CHUGG CHUGG......HERE IT COMES...!!!

It was the month of April and I could already feel the sweltering heat. I had made up my mind to move in to our ancestral farmhouse in order to escape the summer blues. Situated on the outskirts, overlooking a pristine pond with an occasional whistle and squeal of a passing train, seemed like an ideal holiday destination to me after all the hustle and bustle of the city.

           One fine day as I lay in my hammock sipping a luscious blueberry lemonade and turning over the page of my novel, I suddenly got distracted by a few chuckles in the vicinity. To my amazement, I found a bunch of teenagers who dared to get down from the passenger train that had halted for some moments and were now busy posing for photographs in front of this beautiful pond. As soon as the train honked, they rushed back into their respective cabins and within seconds, I could feel the vibration under my feet and hear the rhythmic rail sounds fading away eventually.

           I still stood there in pin drop silence with my fingers fastened onto the railing that confined the pond. I was letting that view sink in, but little did I realize it had already taken me into a flashback. I still recall how I used to await my month-long summer break to commence and my family would make travel plans to visit my hometown. I may have been in the 3^rd/4^th grade then, but travelling miles alone with my mother seemed like a big deal to me. In a way, it made me feel responsible at the same time. Our standard choice used to be – The Ernakulam – Okha Express, a bi-weekly express train running between the cities of Kochi in Kerala which was my destination and Okha in Gujarat. Back then, we travelled in the Reserved Second Class which was a non-AC Coach. Although not so luxurious, it met the standard of travel. My dad would come to the station to see us off and teary-eyed, I would bid him farewell as the train would go Chugga Chugga…Choo Choo…

           It definitely took me a few moments to overcome the grief of staying away from my dad for so long. But the passengers around me were always so lively that in no time, my mom would find me in one of those circles laughing and chattering away. One of the best tactics used in trains to kill time even today is playing cards. So many of us and so many different ways to play. We lost track of time. In the midst of all this, the snack-sellers would pop in at halts and sell a variety of delicious goodies. As a kid, I was tempted to buy the ‘Masala Chaat’ every time it passed by. More than eating, I was fascinated by the way the vendor prepared it. It seemed so natural by starting with the rolling of paper and doing somersaults of the salt and pepper cans, emptying its contents into the mixture and topping it with some lemon flavor. The aroma would literally awaken my taste buds and I was sure that I would savour it to the very last bit.

           I used to find it really strange that a whole compartment in our cabin usually remained unoccupied until we entered Maharashtra. Once we crossed the border, from some specific station, there always used to be a whole gang of energetic and fresh-faced youngsters heading for Goa. There used to be total pandemonium as long as they stayed. Half the time, you could find them playing dumbcharades in teams followed by melodious singing into the night accompanied by a guitarist. The best part was when they hooted like owls while passing through the pitch-dark tunnels. At first, I found it as a very undisciplined act, but then I realized it was an exhilarating experience and those resounding echoes that follow awaken your mind and soul. After witnessing all this fun and frolic, it used to be sad to see them depart. But of course, I had the regular passengers still beside me.

           I remember my childhood stunts of climbing up that ladder to the topmost berth that made me feel like I had conquered the Mt. Everest. The babies in their parents’ laps used to stare at me in awe and I just loved it!! It would often happen that the train would halt at any random, unlabelled places with a sudden jolt and I would wonder that the driver has probably abandoned us. But then with a sudden uproar, a train would be charging past us and by the time I could clear my hair mess to catch a glimpse of it, it would be gone already! At around dusk, I would force my mom to accompany me to the main door to view the beautiful landscape. We could actually see the scenic backdrop transitioning in front of our eyes as we crossed borders of different towns.

           Night time, for me was the best. In trains, people would have supper and fall into deep slumber. However, I would nestle up in a corner and lean onto the window bars, trying to figure out some shapes in the dark and testing my visual acquity. But the most fascinating thing was when the train took a sharp curve in this jet-black backdrop and I could literally view the whole series of cabins following ours, making a geometric pattern with tiny white squares (Depicting windows) glistening on them. These visuals were capable of hypnotizing me, but after my head would start feeling heavier, I would go back to my berth to sleep. Sometimes, in the middle of the night, the clickety-clack of the train while making its way through the bridge over a massive waterbody would make me shudder! But there was a reason behind that too and as I grew, I got to know the physics behind it. Hence, it was no longer a mystery to me and I could have a sound sleep.

           Amongst all my childhood trips, a train journey has always topped my wish list. A road trip seemed quite boring as I never had company and I had to sit all clustered up in one spot for hours together. Trains were really fun as I could run to and fro along the corridors, cabin to cabin and up and down the ladders. We may never realize, but it maybe the smallest of things like in fact the very journey to our destination that gives us sheer pleasure. I suddenly came back to my senses when I heard the doorbell ring. As I made my way back into the house, I pondered on the fact that as a kid, those trips gave me sheer joy. However, now when I looked back, it seems like I was finding a way to reunite with my inner calling all along the journey…

THANK YOU….