Hanoi Mix-Up

The train journey back to Delhi from Agra was bound to be disappointing: hot, crowded and dusty and having spent the morning in the Taj Mahal a far more prosaic destination awaited us. We had the luxury of 'superior' carriages (whose air conditioning would out-freeze an iceberg) and were shivering in the cold when from down the corridor we heard cries and a rustle of papers as shy commuters held their newspapers up to their faces. Down the central aisle walked three hijras (or eunuchs), clearly touting for money. Although ancient myths bestow them with special powers to bring luck and fertility, in modern India they're regarded as an embarrassment and not allowed to have any organized source of income - hence the begging. Of course all this was lost on a casual tourist as I pulled out two 10-rupee notes to give to the first two. This was a big mistake as the third, sensing favouritism, kicked up an almighty fuss when no rupees came his way. Amidst rising cries I hunted in my wallet for another note, but only a 500-rupee note remained - payday indeed for any beggar. Let's just say he was not best pleased with the handful of small coins I eventually handed over and the resulting scene must have been comical to anyone who understood Urdu and far from the disappointment expected!