Unusual bravery of a good Samaritan (582)

The local train was jam-packed with passengers returning home after the day’s hard work. There were four passengers in every seat intended for three. People were standing all along the aisle suffering in silence the sultry weather and foul-smelling clothes of the others around.

 It was then the passengers heard a commotion. A man in his early forties, in a white shirt and pyjama, caught hold of a young man in blue jeans and a red coloured t-shirt by his collar and told him angrily pointing to another passenger, “I saw you picked his pocket. Hand over the wallet to him right now.”

The young man instantly whisked out a small knife and tried to slash the older man who held his collar. The agile man gave him a whack on his hand and the knife fell on the floor.

The good Samaritan laughed aloud telling “Don’t ever try your tricks on me. I have seen many like you.”

With the purse retrieved, the passenger who had lost it was profuse in thanking the brave benefactor. A couple of other passengers tied the hands of the pickpocket and waited for the train to stop at the next station. Everyone was in awe of the man as the passengers usually do not intervene in the activities of pickpockets who travel in groups and who do not hesitate to harm people when caught. The pickpocket was pushed out by the irate passengers when the train stopped at the next station. New passengers both men and women surged in blocking the space at the entrance. But our good man who stayed on in the train moved towards the exit gate.

As the train was proceeding fast, there was a shrill scream from a young woman caught in the crowd at the entrance. When people turned towards her, she accused a middle-aged bald man in his fifties of having groped her at improper places taking advantage of the crowd and proximity. Our hero who was nearby pounced on the rogue and beat him hard. The other passengers too joined in what turned out to be a free-for-all all in meting out instant justice. The culprit was bound with his hands behind and was pushed out of the train at the next station to hand over to the police by other passengers who alighted.

While our hero was surveying triumphantly, the admiring crowd that surrounded him, four men in white uniforms who had boarded the compartment at the other entrance was seen approaching the hero of the day. One of the uniformed guys shouted.” Here is our quarry. Come quick and block the gate before he does something rashly.”

Our hero who saw them turned pale and tried to move away towards the other gate. One passenger who was a witness to all the happenings since the catching of the pickpocket accosted the men in uniform and said,” You seem to be going after the wrong man. This gentleman  has in a few minutes helped nab a pickpocket and an eve-teasing rogue.”

“We know, sir. He is our man and we have absolutely no doubt. He escaped while we were taking him along with others from the asylum to the hospital. He believes he is an inspector of police.”

The man started crying when the uniformed men took him in their custody bringing home the truth that such bravery, he displayed for public causes comes only when one is insane. The passengers felt really sad for the man’s plight even as he was dragged away.