It was just a few months ago, the bus fare in Kathmandu had been Rs. 18 as a minimum fare. The number is even but creates an odd situation in our lives. Yes, very odd, odd up to that level where one gets a flash of opprobrium, which in legality is not. Back then, I used to frequently travel to Bagbazar. And the medium would be micros, most of the time. I had just passed my 12 so the identity card I had, had already expired, and neither did I have a uniform, as my college hadn’t started. It takes 10 to 12 minutes to reach the station from my home. In the meantime, while traveling to the station, many thoughts would revolve around my head regarding the discussion I would have to do with a conductor. Yes, the discussion regarding the fare that was even in number but always created an odd situation out there in micro.
During the first day of my travel, I gave Rs. 20 to the conductor as a fare, expecting Rs. 2 in return. But my expectation could not turn into reality. I, then, asked him for the return he had to make, and in response he said, the fare was 20 itself. I was in dilemma whether I was being fooled or the reality itself was that. I, then, checked my mobile, turned on the mobile data, and searched for a fare. There it was in a visible manner written the minimum fare was Rs. 18. I showed him the following thing, and now the expectation was re-established again (to get a return). But, instead of giving 2 rs to me, he said we could assume it as Rs. 20 itself and no one carries coins these days. There developed many arguments in my mind but then I chose to stay quiet, didn’t want to be the victim of social opprobrium. Were other people too skeptical of being the victim of social opprobrium or they created a sphere for me to be in that state?
On the second day of my travel, I carried Rs. 15 and 3 coins. Again, a problem, I had to carefully manage those coins in between the note of Rs. 10 and 5 while giving them to the conductor. Not only that, I would have to be prepared for the reaction that would come through him/her, also the people around me. I thought that the people who would give fare later would ask for the return as they had seen me, giving coins, and the conductor could have not said that he didn’t have a coin to give in return. But to my surprise, no one asked for the return. Ohh, Bentham, I surrender, maximum happiness here, is corresponding to the maximum ignorance people have been doing regarding the fair fare. Probably because they don’t want to waste their extra seconds bothering to ask for the return or even have a discussion there. I wonder if the situation I faced was pain or pleasure, then I read the hedonistic calculus, which further inflicted skepticism on me regarding the capability I had, it’s because I could barely understand what he wrote and what it meant.
The criticism made regarding Bentham’s theory felt relieving when I experienced it. One day during travel, beside me was a girl of my like age in a proper college uniform. When the conductor reached us, she gave Rs. 10 as a fare, to which the conductor asked for more 5 rs. She said that she always traveled with Rs. 10. There, I didn’t want just two of them to converse, I joined too. For further clarification, I said that the discount one gets when in uniform or card is 45% of the total amount, which becomes Rs. 8 in number, and deducting it from the original fare it would exactly be Rs. 10. I knew what kind of reaction I would be getting there by the conductor, and as I had imagined it, the same imitation was expressed through his face, probably he is a mind-reader. Back to Bentham’s theory, we two girls as a minority had won over the practice of the majority which probably did justice to the criticism made.
This time, I was in uniform, my college had already started, and now I had to make further conversation with the conductor. When we reached Jamal, the conductor started to collect the fare. As I was in the last seat there was more space for my mind to revolve the thoughts around. When my turn came, I gave him 10, as usual, he asked me extra 5 to which I said the same thing about percentage and all and also said that I always traveled with Rs. 10. I was disheartened when he replied by saying, ‘Aauna ta free mai aauchha holani’ with that anger in his face. That was real and even intense social opprobrium. Adding upon that, one conductor even threw the money towards me and asked for extra 5 Rs, to which I didn’t give a further explanation but rather gave him Rs. 15 itself.
