A Day that I Still Remember

I am not from the family who are in Indian Railways or any one known working in Railways (but couple of years back I came to know two of my friends are now in Indian Railways, though I didn’t meet them).

Travelling in train as everyone agrees is reasonably the affordable transport and the long distance particularly, and you can as well get to know people during journeys and carry home happy memories too and. Now I am going to narrate you the train journey in my life that really got a special place that also made me to be more careful. This happened in the year 1999.

Though I am not a regular train traveler, but due to my job near Pune in a school (you might have guessed by this time that working in school tend to get more holidays), I was also pursuing my higher  qualifications through distance education mode don’t want to change my address as the exams are nearly approaching and as I can as well change the exam centre, thought will keep travelling from Pune to Hyderabad only a night journey distance. Most of the time I preferred travelling by Mumbai express. The reason I used to prefer due to:

 I can finish my work by evening

I can eat my dinner leisurely and need not worry till reaching Pune

Till the lights are out I can read or prepare notes for my exams

And in the morning till I reach Pune I can freshen up and be ready to join school

As usual after finishing my last day’s class work, after finishing dinner sat in the train, as Hyderabad Deccan is the starting point I reached early and as a precautionary measure I started checking my checklist and to my horror I forgot my hall-ticket without which I am not allowed to write my exam. During those days there were no mobiles. From station I called my friend on whose table I left my hall-ticket he cried with joy as he was worried as to how to reach me. He informed me that he will pass the hall-ticket to me in the next station which is nearer to his house and as the train reaches to that place in around 30 minutes and train stops for few minutes also and I gave him my coach number so that its easy for him to locate. As promised he gave me the hall-ticket and all my tension vanished with a jiff.   I sat on my berth (which is lower side berth) with sigh of relief.

As anyone else who likes to sit by window and enjoy the scenery around and if it is day time waving to kids who at times wave to the train travelers. As I was going through stressful evening for my hall-ticket I didn’t notice anyone in my surroundings. Once the problem is solved I looked around, but it was too late as everyone was preparing to get ready to sleep. And looked outside window realized it was full-moon night. I wanted to enjoy few minutes of full-moon night, before closing window for the night (as Railway Police suggest during nights to close the windows for security reasons I suppose). Suddenly I felt some one was sitting next to me. When I turned my face, I saw a beautiful face (probably she was younger to me) was looking through window and enjoying the full-moon night sitting next to me. We didn’t talk but quietly enjoyed the beauty of the outside world in moonlit night. After some time, she quietly moved away, and I made my bed and slept peacefully.

Next morning it was hurried situation as I was busy getting ready for the day. During the same night at home I started thinking of my journey and realized how at times journey brings us memories of people who meet without talking and knowing the name. When I am writing this after nearly 19 years, the nostalgia remains afresh in my memories.