Mumbai: It had seemed like a quiet end to a working day on Monday when I reached Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus with enough time to catch my train, the 10.50 Kasara fast. I had a generous three minutes in which to walk to the middle ladies compartment and did so. The minute I settled into my seat in an empty compartment, save for the Home Guard who was there well on time, I realised I had forgotten to put my phone into either of my bags as I left work. It would take at least one phone call to set a damage control plan in motion. So I walked up to the Home Guard and told him about my predicament. He promptly offered me his phone to call home.
The only numbers I could recall were those of my husband and the landline, both of which were unreachable. He then suggested I call my own phone so that somebody would hear it ring in the office and realise what had happened. As we were discussing this, a man strolled into the ladies’ coach, making suggestive hand movements and I was taken aback. The Home Guard saw him and immediately asked him to leave the compartment. For the nth time in my recent working life, I was grateful for the presence of a security guard after 10.30 pm, in all ladies coaches on trains. He then busied himself with my problem for the rest of the journey. As the train neared Ghatkopar, a colleague of mine finally answered the phone and assured me he would take it home and return it to me on Tuesday. This happy ending would not have been possible without the unflinching assistance of Home Guard Arjun Harad and a heartfelt thank you to him.
- Geeta Bhagat
