A few years ago, I was travelling in a train from Delhi to Howrah. It was during the summer vacations and the sleeper class in the Poorva Express was extremely overcrowded. People were talking and as it usually happens in Bihar-bound trains, people do talk about politics a lot. A lady sitting in the upper berth was openly voicing her opinion about how much she distrusts Muslims.
Meanwhile, the coach became so overcrowded that no one could barely move. Fans were not working in the coach and the people were feeling thirsty. The train ran out of drinking water and no hawker or anybody else carrying water bottles could pass through the coach. Those who had water bottles drank very little from it, even hiding the water bottles from others who were feeling thirsty and didn’t have water to drink.
Only a few youngsters could get down to fill as many bottles as they could when the train stopped at a small station named Dankaur (between Ghaziabad and Aligarh). The aforementioned lady asked for water from a family whose members had managed to get some water. They refused to share water with this lady as there was very little water. This was the same family she was talking to for hours about how Muslims couldn’t be trusted at all and everyone among them seemed to be in agreement
Having been refused, she was completely taken aback and couldn’t say a word. A few Muslim men were standing next to her in the passageway who had managed to fill their water bottles. The lady tried to come down from the upper berth seat so that she could exit the train and drink some water. Just then, these youngsters offered her water, stating that she might miss the train if she went out.
Feeling guilty, she reluctantly accepted their offer and drank their water. Having done that, she thanked them.