Steel & Poise

It rides in, brand new and glistening. The exterior colours of red and yellow stand out against drab and dusty surroundings. Whilst it waits momentarily people hustle around, in and out, excited at the prospect of riding new steel wheels.

Rushing in too, I saw pinky-fawn coloured seats and unpainted steel plates and dividers, reflecting the brightness of ambient light. It looks like everyone is glowing, for no apparent reason, save the feeling of happiness at the opportunity of being on a new train. Where there were solid partitions, there are grills letting in light and breeze. The overhead racks now have guard rails, while electronic signboards announce approaching stations. Beneath the seats, the area is left open to the detriment of wee rats or cockroaches often lurking in dark, dank and dirty corners.

A little girl sits at a window with orange shorts and a pink hat. Hesitantly, I gesture her to sit up and forward to view her better thru the lens. In a couple of moments, my actions are discovered by her mother who sits opposite. Expecting queries or a reprimand for not asking permission to photograph the child, I was relieved to hear the sound of embarrassed laughter. Taking a few more photographs I thank little Ashwini. Before exiting a few stations down, her mom asks her and her brother to say ‘bye’. I am surprised and very pleased. Responding, I thank them again. Increasingly, taking photographs in urban India has become a nuisance for professionals, whose intentions are percieved as suspect. The rampant abuse of photography through various devices by miscreants and criminals is making candid and street photography very difficult. Experiencing such implicit trust is a treasure.