it made me more uncomfortable as he was too close for my comfort. I slunk back near the frame and at every opportunity that he would be out of his seat, I would make sure I would sit comfortably. A comfort that lasted a minute or two only :-(. When the train journey came to an end, I breathed a HUGE sigh of relief at the thought of going home and occupying a much needed space for myself..

My co-passenger in the second train journey  walked up to me, who was in the aisle seat and asked me to check his ticket. For what? To validate for him, if he is in the right coach and the correct seat, which he was. As he seemed to be having a physical disability, I asked him if he would be comfortable in the aisle seat. He agreed and sat in the aisle seat.

A few minutes later, he asked me where the passenger name chart was pasted. When I told him, he got up and went to see it. Guess he was not really convinced that he was in the right coach and seat (despite me saying so). He came back muttering to himself. Since many of us to talk to ourselves at times, I ignored it. 

A while later he was continuously muttering and laughing to himself too. He was looking ahead at something (or so I thought) and was shaking with laughter. I looked ahead to see what caught his attention and there was nothing there. So may be he was remembering something and laughing is what I thought. Little did I know what was in store!!

I was reading a book on my kindle. He looked at it and asked me what it was. I explained to him. He had many questions that made me think that he was perhaps not aware of what it was – what is this? Where do you get this? Can I download Tamil magazines on this? Is this like that tab? Can you watch a video on this? His voice was so booming that the couple in the front seat turned around to look at us.

I was engrossed on reading ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and was smiling to myself at Alice’s behavior. By my side this man was shakingly and silently laughing hard. When I saw him shaking with laughter, I was truly puzzled. What in the heaven was he laughing like this for? I turned a little more and I saw the lady sitting on the other side of the aisle looking first at him completely puzzled, and then at me. I wanted to tell her, “NO! NO! Pls don’t look at me. I have nothing to do with his laughter. I am as much a co- passenger as you are!”

Suddenly I could hear him asking a question. So I turned towards him. He asked a question to me and without waiting for an answer, he answered to himself. I was like, “Duh!! What’s happening here?” And then the shaking laughter began. This time it went on for 5 minutes or so with a second or two of a break.This long laughter got me completely rattled. The woman on the other side of the aisle, looked at him laughing and looked way, even more rattled. This time she did not even look at me.. Thank god!!

I generally don’t get into any conversations with my co-passengers. I felt something child-like in this gentleman and tried to get into a conversation. I ask him a question and he gives more answers than I asked for. He would then go completely quiet and then the shaking silent laughter would begin. He would either look ahead and laugh or put his head down and laugh and also talk to himself constantly. Either way, it was scary as time went by. 

The phone he had was a simple phone with no internet and no what’s app.. A simple push button key type mobile. In fact, at one point he told me to check the internet on my phone and see why the train was running late. He also told me what to type.

This was getting curiouser and curiouser. He looked as though he knew what he was doing and on the other hand his constant laughing and talking to himself could make one think that he has gone off his rockers. 

All through the 6 hour journey, he did not text anyone, did not watch a movie, did not listen to any music, did not read anything.. and nor did he sleep.. He just sat in the edge of the seat and looked ahead.. or kept muttering to himself.. or kept laughing to himself (with his body shaking sometimes violently with that silent laughter) for a few seconds or a few minutes.

The beauty of this was that he just DID NOT look bored. He appeared so very comfortable with himself with all the time that he had, doing nothing and yet doing so many things..

Two co-passengers and two completely different experiences, that would stay with me for some time to come!! Life gives us many an interesting moment, doesn’t it?