The Waiting Room

He walked into the room could not find her anywhere. His legs trembled, he slumped into the chair not because of tiredness but due to fear. The room was a big waiting hall of a countryside railway station.

Krishna and his wife were traveling to her parents' place. Her parents lived in a town that was near the state capital. All passengers who travel to the state capital had to pass through this railway station. She was tired and wanted something hot to drink. So he went to buy coffee for her.

He closed his eyes, bent his head backward, and was in thoughts. He was disturbed, and his thoughts ran wild like a drunken horse. Was she angry with him? Did she go to telephone her mother? Are any of her relatives coming to the station?

The baggage was still in the chair that they had placed. His wife Sangeetha walked slowly from the restroom to the hall. She was pregnant and carrying. She placed her hand on his shoulder.

He turned his head and was surprised to see his wife standing. He helped her to sit on the chair, wanted to ask her but held back his doubts. Their train was scheduled for next day noon. They had to rest in the waiting room like all other passengers.

There were about fifty passengers with children waiting in the room. The stationmaster was an aged Gentleman who dropped in to check the passengers’ comforts. He checked the restroom, walked around the waiting room, and noticed Krishna and his wife, the only passenger who was pregnant. He moved on to the night clerk table and scrutinized the record.

It was getting dark no more trains were supposed to pass for the day. The platform was lit with two lamps one at each end. The light from the lamps looked like a distant star shining from the sky. The light cast shadows from the things lying around. The waiting room was bright with light which was visible to countryside villagers.

The clerk had a lamp and a torch on her table for an emergency. The passengers opened their bags and sat down to eat what they had brought from home. The night clerk went to the washroom and when returning noticed Krishna and his wife did not eat. He was resting, and she was reading a book.

The passengers made themselves comfortable to sleep with whatever space was available. There was not much space between each family. They appeared as if clothes had been laid out to dry in the sun by the laundryman. Now the clerk saw Krishna and his wife eating biscuits.

She offered the extra food packet to them and asked them to eat. Krishna was hesitant, his wife refused to take. The clerk insisted that being pregnant one must not sleep on an empty stomach which is not good for the growing baby.

Because as a child Sangeetha was taught not to accept anything from strangers. This habit made her reluctant to accept from the clerk. The night clerk persisted and at last Krishna accepted the food packed and thanked her. She enquired about pregnancy and her regular checkups with the doctor. She told him that in her earlier days she had worked as an assistant to a lady doctor for three years.

He and his wife ate the food given by the clerk. They slept beside the chair where they had kept their baggage. The clerk felt sleepy, so she closed the front door to the waiting room and rested her head on the table to sleep.

A slight moaning sound was heard in the waiting room. The clerk disturbed by the sound focused the torchlight on the wall clock, it was the wee hour of the day. She switched on the lamp, lifted it to see where the sound was coming from. She saw the pregnant woman rolling from side to side.

The clerk walked to the sleeping woman, woke up her husband. He found his wife moaning in pain, woke her up. She realized what the pain was and asked Krishna how many months his wife was pregnant. He told her she was in the ninth month of pregnancy.

The clerk knew the emergency, immediately she woke five elderly woman passengers sleeping. She told them the situation and the need for help. She ran to the stationmaster's house which was just behind the railway station. She knocked on the door, the stationmaster and his wife opened the door. She explained the situation.

In the meantime, the pain grew, Sangeetha could not bear it any longer. The elderly woman passengers carried Sangeetha with the help of her husband to a corner. They laid her on the floor and surrounded her with saree. She clenched her teeth and tried to control her moaning sound.

The clerk carried a pan with hot water. The stationmaster’s wife carried an old used saree and accompanied the clerk. They reached the waiting room. The clerk who had worked earlier as a midwife knew what to do. She went inside the saree barricade placed the water pan down.

She dipped one edge of the old saree into the hot water, squeezed the excess water, and placed the cloth on Sangeetha’s stomach upper portion. She moved it downwards, repeated the process again and again. She helped her to deliver the baby. Unable to bear the pain she gave out a loud cry.

The elderly woman passengers looked on, stationmaster’s wife stood shocked, most of the passengers woke up with a fright. Krishna informed them that his wife was on the verge of delivery and so the loud cry. The clerk carried a beautiful baby in her hand, handed it to Krishna, and congratulated him on becoming a father. All the passengers wished him on becoming a father.

The elderly women passengers removed the saree barricade, Sangeetha sat up and rested her back on the wall. Krishna walked towards her with the baby in his hand, her joy knew no bounds. Her eyes sparkled like a diamond though her face displayed discomfort from delivering the baby.

The Sun rose its golden rays filled the platform with warmth and a cool breeze blew through. The passengers who waited on the platform felt the pleasant morning wind. Inside the waiting room, mothers woke up their children. It was time for refreshing and getting prepared to catch the train. The clerk saw people moving in and out of the washroom, getting ready but Krishna and his wife were still sleeping.

The baby was awake and active moving its little hands and legs. Her duty ended it was time to leave, the clerk walked to the baby’s parents and woke them up. She said it was morning, get ready to catch the train.

A train arrived some people got down while some passengers got into it. It halted for ten minutes and moved out. There were hawkers selling and a few people sitting on the stone bench waiting for their train to come. The stationmaster went around the station checking things. This had been the first thing he did every morning before he went to his cabin.

Today he remembered the last night incident, he went into the waiting room to see how the newborn baby and parents are. Krishna walked in with breakfast in his hands. He saw the stationmaster looking at the sleeping baby and wished him. The stationmaster acknowledged him and walked out.

One more train arrived at the station, people got in and out. Some ran to the hawkers to buy eatables, a few ran to the drinking water kiosk. Most passengers from the waiting room walked out with baggage and their children towing behind. They climbed into the train and occupied their seats. It was time and train moved.

The wall clock was ticking in the stationmaster cabin it showed 11.45 am, in walked the night clerk. She handed out a sweet box to her boss and told him to give it the baby’s parents as a parting gift. Her boss did not expect this. It made him happy for her foresight. He walked to his home and came back with food packed. She was surprised at the turn of the event and commented to him.

The train was to come at 12 noon, but it did not arrive. The stationmaster received a call informing, the train will be delayed by half an hour. He made the necessary arrangements to receive the train. Both walked with sweatbox and packed food to the waiting room. They announced to passengers the train was late by half an hour.

They walked to where Krishna was sitting, Sangeetha was asleep, the baby was in deep sleep with a smile on its face. This is a parting gift from us “they handed sweatbox and the packed food” accept it told the stationmaster. The clerk told him to get ready. The train will arrive at any moment.

The stationmaster’s wife surprised them with fruits and flowers. She gave it a parting gift from her side. Sangeetha and Krishna were overwhelmed with this care. The couples were dumbstruck and could not find words to express their thanks. Water rolled from Sangeetha’s eyes and stationmaster’s wife wiped it out.

Meanwhile, the train arrived, the stationmaster went out to the platform. The clerk helped them with the baggage. Sangeetha was finding it difficult to carry her baby, the stationmaster's wife helped her.

They boarded the train, the clerk made sure that the seats allotted to Krishna and his wife was comfortable. She asked the co-passengers to help them till they reached their destination. The stationmaster, his wife, and the clerk bid them farewell.

They had to travel six hours to reach their town. His wife felt tired and wanted to rest, he requested the co-passengers and they moved to the other seat. She lay down with the baby and Krishna sat at the corner of the berth.

The train stopped at a few stations, the hawkers on the platform ran from one end to the other end selling eatables, fruits, coffee, and other bottled drinks. He had a cup of tea. The train rolled out of the station, the sunlight began to fade slowly.

The train reached, Sangeetha’s parents had come to the station to receive them. They were surprised to see her carrying a baby. They did not expect this. She told them what happened at the waiting hall, and they felt happy that the baby was delivered without any complication. They thanked God for the same.

A week later the postman delivers a small box to the stationmaster. The postmaster who never received any post at the station asked him wherefrom it is. He was puzzled, he never knew anyone from the said town. Wondering who had sent it, he was supposed to open the box when in walked the clerk.

He showed the box to the clerk, commented that he had no friends from that town. They opened the box and were surprised to see two gifts wrapped in paper. A note thanking them for the timely help extended to his wife, by Krishna made them recollect the baby delivery in the waiting room. Both felt happy to receive the gift and blessed the baby and her parents in their hearts.