Strangers and Unspoken Connections
On the 25th of February 2018, I set off to Vytilla hub in Kochi. I had four days off and had packed my bags to attend my grandfather’s remembrance day for some rituals. I began my journey from my room, and a friend of mine offered to drop me at the bus stand. I wanted to catch an AC low-floor bus, but my friend hesitated due to my cold. Despite my disagreement, we spent about an hour searching for that specific bus. Eventually, an overloaded bus arrived, so I decided to opt for a non-AC KSRTC bus instead. My friend made sure I got a seat, and the bus was relatively empty. I spotted a seat next to a guy who greeted me with a smile. I placed my bags there and started chatting with my friend. As the bus set off, I moved to sit beside the guy. Soon after, I began sneezing, and the guy remarked, "It's good you didn't get a seat on that A/C bus." I was taken aback and asked how he knew. He said, "I overheard your conversation with your friend." We both chuckled,