A Train Journey

The speakers announced the arrival, departure & delay of trains along with platform details. While the vendors walked deftly & sold the perishable products, the stalls got busy with business. Travellers tugged luggage along with an attempt to either board or deboard the train at the same time. At the railway station, it was business as usual, but for her, it was a mission. At the entrance stood a determined lean girl with a baby in her arms. The run from the parking lot to the station entrance had her heart racing & panting for breath.

She looked back & saw the duo running to catch up with her. The child spoke, "You are holding me too tight & it hurts." She held the baby to its comfort without looking, but the grip remained the same. She uttered, "Sorry baby, a few more minutes." She clutched the baby close to her chest & tried to make her way to the train. She kept her ears & eyes sharp. She moved to the platform as per the instructions from the overhead speakers & time-to-time looked back. They were catching up with her. She walked up the train & quickly entered the compartment. As soon as she saw an empty section of the coach, she sat down.

The child wiggled & attempted to get out of her strong arms. She eased the grip with closed eyes & prayed silently. She breathed heavily & wondered, 'Did they make it?' As the train moved, the duo caught up with her & sat on either side. She slowly opened her eyes & looked at them. She handed the baby to the woman beside her & whispered, "I give up!" The lady beside the window took the child carefully & cooed the child.

The child said, "Amma, Akka held me so hard that it hurt." The teenage girl looked at the woman & stated, "We were so late for the train, I had to run as though my life depended on it. To top it off, you both took the luggage & gave me the child. I don't even know how to handle one, let alone in the crowd!" The teenager's uncle articulated, "We are used to chasing trains. We always manage with luggage & child." The girl yelled, "What?" The woman nodded in agreement. The teenager reacted, "You both must be crazy. Why can't you take an AC bus instead? It's a matter of a couple of hours!" The couple tried to convince their niece over the comfort of a train over a bus. The girl declared, "Next time, I'm not coming with you guys. Train travel looks glamorous & romantic only in movies. I cannot pull another stunt like this."

After 15mins, the trio overcame the fatigue & breathlessness. They settled comfortably at the train berth. The slightly warmer weather, rhythmic sound of the train & mother's lap was the perfect setup for the child to fall asleep. The teenager ventured to the sink to wash up. The compartment was bustling with action. She walked carefully & not step on someone's feet or lose balance with the train chugging.

On the other end of a train, a passenger navigated deftly in search of a vacant seat. Fortunately, there was one last seat in the compartment. He thanked his stars, pushed his backpack under the seat & settled down. As he looked out the window, a teenage girl walked up & occupied his opposite seat. No sooner did she settle into the seat than their eyes met. He turned away & looked out of the window on his left.

Now that the teenager had refreshed, her attention turned towards hunger. The trio munched on some homemade snacks & the chatter began. The fellow passengers enjoyed the conversation between the uncle & niece. The audience cheering encouraged the duo to talk more. Everyone around seemed to react, except that one guy. He kept his eyes glued to the window. The teenager was offended at his non-participation.

She sneered at him, 'How long are you going to look out the windows? Eventually, your neck will hurt & you will have to look at me. Then, I will ensure you react to my jokes.' As the funny banter continued, she caught a few instances where it seemed like he smiled. He continued to look out by switching from the left to right window. Once in a while, he did smile with a pretend to cough. Finally, she had his attention. An hour & two more stations passed, and now his neck hurt. He had no choice but to look straight at the teenager. She did not miss a beat to crack jokes. Finally, he grinned at her jokes. Only then did she discover the reason for him to suppress the laugh. He had traditional corrective braces for teeth & did everything in his power to keep them hidden. She enjoyed the tease & continued her conversation with her uncle. He tried to hide his braces & smiled as little as possible.

Another hour passed, and the passengers continued to board & deboard the train. Finally, the destination arrived & it was time to leave. Everyone in the compartment moved to pick up their belongings & prepared to leave. As they arose from their seat, their eyes met & lips widened with a smile. They walked together to the corridor & parted to go in opposite directions with a smile.

Take Away: Make every journey memorable.