An Unexpected Brush

Did anybody know that the most commonly forgotten item for travellers is their toothbrush? Adding to their woes, especially those travelling long distances by train/rail is the fact that a seemingly important toothbrush is one such utility item that is not easily available or in other words not readily sold in railway stations or railway platforms.

I do not belong to the category of those who forget their personal & essential utility items while travelling. In fact, I give more importance to paraphernalia while travelling. So much so, that I always travel with a comfortable leather kit that is adequately equipped with all utility items in duplicate! 

Needless to mention, which people might find eccentric, the travelling kit (utility kit) is given topmost priority by me and naturally comes first on my packing list.

This habit of mine sometimes puts me in a spot considering the fact that my personal utility kit is easily & quickly noticeable to fellow passengers sharing my coach/cabin who take the liberty of requesting me to part with a spare item of their immediate need or requirement.

I am quite possessive of my personal utility items and have seldom shared them with anyone to date.

Sometime back, while I was travelling by train to Delhi in an Air-conditioned coach, one young lady in her mid-thirties sporting or wearing ripped jeans, approached me and said: "Sir, can you spare me your toothbrush"; I was taken aback but quickly responded by saying: "Madam, I can neither spare my tooth nor my toothbrush to you"; She then looked at my kit and then at me surprisingly before remarking: "You seem to be quite old fashioned"; I replied back immediately: "I am neither old fashioned nor new/modern fashioned, but am only corona fashioned and hence concerned". This cheeky remark of mine was enough to end the matter abruptly.

Bottom Line :

Post Corona/COVID-19, conversations have become short, swift, and sarcastic!