The Blind’s Blind

A passenger travelling in a train sat at the last window seat, alone. The characteristics pertained that he was blind. His stick lay beside him and the eyes were unaffected by the bright sun. Everyone who traveled in this train with him knew about him. He was blind by eyes but knew everything there was to know about the train. 

The life was ever evolving in the city through which the train was now passing and with that a new station had also been made for the train to stop. This station brought a new daily traveler with it. In hopped a girl boarding this train for her school. She entered the coach and sat on the lonesome seat beside the blind man.

The journey ahead was of a comfortable two hours and the season was of a warm and bright sun. The sunlight kept flowing through the glass directly onto the girl. This disturbed the girl and she started to moan and adjust herself against the sunlight. The moan was heard by the blind man and he swiftly put down the blind of the glass window to shield from the sunlight. The girl thanked the man, and when her station came, she left.

The next day dawned and it was time to go to school again. She boarded the same train and sat on that same seat. To her astonishment the blind man greeted her instantly with a “good morning”. On observing keenly she found that the blind had already been put down to shield her from the sun’s light.

This was surprising, if not astonishing, and she felt extremely thankful and happy to meet such a kind man.

A conversation began between the two of them and all sorts of old to new stories came and passed. The chat ended with the blind man informing her that the station for the school had arrived.

Another day of school led to a newer surprise. They were sitting quietly when a simple-minded kid came to sit at the seat ahead of them. The blind man immediately warned the kid that the seat was broken. Some moments later an angry person came into the coach and was about to sit on that seat when the blind man warned not to sit. Paying no heed to the warning the person sat on the lovely seat and down went the seat to the floor of the train.

Many days passed and many little incidents happened during the train travels. One day the little girl got down at a stop close to the forest before the school and she did not come for a whole week.

The attachment with the girl worried the blind man and he too got down at that forest stop to search for her. Lost he went in those woods as never again was he seen by the people of the train including the little school girl who came back another week later.

The blind elder man had crossed over his blind…..

© Aditya Subramanian, 2020