The Right Change

Kanaka traveled every day by bus to Koramangala where she worked at a private company in South Bangalore. She had become adept at maneuvering her way in the crowded bus stop and be the first to get in. Despite this, it was not always easy to get a seat. She would watch hawk-like for anybody making a move to get down and stand next to them. The minute she settled down on the hard-earned seat, she would shut her eyes and relax, having worked non-stop since early morning to send the children to school.

That day Kanaka was late. Though she had asked for special permission to attend a family function, she ran all the way to the bus-stop after the puja. Suddenly she remembered she hadn't checked her purse before leaving home. Luckily, there were two twenty rupee notes in her purse. She heaved a sigh. The money was just sufficient to travel back and forth. She needed eight rupees to go to Majestic bus stop, and another ten to go to Koramangala.

"Ticket, please!" The conductor was a girl, barely out of her teens. Kanaka held a twenty rupee note in her outstretched hands.

"Give me the exact change, or else," the girl handed her the ticket after scribbling on its back the balance money to be returned.

Kanaka bit her lips in frustration. That meant she would have to remember to collect the change at the Majestic bus stop. There would be quite a few waiting to collect the money; and if she waited her turn, she might miss the next bus. At this off-peak hour, what with the infrequent bus services, she couldn't afford to let go the next bus if ever she was lucky to spot one.

Kanaka debated whether to remind the girl for money. She knew the conductors resented people asking for change before their destination. They deferred returning the change purposefully, counting on at least a tiny percentage of people being not so meticulous about collecting the balance fare. They had other means of making money too. Like collecting less fare from the passengers and not issuing tickets.

The girl who by now had issued tickets to everyone and was simply pacing up and down. At least she cannot say she is too busy issuing tickets to bother with insensitive people not caring to bring the exact fare. Kanaka politely handed over the ticket and said pleadingly, "Please..."

The girl got irritated. "Majestic is four stops away. I know when to give you!" Then she grumbled somewhat loudly, "Where am I to go, when all of you bring tens and hundreds? I don't have any coins to give you!"

That was a clear lie the jingling leather bag slung on her shoulders said a different tale.
Kanaka suppressed her anger and countered, "But you do have the change, don't you?"

"You think I will run away with your money? You think I'm going to build my house with that?"

Kanaka looked around for support. "Why doesn't somebody speak up? This has been going on for a long time, and all of us face the same trouble everyday!"

Some looked away, some snickered and a few told Kanaka to wait "for just a few more minutes".
The bus entered the Majestic bus station. Kanaka got down the bus, but made no move to take the money the smirking girl had in her extended hands. The girl insolently threw the money towards Kanaka and the coins jangled on the platform.

The girl laughed and a few passengers tittered in agreement.

Nobody knew when Kanaka left, but everyone was taken aback when she returned back with a bus inspector in tow. The victorious smile on the girl's face turned into a shock.

"Why don't you return her the change?" the inspector thundered.

"I did, but she didn't take it," the girl stuttered, not knowing how to make her story convincing.

The crowd doesn't have a backbone; it just leans on the stronger side.

"No, the conductor refused to give money till the bus reached Majestic. Then she threw it on the platform," somebody in the crowd explained.

"Why don't you give back the balance to the passengers immediately? Do you want to cheat or what," the inspector thundered at the girl. He looked fiercely at the coins lying on the ground. The girl mumbled an incoherent apology with a bent head, silently picked up the coins from the ground and handed it to Kanaka.

Kanaka beamed. Oh yes, she had brought the right change after all.

Technorati Tags: Stories

Vote Result

Score: 8.5, Votes: 2