Parshu Shrestha
When the bus stopped, two friends got on it. The bus was already full of passengers, yet more and more of them were getting on it. Because of this, the two friends were separated from each other as the passengers’ crowd increased and pushed each other. One of them got a seat in the middle of the bus, whereas the other reached to the back.
After a while, the bus stopped at another station, and some passengers got off it. The crowd decreased inside the bus which got its momentum again.
When the next station where the two friends were to get off was approaching, the one who had been pushed to the rear of the bus asked the one who was sitting in the middle, “Hey, did you pay fare?”
“Yes, I did,” said he.
“Why did you …?” asked the first.
“I paid only mine.” Answered the second.
“What!” shocked was the first friend, “… But I paid yours, too.”
Then, the second friend, sitting in the middle, called the bus conductor towards him and asked his money back.
I saw the first friend’s face glowing with pride because he had paid not only his but also his friend’s bus fare. He looked smiling.
After a while, they got off the bus at their station and disappeared. I found their friendship worth considering.
(Parshu Shrestha (1981) lives in Itahari, teaches English, and writes short stories.)