A day in my life (Fiction)

Ummm…the tasty idly flavor without any hesitation trekked the air and found a path to enter my nose as I approached to the corner of my street. I persistently tried my conscience to allow me to indulge into the taste but it gave me red signal as i have to instantly take an auto rickshaw for the railway station. All my kith and kin including my parents have gone to attend a grandiose marriage ceremony of my beloved cousin but I was left behind as I was handcuffed to the semester examinations. I am released from them today and if i can get the earliest train to Hyderabad, i too can join the fun as the marriage is going to take place at 9:00 am today. I made it to the station by 5:30 am and the departure time is 5:45 a.m. As I entered the station, i can see a long twisted line of passengers waiting to get a ticket for traveling. Alas! how can I make it to the counter with such a huge crowd in front of me? For a minute I thought to jump into the crowd, fight like a lion and win a ticket. But wait a minute, what about my dignity? i consider myself as a refined and urbane individual and I cannot do that. But as the time is approaching and my mind is overcrowded with thoughts, suddenly a huge figure made a way out from the crowd and started talking to me. He said “Sir, do you want a ticket to Hyderabad? I sell for a cost twice to the original cost of the ticket, unless, you wish to get into the crowd and buy one for you”. Wait a minute! Am i in a railway station or in a cinema theater? As I am thinking he interrupted “sir, if you want, i can take 5 rupees off”. I could not help but take the ticket as I have only 5 minutes left for the train to arrive. While i paid for the ticket, I asked him whether it is his daily job. He replied with a crazy smile, “only at rush hours" and left. I too started running towards the other platform for the train, which, then is announced 15 minutes late. And nothing to do now i stood leaning against a pole that carried a flag of Telugu Desam Party. As i watch it floating in the air, i remember my uncle’s words. He is a successful businessman in USA and made a visit recently to India and to our home too. On a certain occasion, we started discussing about life in USA. While the conversation was going on, he mentioned that we see American flags dancing with the winds at every nook and corner of US streets, buildings etc. But here in India we rarely find Indian flags and that too only on or in front of government buildings. Instead of Indian flags, we find flags of political parties every where. While thoughts are feeding my brain and suddenly I remember that I did not feed my stomach since morning. I repented for not tasting those mouth watering Idlies. But i still got chance as i see a cart selling them on the other side of platform. But then I have 5 more minutes for the train to arrive and thought to have a coffee instead as it is the only thing available on this side of platform. As I sip the coffee, I saw an elderly lady beg. No one is even bothered to listen her plea. Its my turn now. She explained her situation that her son met with an accident in Hyderabad and that she has no money to travel. Also told that she does not need money but the ticket as there is no more time to buy the ticket. I am convinced to give the ticket. But hey, what about the marriage? Come on, i felt bad for my selfishness and donated my ticket to her. She blessed me and waited for the train which is now signaling its arrival with a horn. Now, i am in a despair that if I cannot make it to marriage with this train then I will reach Hyderabad by lunch time and miss all the fun. The train stood in front of me and with out any second thought, I got into the train. The lady also got into a different compartment and did not even notice me while getting into the train. The person standing near me suggested that the old woman betrayed me by lying for a ticket and it is her frequent job for a free commute. At the moment i cannot forgive myself for a stupid mistake and no choice left i decided to pay the fine if a ticket collector appears. I managed to get a seat for me and started to think how the old lady fooled me and how i became a scapegoat amongst all other passengers. After two and half hours of tiresome journey, the train reached Secundrabad station and fortunately no ticket collector turned up. I got down and as I approached the exit, i saw the ticket collector collecting tickets. I barley escaped through the exit without him noticing me. Outside, I saw the same old lady and I thought to spill my anger upon her. As i approached her an old man came running towards her, stood in front of her and started explaining something to her. Finally both of them started weeping. I could not resist and went forward to ask the matter and console them. But then came my cousin on a Hero Honda bike to pick me up and started shouting at me to get on to the bike so that we can reach in time for marriage. For a minute my mind, first time since morning, went blank. I did not sense how I took the back seat of bike and how my cousin drove to the marriage hall. I got down and attended the marriage but the whole day my mind clouded with only one thought “what might have happened to them”? But one thing is clear that I did not became a scapegoat.