Weekend Musings: A Quiet Lesson in Class

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Learnt on a night train
It has been a very long time since I travelled by a long-distance train involving an overnight journey. Travelling after so many years, and with a writer’s instinct, I could not help observing the things and people around.

It was an AC 3-tier compartment and, call it luck or otherwise, there were only ladies in our section. They were Muslim women of different age groups, all wearing _hijab._ They were travelling together, apparently for a wedding, while their menfolk were in different compartments. Needless to say, there was endless chatter, with the younger ones being quite vocal and expressive. It was interesting to get a small peek into their lives through these animated conversations.

I observed that they were a different class of women. Their language was refined — Hindi with gentle traces of Urdu — and quite pleasant to hear. There was a certain cadence, an _adaa,_ in their manner of speaking. I must mention that all of them were genuinely very fair, with a soft, clear complexion, and carried themselves with a finesse not commonly seen. There was an ease and grace in their demeanour, and a uniformly pleasant disposition. It may have helped that they were travelling for a happy occasion, but it felt as though this warmth was part of their innate nature. Being the only others outside their group, my wife and I were not ignored; on the contrary, they were gracious and made polite conversation. I thought this spoke of good breeding and social awareness.

A striking trait was how completely at ease they were, making themselves comfortable in an otherwise cramped compartment. They remained unruffled despite members of their group being scattered across the train and their luggage lying in different places. The ability to remain cheerful in all situations is surely a blessing. I felt they carried an underlying trust that things would eventually work out — and perhaps, in their experience, they usually did. God bless them.

Food was an elaborate affair. It began with hot tea from a flask, followed by chicken, noodles, rotis, and a vegetable dish served in paper plates and passed around. This was followed by a round of cake. We were, of course, offered food, but we declined. Not wanting to intrude upon their close circle, I lay back with my eyes closed. Sensing that we might want to sleep, they gradually wound up their chatter and even helped us make our beds. The next morning, apart from the previous night’s leftovers, there were boiled eggs, with one of the ladies patiently cracking the shells and serving them.

One sure indicator of class is how a confrontation is handled. Such a situation arose when luggage belonging to another passenger obstructed the passage, and she refused to move it. One of the ladies from this group, calmly and in a soft, polite tone, made her see reason by offering practical options, and the matter was gracefully diffused.
Another thing I noticed was that in a group of women, conversations often drift towards personalities and, at times, negativity. Here, surprisingly, this was absent. Instead, there was a general air of positivity, accompanied by light-hearted humour.

They say long-distance train travel is educational and a rich cultural experience. I must say I had a fair slice of it — and a very pleasant one too — being in close proximity with six “lovely ladies” through the night!

You may also want to read my piece on:  Weekday Musings: The Truth Beneath Our Feet

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