Yesterday, I decided to head to Coimbatore just to relax. It was raining and I almost cancelled the plan. But then the sun peeked through the clouds and I chose to go ahead.

I got down at the Kerala – Tamil Nadu border and boarded a bus to Coimbatore. When the conductor came around, he handed me the ticket and moved on to the next passenger before I could give him any money. Curious, I looked at the ticket and to my surprise, the fare was marked as Rs 0.00.

I was quick to assume he was trying to take the money without recording it. I called him back and handed him the cash, but he smiled and said, “It is free.” I insisted, but he politely declined. That is when I realized it was part of the Tamil Nadu government’s scheme offering free travel for women. I had heard of it before, but this was the first time I was actually experiencing it.

I was genuinely impressed by the initiative and also a bit humbled by how quickly I had judged the conductor. As the journey continued, he lightened the moment by joking, “You owe me a juice for giving you a free ticket!”

A simple journey turned into a reminder of awareness, gratitude and not being too quick to judge.