It was around 8:45 pm and I was waiting for a bus at the Kaloor bus stand to take me to my office area. That’s when I noticed this young girl standing with a big bag slung across her shoulder and wearing what looked like the uniform of an Engineering college. At that time of night there were hardly any other women around in the bus stand area and she looked hopelessly lost and a bit scared. A few men leered at her and they may have passed a lewd comment or two amongst themselves. The girl looked around, hoping for a bus to come quickly so she could get away. She then saw me and I do not know what it was that made her do it but she moved closer towards me and asked me if I was going to Angamaly.
Now Angamaly is onroute to the place that I need to get down at, just 2 or 3 stops before Koratty and I told her where I was going. We started talking and I could make out that she was just scared and was hoping to find a friendly face and since no one else was available, yours truly substituted. After a few more minutes we got into a bus headed for the area and I was surprised when she asked me if I would sit with her. I said ok and we sat towards the front of the bus and paid for our tickets. We talked throughout the 45 minutes that it took for us to get to her stop, or rather she mostly talked and I listened. She was going to Angamaly to stay at her aunt’s house for the weekend as her parents live in Mangalore. She didn’t expect to leave the city so late and was a little scared as she usually never travels alone at this hour.
Kripa, that’s her name, is 21 years old and could probably pass for a lot younger and looks rather sweet & innocent. She’s probably one of those girls who have never hurt anyone or anything and has lived quite a sheltered life. She reminded me a lot of my sweet Maya, from my former office, similar in age and innocence. You know, 21 years old and going on 12! I call Maya my “dhathputri” or adopted daughter and she jokingly calls me “pappa” and I’ve kept in touch with her in the last 4 months since I left my old job. Anyways, I said goodbye to Kripa and was glad to see that her aunt & cousin were waiting for her at the Angamaly bus stop. She bid me a cheerful farewell, no doubt grateful for the company this big guy could give her and we exchanged phone numbers as she wanted to call me once in a while.
Just what happened to me that I became a surrogate big brother to some people? When did I become, to use a Sci-fi character, Dr. Carson Beckett from Stargate Atlantis? Cause you know, Beckett was described as Atlantis’s big brother! Why did she pick me out of all the people in the bus stand? Do I have “big brother” written on my forehead? I’m not like that. I am deadly, I am scary, I am dangerous. I prey on young, innocent & pretty young women like a vampire on the hunt…….oh who am I kidding! I am so the king of big brotherland! Sigh!