More (or less) racist

I was traveling a few years ago,
reading a book. The family seated opposite me began to eat. They
offered to share their food with me, and I declined. But the young
wife was rather insistent. 



After I’d said ‘no’ twice, she said:
“It’s okay. We’re not from a low caste. We’re upper caste.”



I suddenly felt weary. This was a
literate woman, trying to be friendly with a stranger on a train.