Storyline: Chaos
Story by: Dhruv Dev Dubey
17 April 2018
Location : Mumbai
Its 9am, Mumbai is buzzing with activity and rush. Dr Rati has a hectic schedule. She stays far from the hospital that she works at. She is a gynecologist doing her internship at a government hospital in town. Every day she leaves home at 7am, travels by local train as that's the fastest way to commute and returns home by 11pm tired. Retires to bed at the earliest to be ready for the next day. Such is her schedule. No social life, no friends, no personal time.
On one such usual night, Dr Rati completes her day at work and is returning home. She boards her 9:41 pm local train. The sight is usual. There are hardly any passengers in the ladies compartment. One lady can be seen in the far end of the compartment who is already in deep sleep, one lady police constable at the door looking out and one more lady sitting behind with her back to Dr Rati. It's quiet. As Rati takes a window seat, the train starts. Just then a young girl of 24-25 yrs. enters the train and sits opposite to Rati.
Rati is exhausted and is about to fall asleep when she notices the young girl in front of her. The girl looks like she belongs to a lower middle class, dressed in simple clothes and her face looks blank. The girl suddenly realizes that Rati is watching her and she looks at her and give a feeble smile. She starts talking to Rati. In spite of being tired, Rati gets pulled into the conversation. The girl stays in nearby slums and is the sole bread earner of her family of 5 members. Her siblings are still very young and studying. She does 2 jobs to keep the house running. Father is a drunkard, does nothing, Mother is a house maid. But the girl seems to be proud of the fact that she is able to educate her siblings on her own. They are intelligent and smart she says. There is a sparkle in her eyes, Rati can see. She continues speaking, states that recently there have been problems back at home and her family is forcing her to marry a 40 year old drunkard distant relative who is willing to support the family if she marries him. She looks sad and heartbroken. Starts sobbing.
Rati is moved by her plight. She feels sorry for her but what can she do. The girl looks bright and young. Rati's heart reaches out to her. She tries to calm her down. But is unsuccessful.
Rati looks around helplessly. She is fast approaching her station. There is still not many passengers in the compartment. Maybe a total of 5 ladies who are either dozing or looking out of the window. The police constable is also busy standing by the door and looking out. Rati looks back at the girl to find that she isn't there. She is standing near the door still sobbing. Now the train is on the bridge over the creek.
Rati feels sad but helpless. Picks her bag, tiffin as she has to get down at the next station. Just then she sees the girl jumping out of the train in the creek! Rati screams out loudly. The passengers and police constable come running to her. Rati explains everything to the constable and is in uncontrollable sobs. She finds it impossible to believe that such a young and smart girl would commit suicide! The constable looks outside but it's dark and practically impossible to see anything down there. The station arrives. Constable and Rati get down and approach the station police.
Dr Rati is shaking with fear by now. She can't forget the face of the girl- how sad she was. Railway police and the constable contact the required people and there is buzz on the station. Dr Rati extends her help to the police in all the possible ways. She stays back and gives her statement. She feels it's her duty as a responsible citizen. Besides, that's the least she can do for the sad little girl she feels!
While the police is recording the statement, a senior railway police constable enters the scene. He listens to the statement and disappears from there. After 5 minutes he comes back with a photo, interrupts the recording and calmly asks Rati "is this the girl?" Rati looks at the photo and jumps up "yes, she is the one!!" everybody is puzzled. The entire railway police staff gathers around while the senior constable explains "Her name is Lata. She stays in the slums…"and narrates everything that Lata told Rati. Rati is confused. "If you know so much about her, why don't you help her?" to which he responds calmly, "we can't, because she died 3 years ago!"
He brings the records and shows the statements of all the ladies who have reported same thing about Lata on the same date every year for the last 3 years.
"So far we haven't heard of any harm being done to anyone. But lata is seen every year on this date and time in your train and is seen committing suicide which she actually died of long back"
The station is quiet and the crowd has dispersed.
The lady constable drops Dr Rati home. Dr Rati – a trained doctor, an educated citizen is sitting in silence in her room staring coldly at the wall. Her rational mind is out for vacation!
Story by: Dhruv Dev Dubey
17 April 2018
Location : Mumbai
Its 9am, Mumbai is buzzing with activity and rush. Dr Rati has a hectic schedule. She stays far from the hospital that she works at. She is a gynecologist doing her internship at a government hospital in town. Every day she leaves home at 7am, travels by local train as that's the fastest way to commute and returns home by 11pm tired. Retires to bed at the earliest to be ready for the next day. Such is her schedule. No social life, no friends, no personal time.
On one such usual night, Dr Rati completes her day at work and is returning home. She boards her 9:41 pm local train. The sight is usual. There are hardly any passengers in the ladies compartment. One lady can be seen in the far end of the compartment who is already in deep sleep, one lady police constable at the door looking out and one more lady sitting behind with her back to Dr Rati. It's quiet. As Rati takes a window seat, the train starts. Just then a young girl of 24-25 yrs. enters the train and sits opposite to Rati.
Rati is exhausted and is about to fall asleep when she notices the young girl in front of her. The girl looks like she belongs to a lower middle class, dressed in simple clothes and her face looks blank. The girl suddenly realizes that Rati is watching her and she looks at her and give a feeble smile. She starts talking to Rati. In spite of being tired, Rati gets pulled into the conversation. The girl stays in nearby slums and is the sole bread earner of her family of 5 members. Her siblings are still very young and studying. She does 2 jobs to keep the house running. Father is a drunkard, does nothing, Mother is a house maid. But the girl seems to be proud of the fact that she is able to educate her siblings on her own. They are intelligent and smart she says. There is a sparkle in her eyes, Rati can see. She continues speaking, states that recently there have been problems back at home and her family is forcing her to marry a 40 year old drunkard distant relative who is willing to support the family if she marries him. She looks sad and heartbroken. Starts sobbing.
Rati is moved by her plight. She feels sorry for her but what can she do. The girl looks bright and young. Rati's heart reaches out to her. She tries to calm her down. But is unsuccessful.
Rati looks around helplessly. She is fast approaching her station. There is still not many passengers in the compartment. Maybe a total of 5 ladies who are either dozing or looking out of the window. The police constable is also busy standing by the door and looking out. Rati looks back at the girl to find that she isn't there. She is standing near the door still sobbing. Now the train is on the bridge over the creek.
Rati feels sad but helpless. Picks her bag, tiffin as she has to get down at the next station. Just then she sees the girl jumping out of the train in the creek! Rati screams out loudly. The passengers and police constable come running to her. Rati explains everything to the constable and is in uncontrollable sobs. She finds it impossible to believe that such a young and smart girl would commit suicide! The constable looks outside but it's dark and practically impossible to see anything down there. The station arrives. Constable and Rati get down and approach the station police.
Dr Rati is shaking with fear by now. She can't forget the face of the girl- how sad she was. Railway police and the constable contact the required people and there is buzz on the station. Dr Rati extends her help to the police in all the possible ways. She stays back and gives her statement. She feels it's her duty as a responsible citizen. Besides, that's the least she can do for the sad little girl she feels!
While the police is recording the statement, a senior railway police constable enters the scene. He listens to the statement and disappears from there. After 5 minutes he comes back with a photo, interrupts the recording and calmly asks Rati "is this the girl?" Rati looks at the photo and jumps up "yes, she is the one!!" everybody is puzzled. The entire railway police staff gathers around while the senior constable explains "Her name is Lata. She stays in the slums…"and narrates everything that Lata told Rati. Rati is confused. "If you know so much about her, why don't you help her?" to which he responds calmly, "we can't, because she died 3 years ago!"
He brings the records and shows the statements of all the ladies who have reported same thing about Lata on the same date every year for the last 3 years.
"So far we haven't heard of any harm being done to anyone. But lata is seen every year on this date and time in your train and is seen committing suicide which she actually died of long back"
The station is quiet and the crowd has dispersed.
The lady constable drops Dr Rati home. Dr Rati – a trained doctor, an educated citizen is sitting in silence in her room staring coldly at the wall. Her rational mind is out for vacation!
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