Congruence

How often do we mark the "Upgrade to higher class in case of a vacancy" option while filling a railway requisition form? Almost always. But for someone who has traveled all his life in a sleeper coach, the choice isn't obvious. The dilemma is apparent yet brief. Mr. A was traveling in an AC coach as his ticket had been upgraded. The momentary bliss was soon replaced by boredom. The silence was stifling and killing. But, it grew into something more imposing: the ignominy of being the odd-one-out, a sense of self-pity. All Mr. A could do among unfamiliar and stern faces, was to lie down with a pillow over his head and pretend to sleep.

How often do you travel alone? How often do you travel with a dozen of pretty college girls? What is the probability of these two events occurring together? Negligible. Mr. B was amazed at his luck. Never had such an opportunity presented itself, hardly ever had he thanked God for anything. The joy was short-lived, soon replaced by a similar sense of boredom. A group of beauties eagerly sharing the “amazing” time they spent with their “soul mates” was probably the only discussion Mr. B could never be a part of. The ignominy of being the odd-one-out, the sea of pretty and inimical faces, left him no choice, but to take a pillow, pretend to sleep and compare himself to Mr. A