‘For the kind
attention of the passengers, Train no. 4853, Marudhar express, from Varanasi to
Jodhpur is running late and is expected to arrive at 3:00am.’
The delay had increased by 3 hours. Somehow, the three found
a safe corner to hide themselves from the tears of the sky. It was raining
since evening. The Charbagh station had
become a shelter house for a large populace of the city. People were still
running to catch the trains. The whole
platform looked like a dustbin with banana peels scattered all around. Rains
and the peels had done a perfect job of making people watch their feet rather
than the bogies of the trains. Tea sellers were sitting relaxed and contended,
some with a biri in their hands. The
never ending rains had helped them complete their sales in a very short time. The
rains had shut down the Aloo Puri
stalls.
To kill time and hunger, people were eating biscuits and
most of the girls had a book in one hand and a coke in the other. Mrs. K, Mannu and Channu had come after dinner
as was the usual routine for most that were to board the Marudhar express. But
it was 2 a.m. in the morning and bellies of the young boys were again demanding
something. Mannu wet and purchased a packet of biscuit and fruit cakes. The ac
coach travellers had some uncommon eatables in their hands. For them Coke was a
necessity even in the rains. It was a strange sight for Mannu. But the purpose
was common; to kill the innocent time. From the past three and half hours the
same events followed. A train came on the rail track and every step moved
towards the horizontal end of the platform.
They slanged each other, pulled others just to grab some space on the
non moving berth. Why not? Occupying a berth was much vital than saving
humanity and humbleness. It was a show to watch.
Mannu wondered where
and why so many people go and that too at the same time? It was a silly
soliloquoy!
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