The Seat

He stood in the metro railway compartment as he did everyday. He was tired and it was a long journey home. He watched the whole train from his position, holding onto one of the poles near the door. There were no seats free. He had not had a chance to sit down, even though he had entered on one of the earlier stops. It was not that no seats were free then; he was just not inclined to sit next to someone else. It was the way of some passengers not to sit next to someone on a double seat, but to wait, rather, for the next double seat that was completely unoccupied. Thus he had waited, by the door, watching as all the vacant single seats were filled. And he watched like a hawk.

There was one couple in the seat right in front of him, on the other side, that looked ready to leave. They had been there for a long time, and had just begun to collect their things. The next stop was minutes away, here was his chance. In front of him stood a man, if you could call it that. Given its height and girth, it seemed to him more like a mountain. The monstrosity had entered only a few stops before and had stood there blankly the whole time, unmoving while his presence and obnoxious body odour filled the air. Our friend eyed him suspiciously. He would have to act fast if he were to get his double seat. Surely that sort of behemoth would need to give his legs some rest. And he was on the other side, closer to the chairs too. Lightning reflexes would be required.

The train started slowing down, the station had been reached. The man tensed himself, ready to spring into action (none of this showed on the exterior of course, regular commuters are well trained for that). The train stopped and the couple got up- but what was this? The young woman from the seat in front of them! She had been waiting for them to move as well! And the moment they had left their chairs, a split-second before he could move, she slid smoothly and inexorably into the coveted double seat. The man was left standing, clinging to his pole near the doorway, insides burning with indignation.

Of all the cheek, he thought to himself, Here he had been waiting all this while for a seat, standing near the door on weary legs while she sat, and she had the nerve to take his seat away from him! It was sickening! It was perverse! It was- but wait! He noticed a movement through the corner of his eye. It was the lummox, the lummox was moving. It had stirred from its position near the other door and had moved towards the young woman's chair, the neighbour of which now lay unoccupied. He stopped in front of her, manouvered himself into position and promptly dropped his entire self-which could easily have filled two seats on its own- into the chair next to her. The young woman nearly yelped as his bulk threatened to crush her against the window. She struggled in vain to achieve a better position, perhap pull herself out and go and stand near the door like our friend, but finally overpowerd by the sheer size of her neighbour and no doubt by his overwhelming odour, she resigned and fell defeated into her chair.

The man near the door watched the whole thing, grinning with amusement. He hung onto the pole with one hand and looked out the window. Suddenly his legs felt so much lighter.