In this story by Ruskin Bond, a blind man sitting in an empty train carriage is joined by a young woman. He is attracted by the sound of her voice as she farewells her family, and even the sound of her slippers. As he initiates a conversation, he decides to conceal the fact that he is blind. This extends to pretending to look out the window and describe the passing countryside. He is successful, only to learn after the woman exits the train that she is also blind. Themes include independence, loneliness, desire, self-consciousness, pretence, perception vs. reality.
Although both parties had made slips in their conversation suggesting they could be blind, these were overlooked by the other. A message here is that we often see or hear what we expect to see or hear, ignoring underlying facts that suggest otherwise (metaphorical blindness). Ironically, if the man had admitted his blindness from the beginning the conversation, and perhaps relationship, could have taken a more meaningful turn.
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