How does the phrase "packing passengers like sardines" at the beginning of Paragraph 3 affect the meaning of the essay? The phrase relates how frustrated the merchant is with people crowding his personal space, which implies that he's tired of being on the train.

The phrase indicates that people are jammed together with very little space around them, which implies that people are beginning to smell.

The phrase exaggerates how crowded the train is, which implies that Gandhi is seeking sympathy from readers.

The phrase creates an image of people tightly crammed together, which implies the discomfort Gandhi and the other passengers feel.