Train journeys have always held a great fascination for me. The rhythmic sound of the moving train is music to my ears. I almost feel warm and snug as the gentle sway of the train lulls me to a state of calm and tranquillity. Of course, I love to stand on the platform and watch the meandering railway tracks beckoning me to places far away. And as a child I used to think that the engine driver had the coolest job in the world as the trains whizzed speedily ahead. I guess, I sometimes feel the same way even now, too!
Since the
pandemic hit us, my train journeys had been non-existent. And I missed them
terribly. However, last week, I got an opportunity to embark on one such
journey from Bengaluru to Madurai. And believe me, I couldn’t conceal my
excitement. The moment I set foot on the station, I felt right at home as
always. The familiar sights and sounds felt warm and inviting. People dragging
heavy luggage, children squealing excitedly on seeing an approaching train,
hawkers peddling mineral water and coffee; an odd dog gazing at the crowd with
total disinterest; these were sights that were soothing to my soul.
I boarded
the train and was immediately enveloped by the warm camaraderie of total
strangers that is possible only on a train. I was struggling to settle my
luggage under the lower berth and a kind young man volunteered to help me in
this endeavour. A young mother who was seated next to me was struggling with
two spirited toddlers who wouldn’t give her a break. A gentle nun who was traveling
with us offered some biscuits to them and calmed the children down with a
nursery rhyme; while the mother could have her dinner.
A
middle-aged man nearby started to watch IPL news on his mobile. The younger
ones caught on and they started a vivid discussion on the performance of Royal
Challengers while munching on some channa.
In the next
compartment, a young mother pulled out a saree from her suitcase and started to
tie a portable cradle for her baby, right from the train’s ceiling. I was
wondering how the rest of the passengers in the compartment would react to this
as the cradle would be bang in the middle. To my surprise, two older women
helped her with the cradle-tying process and also lulled the little one to
sleep.
An elderly
gentlemen walked in with his visibly ill wife. He said his berth was a few
compartments away while his wife’s was right here. He told us he didn’t want to
leave his wife alone through the night and asked if anyone would be willing to
exchange their berth for his. Three young people readily volunteered! I was
amazed at the bonhomie in this miniature version of India where my fellow
passengers were speaking in five different languages and looked every bit
different from each other in terms of their socio-cultural background.
As I was about
to doze off, the elderly gentleman who was tucking his ailing wife to bed asked
me, “Madam, where are you getting down?” I said Madurai Junction. “I am getting
down there, as well. I’ll wake you up,” he said. True to his words, he woke me
up half an hour before the train pulled up to my station.
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