The face on the Shatabdi

 We were travelling by Shatabdi. We had shifted their luggage to the rack upstairs. stretched out our legs to rest on the footrest . Complimentary cold water bottles , breakfast and newspaper later , it was time for a snooze . 

Some scrolled through their phones, some just shut their eyes , interlocked their fingers over the full belly, stretched their legs , and entered the dream realm , lulled by the rocking motion of the clackety - clack running of train wheels . 

Others scanned their newspapers clean , loathe to leave even a single printed word unread . Some were nose down into a gripping novel . 

Still others , like me , looked out of the window . Into the rain fed greenery , pools of rainwater , attracting pond herons , egrets, water hens and one odd startlingly purple coloured purple moorhen . 

Having had my fill of the sights the verdant greenery , born out of the monsoon downpour , I turned my gaze in . 

Now, in most shatabdis , the  overhead luggage racks   are made of a tough transparent material . Either toughened glass or plastic . It serves the express purpose of being able to see one's luggage , easier to clean surface and a sleeker appearance. It also , unwittingly , reflects the faces of all your co passengers , seated on the same side as you . In an upside down manner . 

Most of the upside down faces I saw , had their eyelids closed. Either sleeping, reading or looking down .

Four seats down , a startlingly yellow face sat swaying , watching the countryside contentedly , like me . I say startlingly not in a racial manner , but the face was actually yellow . Either the dyed black hair surrounding her face was too black or she had some yellowing disease , renal or hepatic . It was a middle aged lady with short bob , pitch black hair , and I repeat , a surprising complexion .

I must have been staring at this face for too long , without realising , for suddenly the eyes opened up . Like those movie scenes , in which a sudden movement with piercing music , makes you jump out of your skin . 

The eyelids opened all the way up. Means she was staring at me, back . 

Then she grinned. 

If anyone has ever seen an upside down face grinning, you will realise , it is highly disturbing. Something to do with the way we perceive faces and theory of symmetry etc . 

Realising our eyes has locked, the lady then raised a ghostly pale white, emaciated hand ( I swear I saw her blue veins too , from that distance) , with red painted long nails, and waved at me. 

It was the last straw . I could feel all my goosebumps stand up on attention, and I quickly lowered my gaze and started looking at the green expanse outside .

Vowing never to look up towards the roof/ luggage rack ever again.

When we alighted I saw a pale white figure clad in white salwar kameez hurrying down the platform dragging an ordinary stroller.

She had no robes and broomstick either .

I haven't told this to my better half who snoozed his way through the stunning greenery outside.

He would probably say that it was a figment of my imagination. Worse , I would be inclined to believe him.