The other day I was on the bus on my way to my grandparent’s. I got a seat next to this old lady, we sat there for a while but after she started talking to me. 

 

“Where are you heading to?” She asked and I responded to her. I asked her the same and she said that she was going to the hospital. Not wanting to be rude I just nodded and didn’t ask any further questions. After all it wasn’t any of my business. 

 

Maybe it is because most of my learning years I’ve spent, in a society where one takes care of their own business, and poking into it is considered rude, that I didn’t ask much. In India, or at least the part of it that I live in, it is quite the opposite. No matter how unrelated you are to a person, everyone is in everyone’s business despite how personal it may be.  

 

After a while of silence the lady started to talk again.  This time she asked me which stop I was going to get off, “I’m not really sure which stop it is… I’m with my aunt so she’s going to tell me where to get off...” the lady nodded. 

 

“Where is your grandma’s place?” I told her the name of the place and she smiled. “I tell you where to get off. There’s only one stop for this bus to get there.” I thanked her with a smile and we chatted until I had to get off.  That was all I told her about myself but by the time I got off I found out that her family was in an economic crisis, which hospital she was going to, that her daughter had a baby and basically everything else she could manage to fit in, on the one hour bus trip that we sat next to each other. 

 

As the bus pulled into a stop the lady stopped mid sentence. “This is your stop,” she said and looked behind me, “and I suppose that is your aunt?” 

 

“Yes, thank you” I smiled crookedly, “Goodbye.” I said before pushing my way to the bus door. Once I got off, I looked up to the window and she waved at me. 

 

And that was my hour on the bus.