A college student I was, until the last year. The point behind me revealing my personal info is nothing more than to let you know that, ‘I managed to get into a general compartment’ is a cliched statement that one gets to hear from us, the college students, especially when it is a spontaneous weekend escape plan. Well, my escape was nothing like a Goa trip or to attend a rave party, but only to go to a place I call my nearest home, far away from my home. Yes, I had gone to my aunt’s place during a 3 day holiday that my college had suddenly declared. Well, I am not getting into details of how it was at home, as home is home and everything ought to be perfect. The story is about my 2 hr train travel back to my college from my aunt’s place.
Now, to support my former statement, let me begin the story with, ‘I managed to get into a general compartment’. It was not the monsoon shower’s time, but let’s just say that the sun was having a gleeful time contrary to the frustration we experienced. I never liked the Ladies’ general compartment for some reason, especially when it was crowded. Unfortunately, I had no choice than to squeeze myself silently and make my way through the ladies/girls pushing and yelling at each other. Now, people have asked me why I have never booked my ticket atleast while I was travelling back , as it is always pre-planned when to leave. Well, can’t I just not travel with the economically challenged people of our country despite being able to afford a stress-free journey? I just like simple things and I don’t think I need a reason for it, right? And, if you really desperately need a reason, it is that this is the best way to know how it feels to be in their shoes and also to acknowledge the luxuries you have in your life and be grateful about it. Try it once and you will get to know!
Okay, getting back to my story. I’m amongst a compartment full of women of different age, culture and back-ground stories. You don’t need to ask them the story particularly, as majority of my kind is blessed with the interest to gossip about anything and everything and especially when one gets people of their own kind around them, then we just can’t avoid bonding over interfering with other people’s lives! So, the usual chitter-chatter was going on and me just being me, just plugged in to my world of music, as my intention was not to indulge into the negativity of gossips and only to be a silent spectator who didn’t mind travelling with them. Now, here are two of the peculiar observations I had and like to share, my dear readers :
- There was an elderly lady wailing over the respect she never got from her only son and his family. She was travelling to the city where they resided, from her village where she stayed alone. As she was knitting a cute frock for her new-born grand-daughter, the fellow passengers sympathized over her plight and began to criticize the new stranger, they just had heard about, enthusiastically. (My mind: Acknowledge your parent’s sacrifice and presence until it is too late.)
- There was a group of folk people, approx. 3-4 ladies and their total 8 kids. They didn’t have a phone nor did they know the station they had to get down at. They were sitting with hope and waiting for their men companions to rush to the compartment and get them out in a span of 2 minutes, considering the halt time. Their station arrived and a group of men barged into the ladies compartment and dragged the heavy sacks (10-12 of them) in a haste and asked the ladies to rush out with their kids. One particular child caught my attention due to her handicap. It will be difficult for me to explain in words about the sight I had as she smiled so sweetly, looked at me with sparkly eyes and tried to hold me with her “half” hand for support as her mother tried to make way amid the chaos. I didn’t want to convey the bizarre emotions behind my pale smile I casted back at her, seeing just the tiny half of her once entire hand. The other passengers just wanted to talk as I mentioned earlier, so they inquired from the mother what had happened to her and tried to evoke the feelings that she tried to control until then, just so that they could empathize. Phew! (My mind: Thank God for keeping you safe and value the only life you are gifted with. Also, never ever bring back the sad history of a person just for your entertainment!)
There were many others too but only these were worth mentioning as I felt a tug in my heart seeing them. Anyways, the gossip continued until THE tragedy happened. The train came to a halt midway and we didn’t get to know what had happened as we were at the other end of the train. But, gossip/news travel faster than the train itself these days. One of the water-bottle sellers you find in the train was trying to hop from the compartment he was in, on to the platform so as to run and enter the next compartment, while the train was in motion. Seeing him take his life so carelessly, fate thought of going for a stroll too and his body fell right into the tiny gap between the train and the platform. The train came to a halt but the damage was done anyways. As I witnessed such a tragedy from so near for the first time or atleast heard about it while being at the place of incidence, I felt shivers throughout my body. I didn’t want to look at the shattered, life-less body of his lie on the platform , which the people had managed to pull out. But yes, the women travelling along with me were excited to some different level as they got a bigger topic to talk about. They started discussing and describing what they saw and started talking about life again! My earphones couldn’t help me escape this time as my mind was stuck at the tragedy that just happened and wondering how people value their life so less. Yes, risks are necessary and Darr ke aage jeet hai (If you overcome your fear, you get success), but you only live once too!
As many as traumatic experiences I encountered in a 2 hr journey, that many lessons I did learn as well. Sometimes, you need to step into a world that is different from yours, only to learn many things more and have a moment of self-realization.
Aiswarya's Blog 