I was returning home from my Dadi’ place. This included a Bus Journey. Almost around 3 hours in bus, after which I reach a station from where I can catch a train to Mumbai. In front of me sat a young man in the early twenties I should think so. And beside me a lady of say 50 years. The young man was thin. And he was looking tired. His face was rough and the cheek bones were so prominent that it gave the impression that his eyes were bulging out. This all feature was not really the main eye catcher. It was his eyes. I was looking at him now for sometime. Trying to understand what was wrong with his eyes.

His right eye moved very little. While the left eye did all the moving when he was looking. Also I noticed that the colour of the pupils of his eyes were slightly different. And his right eye it seemed was a little bigger. After about staring at him for 10 to 15 minutes I understood. It was a fake eye. Of course…I thought, this explains everything. Now I was looking at him now continuously for sometime. And this had made the young man very edgy. But I was far too engrossed in his eye to understand that he was getting highly conscious. But I continued to stared at him.

“Excuse me, But why are you staring at him?” the lady beside me almost shouted.

“uhhh…..!!!!” I blurted out in surprise.

“You have been staring at him for the last 15 minutes. I was looking at you. Why are you staring at him??” The lady shouted. Everyone in the bus obviously heard this and all the heads were now looking at me. And every one’s stare was grilling in to me. I suddenly felt very uncomfortable.

“Uhh……I…er….I……am sorry…but I…..” I was stuttering and was unable to complete my sencetence.

“You people have no manners. Staring at people. Why don’t you mind your own business?” The lady’s high pitched voice rung into my ear.

Why is this lady shouting? I mean, what’s her problem?? It’s not as if I was staring at her. I was staring at the guy. Why is she shouting?? I thought. I wanted to speak but due to the suddenness of the situation I was tongue-tied. And now every one was staring at me as if I had committed a grave crime.

“It’s ok, Mom…relax!!!” The man said to the lady.

Ohh my god, that lady is the mother of the guy. That’s why she is shouting. Oh Dear!!!

Now every one knew what had happened…!!!! And I was sitting beside this lady!!! Great!!!

I was now highly conscious of my behavior. I was desperately trying to look somewhere else. In this process, I met with a few stares, even the bus conductor was giving a cold stare!!!

‘Hmmmm…so this is how it feels like to be highly uncomfortable!!’ My mind thought somewhere in the corner of my brain.

I was getting back what I had given to the man, only now almost 50 eyes were staring at me. I desperately looked at my watch. Two hours more!!!

‘Oh Dear God…..what torture!!!’ I thought.