TRAIN TO HYDRABAD

Erode, One of the biggest railway stations of India, was in its high temperature, where people were scattered every nook and corner of the station, some with a purpose, some without a purpose. The bus conductors yelled at passengers to alight the bus as if they were the only perfectionists of the world. Vendors welcomed the passengers to visit their shops. Everyone was moving except a few people who stayed there forever. Not only the train used to come late but also the passengers who always had the habit of catching their train at the last moment because of having strong faith on Indian Railway timings.

I was surfing like a snake in the crowd to get into the platform where my train would come. It was not a piece of cake to walk swiftly in the crowd, it needed a lot of skill and strength and stone heart, because you wouldn’t have time to apologize for dashing a person accidently , if you did so, you would get many apologies.

I felt something held my leg and I was immobilized where everyone walked so fast, when I was submerging in my thoughts. An ugly boy in his mid of 12 years held my leg like a snake trapped its prey. Yes, I was a prey to the boy, and he would not give it up unless he was paid. To the beggars, you need to beg to leave you, because they are at home in psychology who use to choose the person who is about to catch their train in less than a minute. So, you have no choice but to offer them what they ask for or else it is not possible to catch your train. To my surprise, he left me without getting any offer; maybe he aimed for a better prey.

I saw that pitiable man with a huge luggage, struggling to move forward in the crowd. The radio voice announced the late arrival of train. A vender came and asked me to buy something from his mobile shop.

   “You will not get anything good if you move from here. Have some good snacks saab”.

He told me like a brilliant guide. I gave him a blur look at his grey eyes. He was a little pessimistic of his valiant effort.

            Dead platform came alive with the horn sound of the train. My mind became a small boy who got his long awaited candy. To be frank, I didn’t have a handsome travel, though it is one of the dreams of mine. But, that day I got an opportunity to travel in a sleeper class. I had never traveled in sleeper class coach thus far. I felt so excited. The train skated on the railroad with its hallmark magnificence.

                         I board the train to fetch myself. Every passenger’s face seemed happy of not having more number of passengers in the coach. The irony is that you should not sleep in a sleeper coach; each and every minute you will have visitors.

                        “Bhai! Buy this.It will heal anything.”

                        “Sab! Take this One, it’s a lucky amulet.”

                        “Ji! Have this for evergreen success.”              

                          Throughout your travel, you’d be able to see half of a shopping mall. Train was speeding up. It crossed every station just like a jet did. I took a novel and started reading it. I had an intruder when I was at the tenth page of the novel. He was a small boy in mid of fourteen, looked ugly. His hair hadn’t been combed well. His trouser tried its best to cover his leg. His shirt had holes.

                               “ Eami , okkada kusttaru?” He asked.

                                                I had no idea what he was saying. But I nodded my head with a smile. I wasn’t ready to admit that I didn’t know his language. His accent was like a saw cutting a wood. I nodded my head without any interest.

                                    The boy was a smart fish. He smelled it out that I was not able to understand his language. I was happy of his understanding ability which would help to put a full stop for our discourse.

                        To my surprise, he resumed his conversation in another language. I was struck with wonder of the ugly boy who was speaking fluent English, as if he was born in England.

                        I tried hard to answer his question as if I was a boy, where he was giving casual answer.

                         He had a sister who had been hospitalized and had none to take care of her. He was the only soul in the world she had. He was working as a page boy in the train for living.

                         He had triggered my curiosity to know more about him. I asked his whereabouts. He started to narrate his pathetic story.

                        His father had left the family when he was a small boy. He had no choice but to survive on his own with his mother and his sister. His earning was not sufficient for the bread and butter of his poor family, though he worked hard. To make things worse, his mother had been affected by HIV and her life would be shorter than expected. On suspicion, he checked it out his sister whether she was affected too. The result was positive which made his life negative. He admitted his sister in a hospital and started to work as a page boy.

                         There was a complete silence except the sound of the train. I pushed myself hard to say a few words to console him of what he had suffered.

jeevan ko aage badhana hai bhaiya - Oh! you don’t understand Hindi. NO problem. Life has to move on.  Vaalkai apditha aana, nama munneri poitea irukanum.” He said in Tamil.

                         I stopped myself to say something which was going in philosophical way. I offered him lunch which I had recently bought from a vendor, because he had seemed like being hit by a drought. He refused and said.

                        “No, thank you.”

                        “Why? You haven’t had food. You look so hungry.”

                 “Ya ,bhaiya but my sister is not eating, so I am also not eating. How can I eat without her?”

                         “You can afford her later.” I said.

                        “No, bhaiya, she won’t take anything unless I eat in front of her.”

                        I did not know what to say. I tried to speak something but my effort was in vain. I was searching for words that would be apt to cheer him up.

                        “Then, what do you want?” I asked.

                        He fumbled and said. “Can you give what I demand?”

                        I checked my wallet and said. “I will try.”

                        “Can you give me the Rubik’s cube which you are solving now?”

                        “The Rubik’s cube?”

                        “Yeah, I want to solve it but nobody teaches me. Can you, if you are willing?”

                        I smiled and taught him how to solve it. He was so happy of solving it and he learnt it faster than I thought.

                        “Wow ! You solved it.”

                         He smiled as if he won the world. “Can I keep it?”

                        I stared at him for a moment and said, “Yes, of course.”

                        He jumped off his seat and hugged me.

                        “Thank you, baiya.”

                        I patted oh his back and said, “You don’t worr………!”

                        He had already moved to the next berth and started to talk in Bengali.

               “Āpani kōthāẏa yācchēna” (Bangla for “Where are you going?”)

I was staring at him as he was solving the Rubik’s cube and was talking with the family.