On the parchment

Clutching her handbag on her lap, Revathi kept her wet umbrella near her feet and held on to the rail in the moving bus. She noticed that a lady got on drenched in rain, in the following bus stop. She moved towards Revathi in the crowded bus. That's when Revathi noticed her belly. It was big. She must be at least six months pregnant, thought Revathi. Not battling her thoughts of standing in the crowded bus for the next hour, Revathi graciously gave up her seat to the pregnant lady. The lady seemed confused at this generosity and politely declined the offer. Revathi insisted that she sat there and got up from her seat. Realizing that if she didn't take the seat, someone else would, the lady accepted and thanked Revathi. Revathi held on to the overhead rails and moved along the momentum in the crowded bus, content with her own gesture. The next day Revathi settled in the same seat in the same bus. The lady with the baby bump got on at her stop and stood near Revathi. Revathi stoo...

Wednesday morning, Revathi was waiting in the bus stop in her neatly pressed cotton saree, handbag on her shoulder, lunch bag in one hand and umbrella in another. She looked at her watch on her right hand and gave an exasperated sigh. Bus was late again. Just when she was about to sit, she saw the bus slowly making its way towards the deserted bus stop. Folding the umbrella, she got on the bus. She was tired already and was looking at a long day at work. She flashed her bus pass at the conductor, found an empty seat and sat there. She kept her belongings on her lap and looked outside the window. She squirmed in her seat as her back pain was acting up again. She travelled at least an hour to work, one way, everyday. Another lady got on the bus in the following bus stop and sat next to her. She was a foreigner, a white lady. She seemed British from her accent when she spoke to the conductor. Revathi turned back to the window and adjusted in her seat again.  The bus kept moving, bumpi...