Half-ticket
That is Lakshmipur railway station. Yeh you are right that giant wall-clock you are seeing runs slow. It approximately loses 10 minutes a day and by that one can calculate it is late by 2 day 7 hours and 52 minutes. But not to worry, the punctuality of trains running here are not any better, neither their condition. Only one thing that has been constant for the last 15 years has been – yes…that man on the left side of the platform 2, beside the ram shackled tea-stall, not more than 4 feet in height and 26 inches by the waist. He has neither been late for the morning train nor changed in physical features for the 15 years. Its just that a very close glance would show a more mature muscular get up than what it was when he came here first at an age of 10.
He is called Ramu. Nothing about his life is exciting and he is one of those life-long daily passengers going to the Kolkata city every morning and spending the day there earning thanks to some part-time job with small shops or garages etc. it’s a day of immense hard-work and meagre income. And Ramu’s height would be an added disadvantage. While his friends had their salaries increased over the years being entrusted with more work as they grew up, Ramu was never really given the place of a grown up. He did not even have a moustache or beard to tell his age, so he was forever considered a good for nothing ‘-small’ guy. Thus he in every way was deprived. But there was something Ramu could pride himself in. that too thanks to our Indian government policy.
He would tell-“ if I do not get privileges of a grown up, then I will take privileges of kids!” and so he ensured he never bought more than half-ticket at the railway station. Believe me he always escaped with it. Interestingly it never struck the disinterested ticket-seller or the ticket-checker how can the age of a man remain the same for years- perhaps they followed the giant wall clocks time!
Well Ramu’s days would go that way. His friends could never beat him there. Once Shiv, one of his oldest friends tried to do the same but poor fellow, that same day in the month-ending the ticket-checker perhaps had his wife pestering him to get sweets…that’s why he reluctantly caught Shiv to leave him only with the little bribe that Shiv could manage.
Disgusted as he was and anguished at the same time Shiv got desperate to do something about it. He needed to prove that it’s not always easy to get about with a half-ticket.
So he took Ramu to a government run amusement park. The ticket-seller there could even see Ramu from his high counter and naturally Ramu got going. Next at the toy-train counter too Ramu managed to buy a half-ticket. And when the checker who allowed people into the toy-train, came checking for the ticket Ramu foreseeing problem jumped into Shiv’s lap. Yeh now there was no question that he was the half-ticket man.
While they were getting back, they got down at the lakshmipur railway station. They were heading to the cycle stand to take their cycles, shiv’s gent’s cycle and Ramu’s kid’s cycle, suddenly they heard “ Mata Rani’s lottery. Grand prize e of 1 lakh to be won, results tomorrow morning, last few tickets on sell…”
The first idea that struck Shiv and he laughed to himself for it was ‘ hey Ramu you cant get away with a half-ticket in a lottery at least.’ And he said that aloud.
Ramu was amazed he thought for a while. Then like a tiger trying to restore wounded pride, he jumped to a conclusion-‘ why not?’
Shiv-“and how?”
Ramu-“just watch”.
Ramu smartly got to the lottery shop. The ticket-seller with his beetle-stained mouth grinned seeing another prospective prey.
“ Fifty rupees for a ticket”. Though it was expensive yet ramu found it less in front of his ego.
“ And here is your code number”- said the ticket-seller showing the black lettered numeric portion on the blue-pink ticket.
Ramu paid it. Got the ticket. Then advancing towards Shiv he said-“ now give me 25 Rs.”
Shiv-“why?”
“ your half of the ticket costs Rs.25” said Ramu proudly as he tore the ticket into exact two halves. Keeping one part to himself he chuckled-“he..he..here’s my half-ticket!”
Shiv remained open mouthed and for a while cursed himself for ‘falling’ into Ramu’s trap and losing 25 bucks.
Ramu with endless enthusiasm continued-“ ok! You pay it tomorrow. Remember you have 25 Rs. due to me.”
Next morning Ramu was right there on time at the railway station after buying his ‘half-ticket’ for the day’s journey. The train would come in five minutes but there was no trace of Shiv. Was he ill? May be after last day’s junk food at amusement park, he might have a stomach trouble. Besides Ramu had to go to check the winner at the lottery stall also and that he would do together when Shiv came, after half-the ticket was with Shiv.
The whistle of the train became audible. But Shiv was still not there. As the train arrived at the platform and Ramu was about to get on it, he thought something and just casually asked the tea-seller beside whose shop they stopped always-“ have you seen Shiv today?”
As he was about to get on the train the tea-seller shouted-“ Shiv! Why will he come here again/ today morning he’s won 1 lakh rupees in the lottery, he will now definitely not come here to travel in the local train-he’s a rich man!! ”
The last words were still ringing in Ramu’s ears as the train started off from the station. He was shocked. Then in order to see how Shiv got all the money of the lottery when half-the ticket was still with him, he got the paper out of his pocket. It had just the notes” Mata Rani lottery” on it, the entire code was in Shiv’s piece. He was surprised at his own work, so much so that he did not even fight for the seats in the train.
After that Shiv never came to the railway platform but Ramu still continues that way. Nothing really has changed except for that Ramu has realised formula of half-ticket doesn’t work any where in real life except for well...things like government run forever late local trains!
Maybe you could make it into two, shorter sentences, like this. Also, the detail doesn't really add, and is a little distracting.
your comments were well observed! 
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