SUBURBAN COMMUTERS

In the peak hours

of the morning

Church gate railway station is

a reservoir in spate.

Commuters from all walks of life

get down at the station

and are in a hurry

to flow like water

to the outside world.

For the convenience of the commuters

in other words for

the out flowing commuters

there are three exits

left, right and centre.

Ticket examiners in black and white

reminding one of penguins of Antartica

with their sharp piercing eyes

can be seen at three exits

for nabbing the ticket less commuters

and forcing them to remit the charges with fines

failing which they are brought to justice.

An oracle’s melodious

voice can be heard

from somewhere upstairs

informing the commuters

of the timing of arrival and departure

of local trains.

Indicators exhibiting times and destinations

continue to glimmer in yellow lights all through the day.

That which baffles always me

is the undue hurry of the

commuters hailing from various suburbs

rush into the compartments risking their lives

and rush out of the trains

at their destination points

walking and running to their workplaces

while agreeing to the fact that

the city is overcrowded

what benefits each of them

to walk or run all through the way

to reach their working places?

Seems like the citizens of the suburbs

are unnecessarily creating chaos

by rushing to their destinations.