The Lost Boy

The 09.17 AM Diamond Harbour Local from Baghajatin station is the perfect way to start ruining your day. It is crowded, it is noisy, it is smelly and if you can think of any other negative adjectives: it is probably that one too. Oh, sorry – it is not just crowded: it is overcrowded, extremely overcrowded. But it was on the right time to reach office and given my daily routine includes leaving my kid to school and completing other morning chores, it was my only option. Not that the other options are any better.

I never liked it. People say so many things about the local railways in Mumbai. They should come and see that of Kolkata. My office is near Sealdah, one of the two main train stations of Kolkata. My starting point is only 5 stoppages away. Yet I hate it. I hated it since the first day. I have to fight my way in and way out every single day. It is exhausting. The situation worsens on summer days, when it is blazing over 40 degrees and you are sweating profusely. It was on such unbearable days I met Bikash.

At first I ignored him, a small boy of 10 years talking with other daily passengers. Many of them seemed to know him. “You again!! What’s the count this time?”

“It is not like that. I am just going to meet my brother. He will be waiting for me outside Sealdah” the boy pleaded.

The men laughed, cruel laughter when you know your prey can not do anything against you. “Yes, we know all about your brother. We will make sure this time is your last. Let’s see.”

The boy kept quite. But his shy demeanour did something inside my mind. The frustration, anger everything just sparked. Normally I let everything go. Anything that is not affecting me directly is of no concern to me. But that moment, that spark made me realise I ought to do something.

I went to the boy asked him “Hi there. What is your name? Is there any problem?”

I was half expecting the surrounding men will come at me but instead they just kept looking at us with a half amused smile.

I was feeling little stupid at their reaction. But I would not give up so easily “Hello boy, don’t be afraid. What is your name?”

“My name is Bikash” the boy replied timidly.

“And where are you going Bikash” I asked him encouragingly.

“I am going to Sealdah. My brother will be waiting outside” he replied.

“And are you alone? Who else is with you?”

“I am going to Sealdah. My brother will be waiting outside” he replied the same thing.

I was feeling uncomfortable. I looked up the other men who were now laughing openly. One of the enquired “ Are you new in the route?”

Although I was not new, I rarely notice anything. So instead of going into lengthy discussion I just agreed that I was new in the route.

The man then told the story of the boy. His name is indeed Bikash and he is from a good family. But there is something wrong with him and he runs away from the home every now and then. This gentleman Mr Roy, had handed the boy over to RPF atleast five times.

I was really feeling stupid now. The train was reaching Sealdah so I decided to accompany Mr Roy to RPF with Bikash.

Bikash came with us rather calmly. It turned out that one of the duty staff knew him as well. Mr. Roy left for office but I could not just leave. There was something in me feeling awkward. I asked if I can stay till the parents of Bikash come. That was not a problem as long as I do not interfere, I was told. I called office that I will not be coming that day and I tried to talk to him to know his story.

He was not talkative as expected, but slowly he opened up. “Why you run away” I asked him finally.

After some time he replied “I did not run away”

“Then?”

The first time he smiled “I like to travel in trains but nobody allows me. So I travel sometimes”

I was laughing. I was laughing so hard that some of the RPF looked at me annoyingly.

Bikash was annoyed too “Why are you laughing?”

“I knew a boy once and who liked to travel in train. Now he travels in train every single day. Do you know what he did?”

His face brightened “What?”

“He studied” I replied “He worked hard to get a job and now he travels to work by train”

“Wow!!!” Now I got his attention “Does he like it still?”

I did not expect this question from a boy but the question caught me totally off guard. Do I still enjoy the ride? Or have I lost everything I used to love in childhood to come here.

“Yes, he enjoys it even more now” I replied.

Well, it was not a lie. It does not give me the delight of childhood, but it allows me meet people like Bikash, who reminds me the younger me, the boy who loved trains.