“Mannu...Mannu...”Mrs. K’s faint voice was heard. Mannu
opened his eyes abruptly! Oh...he was still at the Charbagh station with sleep in his eyes. As he opened his eyes he
saw people had started hanging luggage on their backs. Others checked their
pockets, back pockets. Channu was standing next to him with the bags on his
shoulders. Mrs. K was busy checking whether the locks were intact. Mannu couldn’t
understand what was happening. He went back to sleep again, rested back on the
seat and closed his eyes, but Mrs.
K shook him again. He closed his eyes again. The wakeup
call was unusual. He could trust my sub conscious that it was not Mrs. K’s
voice. With his eyes half closed and mouth open he was on the verge of falling
down from the bench.
Paaawwwww....Paaawwwwww...It was the sound that resembled
the last bell of a man’s life. Some reflex actions forced him to open his
drowsy eyes. Yes. And the long wait was over. Train no. 4853 was standing still
in front. The wind on the station swayed
every one away in the same direction that led towards the twin way entry-exit
of the train.
The stomach ache had become unbearable. Mrs. K and Channu
were waiting for the restless mob to come to rest. Mannu was still lying numb
on the bench. He needed home, He needed his mother’s lap. Oh God...The moment
had made him asthmatic. He lost the courage to stand, to walk till the other
end of the platform.
“Come on Mannu...Pick that bag. It’s too heavy for
me.”Mrs. K spoke with an effort to lift that bag.
“Yaa...Yaa..gimme...”Mannu said in a heavy voice, wiping the
sweat balls rather sweat volley ball’s from his frowned face. The ten step walk
to the train seemed much longer than several yards. But he was helpless. There
was no chance to escape the moment, but to drag his feet to enter the new life.
The whole world around him was silent after occupying the fraction of seat
which was much more than the amount they had paid for it. Mannu checked out the
passport to his new real world. Seat no. 19, Coach no. S4. After setting the
bags and baggage to sleep, he was able to spare a moment with Mrs. K and
Channu.
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