A heartfelt thought.

I could see her stalled behind the fence. She had just arrived and already set to go. And I knew, to wait for me was not one of her priorities. But I had to make it to her or... Without a nano-second's pause, I leapt upto the stairs. I frantically climbed up- 4-5 steps at a time. I had just recovered from acute bronchitis and had Grade 2 dyspnea (ATS classification). But it did not matter. Nothing mattered. I had to catch this 8.32.
I jumped into it as it started moving. I was greeted with astonishment by the ladies standing in the first class cubicle. (By no measures is that a compartment!) Obviously. Suddenly out of no where I appear with a rather loud thud, gasping for breath, wheezing and then coughing my lungs out. I must have looked real sick, but they didn't know how triumphant I felt on not having to wait another 5 minutes on the platform. I felt like a victor in my heart, so what if I was dead in my lungs! Spirit of Mumbai!
By the time next station came, I had paid off some of the "oxygen debt". Now I was comfortably standing facing against the wind near the door of the compartment. Train-travelers would know that that place is only second to a seat one can manage to grab against the wind's direction. I wore my headphones and switched on the radio. They play beautiful songs in the morning. (Especially 107.1o). My beautiful day had begun.
By the time the next station came, I was struck by a strange realization. There was place to stand next to me, yet women preferred to stand opposite to me. Well, don't start to imagine. I was surprised that they were standing in the windless zone, which is unusual. Then I looked a little beyond and I realized why.
I was standing facing the second class men's compartment. They faced first class men's compartment. Class preference or what, I thought.
Amused by my discovery, I ran a quick scan on the men facing me, careful enough not to stop at any face to establish an eye contact and give the wrong signal that I was staring at THEM. About 99% of them were actually 'looking' at the women in my compartment. Few faced the opposite side, perhaps taking a break. I was further amused. Man! The guts these people have to flaunt their degree of sexual inclination so openly! A train of thoughts started running. These men, the hard working men, pushing their physical capacities beyond the limit everyday, never cribbing about the under-payment, almost all of these men must be married. Their women, being different only in sex, enduring the same life everyday as them. These 'second class' men look at these 'first class' women with admiration of a life that they can't even dream of. Educated, intellectual, self-respecting, outspoken, vain women. They never knew such a species existed until now. I thought, they must be probably pleasantly intimidated by these women. Although they never appreciate the similar substance of the women they return to every night, they sure admire the apparent "women of substance" respectfully now. Their amazement felt like a child's bewilderment when he visits the zoo for the first time. Only here no one's in a cage. There's just a barrier. Thrilled by the sheer marvel of the poise these women displayed.... " Stupid, idiot! Let me go! Let me go you b@#*&@!"
Someone suddenly pulled the chain of my thoughts! The train was halted at the busiest station on harbour line. A woman shouting these words ran into my compartment, almost stamping the feet of another standing opposite to me. She looked furious! As she began settling down and adjusting her dupatta, I looked in the direction from which she came half a second ago. As the train started moving, I saw a group of men the woman must have torn through to catch this train. In a moment I understood what must have happened. I didn't need to realize the thought in words in my mind. I only felt the mixture of feelings that a girl is made familiar with in our society.
Reflexly, I looked up again. I saw those men turned towards me. In another moment I turned my face away, in disgust, anger, embarrassment and most strongly of all, fear...

Interesting

I got this as a mail. Thought I should put it up here. Few of the facts below really surprised me... read on...
VERY INTERESTING AND INFORMATIVE THINGS
1) If you are right handed, you will tend to chew your food on your right side. If you are left handed, you will tend to chew your food on your left side
2) If you stop getting thirsty, you need to drink more water. Forwhen ahuman body is dehydrated, its thirst mechanism shuts off.
3) Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying.
4) Your tongue is germ free only if it is pink. If it is white thereisa thin film of bacteria on it.
5) The Mercedes-Benz motto is 'Das Beste oder Nichts' meaning 'thebestor nothing'.
6) The Titanic was the first ship to use the SOS signal.
7) The pupil of the eye expands as much as 45 percent when a person looks at something pleasing.
8) The average person who stops smoking requires one hour less sleep anight.
9) Laughing lowers levels of stress hormones and strengthens the immunesystem. Six-year-olds laugh an average of 300 times a day.Adults only laugh 15 to 100 times a day.
10) The roar that we hear when we place a seashell next to our ear isnotthe ocean, but rather the sound of blood surging through the veins in the ear.
11) Dalmatians are born without spots.
12) Bats always turn left when exiting a cave.
13) The 'v' in the name of a court case does not stand for 'versus',butfor 'and' (in civil proceedings) or 'against' (in criminal proceedings)
14) Men's shirts have the buttons on the right, but women's shirts havethe buttons on the left
15) The owl is the only bird to drop its upper eyelid to wink. Allotherbirds raise their lower eyelids
16) The reason honey is so easy to digest is that it's already been digested by a bee
17) Roosters cannot crow if they cannot extend their necks
18) The color blue has a calming effect. It causes the brain to releasecalming hormones
19) Every time you sneeze some of your brain cells die
20) Your left lung is smaller than your right lung to make room foryourheart
21) The verb "cleave" is the only English word with two synonyms which are antonyms of each other: adhere and separate
22) When you blush, the lining of your stomach also turns red
23) When hippos are upset, their sweat turns red
24) The first Harley Davidson motorcycle was built in 1903, and used a tomato can for a carburetor
25) The lion that roars in the MGM logo is named Volney
26) Google is actually the common name for a number with a millionzeros
27) Switching letters is called spoonerism. For example, saying jag of Flapan, instead of flag of Japan
28) It cost 7 million dollars to build the Titanic and 200 million tomake a film about it
29) The attachment of the human skin to muscles is what causes dimples
30) There are 1,792 steps to the top of the Eiffel Tower
31) The sound you hear when you crack your knuckles is actually thesoundof nitrogen gas bubbles bursting
32) Human hair and fingernails continue to grow after death
33) It takes about 20 seconds for a red blood cell to circle the wholebody
34) The plastic things on the end of shoelaces are called aglets
35) Most soccer players run 7 miles in a game
36) The only part of the body that has no blood supply is the cornea in the eye. It takes in oxygen directly from the air
37) Every day 200 million couples make love, 400,000 babies are born,and140,000 people die
38) In most watch advertisements the time displayed on the watch is10:10because then the arms frame the brand of the watch (and make it look like it is smiling.)
39) Colgate faced big obstacle marketing toothpaste in Spanish speakingcountries. Colgate translates into the command "go hang yourself."
40) The only 2 animals that can see behind itself without turning itshead are the rabbit and the parrot
41) Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair
42) The average person laughs 13 times a day
43) Do you know the names of the three wise monkeys? They are:Mizaru(Seeno evil), Mikazaru(Hear no evil), and Mazaru(Speak no evil)
44) Women blink nearly twice as much as men
45) German Shepherds bite humans more than any other breed of dog
46) Large kangaroos cover more than 30 feet with each jump
47) Whip makes a cracking sound because its tip moves faster than the speed of sound
48) Two animal rights protesters were protesting at the cruelty ofsending pigs to a slaughterhouse in Bonn. Suddenly the pigs, all twothousand of them, escaped through a broken fence and stampeded, trampling the two hapless protesters to death
49) **If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legsin the air, the person died in battle;
**if the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died as a result of wounds received in battle; **if the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural cause.
50) The human heart creates enough pressure while pumping to squirt blood30 feet!!