The vehicle was sparsely occupied. An old man found his way past Ajay to the seat right next to the front entry. Another fellow occupied the seat beside the old man, adjusting himself to comfort before the bus set off to accomplish the hour long journey that lay ahead.
Sitting by the window Ajay felt the breeze brush past his earlobes. The cold air found its way into the eardrums sending a chill all over the body. The climate was cool, not intensely though, but sufficient enough to force oneself to cover the ears from the wind that blew.
The next halt of the city bus saw a mother and her child boarding in. The child was no ordinary. It walked in an unnatural manner, lifting each leg with a tremendous effort, as was evident, and placing it forward. Reaching out to the nearest support, the kid would lift the other leg. The mother helped intermittently.
Different, the kid appeared, as most of the eyes, Ajay observed, gazed the creature. Some of which were astounding and some were sympathetic. The kid would pay no attention to any of it though. It went on ascending the steps.
The old man, instantly lifted himself, apparently vacating the place for the kid. The young fellow however paid no attention to the scene.
“Can’t you see, they need a seat? Get up and go back”- an aggressive shout came to the young fellows way. He knew at once, to the intensity of the voice, that it was intended to him, and without a moment’s pause, the fellow made his way backwards. Although the lady searched to find from which of those curios mouths that the voice emerged, probably to shower a line or two of gratitude, but failed to identify which of those few lot made that remark.
And the duo found their way to the seat. The kid gestured his mother, a language only the mother would understand as was apparent. From whatever she understood, she took out the monkey cap and slid it over his head. The kid chuckled, as the mother kept sliding the cap. And everyone watched.
The cold breeze was no more a trouble for him, and he faced window wise and clapped and moved his head in a way only he could do, possible cause of the different ability he had.
Almost everything surprised him. And everyone watched, smiling, at his acts. He giggled whenever there was a little breeze past the window gaps, chuckled when his mother got hold of his hand that he tried waving out of the window. Insisted for tickets. Pulled the change out from his mother’s fist and handed to the conductor. He had a smile to offer and a little wave of the hand to every new passenger that boarded from the front door.
He waved to the bystanders at every stop, saluted the traffic police. As the bus moved past the Temple, he joined his hands in a way to pray and bowed. He clapped at the pigeons that flew over the Lake. Everything amazed him.
And he watched, the frustration people bore on their faces for every little thing that happened, the despair they showed on every stop that the bus halted. He watched the impatience they experienced when in traffic. He smiled at one of the passengers shouting on the conductor for getting a rupee or two back, at the lady that stated a fight with the one next to her for not giving her enough space to sit. He was surprised as to why the driver shouted at people waving hands in the middle of road (requesting to stop the bus).
Ajay kept thinking who sane was, among the two. Was it the boy that amazed himself at every creation of the God, or the rest of us who were disgusted at everything. Was it him, that kept smiling at everything that came his way, or the so called people with common sense who frown at everything that do not occur the way they expect.
The boy made a move to gesture the driver, to stop. Possibly his mother told him that next stop is where they get down. The driver showed no concern.
“Stop the damn bus!”, Ajay shouted from where he was. “The kid wants to get down don’t you see.”
The bus set off after the kid & his mother got down, and Ajay knew the answer.
"Sanity Has Nothing To Do With Happiness" Ajay Thought.
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