Last night, I was travelling back home in the bus. I made the man who was sitting in the ladies seat get up (of course!) There was a drunk Tamil guy sitting on the other side with his family. He was talking very loudly which of course had the effect of people in the bus looking at him. He abused in Hindi and pretended to raise his hand on his wife. I could understand what he was saying. His kids were sitting in the seat behind him and his wife.
The wife cried the whole way from the time I got in and they got off at the same stop as me. 3 kids, 2 of whom looked to be between 7-8 years and the other looked older, maybe 10-12 years. The kids were too quiet. He kept asking his wife why she was crying.
I was almost tempted to ask him to shut up and refrain. I realised the pointlessness of it because if I reacted, inevitably it would be the wife and children who would have to bear the brunt of it. I am not sure how traumatised she was but she looked it. Why is it her lot to be in that situation? I wonder whether her parents realised what they were going to put their daughter through when they gave her away to him? I wish I could have done something to help but what could I have done?
I almost touched the woman on her hand and said, "Hope you are going to be ok." Then realised the inappropriateness of doing that and restrained myself. Life shall one day turn full circle is what I pray for her and her family. I wondered about the kids as well - would the sons become like him, how would the daughter grow up?
Questions that I have no answers to.
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