"I am feeling scared," mutters a little boy amid sobs on board his school bus which got stuck in a traffic snarl caused by protests against the Agnipath army recruitment scheme in Bihar.
A video footage of the boy, said to be from the north Bihar district of Darbhanga, has gone viral on social media.
The boy says "darr lag raha hai", wiping his eyes and nose with the hem of his shirt, replying to the query of a purported journalist who found his way into the stranded school bus.
A handful of boys and girls, all in uniform, can be seen inside the bus and the video shows a woman, probably a teacher or a parent, assuring the children that they will not be harmed.
The veracity of the video could not be ascertained although widespread violence during the protests, which entered the third day, may have evoked fear in the minds of the people.
Former election strategist and aspiring politician Prashant Kishor seemed to have this in mind when he was asked about the stir at a press conference in Jehanabad.
"I will urge the protesters to shun violence as it will weaken their movement. If they stay calm, the powers that be will be forced to heed their voice," Kishor told reporters.