PXylem

‘Ladies Seat’ written on public transportation is visible and, of course readable to almost all of us. The words written on the window panes of the bus is basically meant for those left side seats which are reserved for ladies. These golden words change it colours that is scripts depending upon the state. If you are in the states like Assam, Punjab, or in south India, perhaps in the capital city New Delhi, it has a different script. But, it means the same – that the seats are reserved for ladies, and only for ladies.

Not to mention, we all have occupied these seats and would have remained glued to it till we got our destination. The journey seems much relax, comfortable and of our taste. But there are days when a lady comes forward and you have to leave it. Here rises the problem – though there are men who without saying any word leave their occupied seat, even there are men who refuses to acknowledge the golden letters and occupy it as if they would take the seat to their home.

In the capital city, the same history repeats. Well, you will find the same two types of commuters – ‘yes, ladies seat’ and ‘no, ladies seat’. The seat doesn’t remain a mere seat to sit. It appears something else – a precious entity that can’t be shared nonetheless with a woman.

There have been instances where a man occupying the seat doesn’t leave it after being requested by a lady. And the person redirects the same request to another person who is occupying the ladies seat. A heated debate takes place. Depending upon the profile of the lady the momentum of the fight is determined. If the lady is a convent educated, a flurry of English sentences could be heard. The quarrel turns comical when the man’s English conversation is not to the mark of the lady. The scene is vociferously watched and enjoyed to the hilt. The same scene I witnessed yesterday on my way from Duala Kuan to Naraina. Imagine, the highly volatile male ego the lady would have pricked. At last the man who would be below 25 blurted out, “Ma’am muje angrezi nahin ati…ap hi hame sikha do”. At last he ended up the sentences by “bas …bas…ho gayi”. The man true to his ego didn’t leave the seat.

One more incident which I found very funny and which left me with a thought, took place while I was coming from Dwarka. I was legally occupying the seat – a seat ahead of the conductor’s seat and there was person sitting opposite to mine. After few stoppages, a married couple with a toddler boarded the bus and the bus was fully packed. The husband requested the person to leave the seat. The answer that the person gave was very childish. He retorted back his request by saying that he is unwell. I don’t think that a real man could have answered this. He was a pigeon-hearted man.