We all knew that seats were reserved in BEST Buses for ladies. Some ladies even got ignorant men on their feet for occupying the ladies’ seats in a crowded bus. But today I was witness to a new reservation – reservation for women carrying babies.

On the left half of the ladies seat

(Streeyansathi – for ladies)

And on the right half

(Tanhya Mulansaha pravas karnarya streeyansathi – For women traveling with babies)

I was seated on the second ladies’ seat on my way home by bus today. A lady (lets call her Lady 1) got into the bus, and shooed a man from the ladies’ seat in front me. The man stood up with a glum face, and soon found a seat right behind me. A few stops later, another lady got into the bus with two toddlers, one in her arms, the other tugging her dupatta. Lets call her Lady 2. Since there was no place for her to sit, she nudged Lady 1 and requested her to get up. Lady 1, surprised at being asked to get off a ladies’ seat, snorted and didn’t budge. Lady 2 then called out to the conductor, who pointed out to the ignorant lady – the seat she was sitting in was reserved with women carrying babies. Cleverly Lady 1 offered to hold the toddler, but Lady 2 was unrelenting. Sheepishly, Lady 1 stood up, and Lady 2 took the seat, her happy toddler enjoying the view from the bus window.

I turned around to glance at the displaced man’s face. I’ve never seen a bigger and more gleeful smile. ‘Jaisi karni waisi bharni’ (as you sow, so shall you reap) he said to nobody in particular.