It was 11 pm on that sunday night when we impulsively decided to jump off the train. It stopped for not more than a minute in a small suburban town, an hour’s time by train from Chennai on the way to Bangalore.It was me & Vijay. I had two heavily stuffed bags in hand not knowing the adventure that awaited us, that night. When we jumped off the train at that odd hour, I had no clue what next, life had in store for us. If you are asking me, why did we jump out, let me back stroke the clock hands a few hrs from then –
In one corner of platform 4 in Chennai central - Dad, I got to leave you now and board this train. Take good care of yourself & mom. I shall be back soon, I whispered to dad holding my sliding bags , sitting on a big trolley adjacent to a giant fan.It was 9.30 pm in Chennai Central that humid sunday night . I just scanned the long platform, which was quite busy with people walking through its long lane. I saw Vijay approaching us.Aaaaaaamm I dreaming ? I pinched me for a second. No, I wasn’t. He came with his usual pleasant smile & stood beside us asking whatz up ?.Hmm … he was my close colleague & a friendly mentor, then. He never prompted a word to me even on Friday, the day I was leaving to Chennai.And that I have never met him in Chennai before. How come Vijay, you in Chennai?.Can’t believe it man. Another smile in a feeble tone- Came to invite a couple of my folks for wedding. Soon after the short enquiry, I introduced Vijay to Dad as my close colleague & a groom to be soon. Dad wished him delightedly for his upcoming grooming occasion. We just had ten minutes left for the train to depart. Vijay was also traveling in the same train to Bangalore with me that night. He said he would grab something quick to eat & was rushing towards the food stall. He asked my coach number & so did I. I turned back to Dad & signed him to leave home.
Stepping in to the coach, I felt for a minute, I sufficiently bathed myself in the humid air around. In sometime, Vijay came with a 1.5 liter Aquafina in hand. He looked tired to my eyes. He started his complaint chores against my Chennai, this time for a change, when both were in the relevant location. We were in a short chat until the train departed central platform, leaving us at the mercy of some mild breeze peeping in through the window bars. Sleep was standing in front of my eyes. And I kept yawning, indefinitely. Vijay prompted - ok shall c u tomorrow in the office. Fine Vijay, I replied back settling myself for a long sound sleep. But I simply kept tossing & turning along sides for a long time & was desperate to catch some sleep before I reached Bangalore.
When it was three minutes to eleven, the TT lit the lamps in my coach and I instantaneously woke up dazzled. It was just not the TT but TT with Vijay. Clueless I was. Slowly I enquired -What happened Vijay? Before I could finish, he puked some more liquid & was holding his hands tightly around his stomach. Neither did he have the energy to speak out nor to give me any explanation. The TT spoke. ’I guess you are the only person whom he knew in this train right now maaa. I don’t think he can travel until Bangalore in this condition and neither does he wish to. Probably what you could do is get down in the next arriving station and get him admitted in some hospital, since his condition seems to be pathetic. Can you take care maaa ?’ he ended. Of course yes. If not for Vijay, for whom else am I going to do that, I told myself.I knew at once seeing him,it was yet another monstrous act of those tiny calcium pellets inside his kid knees. But a parallel thought rushed in. Is it really safe to jump off the train around midnight, not knowing where, how, when & with what confidence ... but then there wasn’t much time to ponder over that popped riddle since the station arrived the very next moment. Vijay was absolutely against me jumping off with him & insisted that I don’t do that. But his situation was absolutely pathetic. More worse was when I realized, with that streak of pain in his stomach he can’t help himself much. Life shouldn’t be a pointless existence Dev – my impulse nerve replied to my parallel thought by jumping instantly. The TT was kind enough to jump, run , inform & request his fellow colleague at the station to do the needful for us at that remote platform and then was quick & smart enough to board the moving train. I thanked him standing in the platform seeing him receding in the train in which we were also supposed to reach Bangalore that following morning.
Vijay found it hard to even walk. Once the train crossed the platform, he sat along the platform and puked at his ease on the tracks.It was shivering cold by then. Hands chilled, because of cold or fear, I didn’t know.Whatz next?, I really didn’t know. After he puked all that was left inside – we managed to reach the station master’s cabin. There were a couple of people along with the station master, who offered us a place to sit & enquired how they could help us. I explained to them the story behind me speaking to them, that very moment. The station master called the railway hospital & checked for the doctor’s availability. Mean while I enquired with a loader,how far was the railway hospital from the station. He said, it was hardly ten minutes from the station and that they would arrange transportation for us. And asked us not to worry.Finally we were in an auto heading the railway hospital by all possibly certified bad roads in a typical Indian suburban town. Couldn’t help much for the kind of help that people offered us during that remote hour that night. Reached hospital, spoke to the nurse and explained the emergency behind having Vijay examined by a doctor immediately. She helped us by making the doctor arrive on time, injecting Vijay with some pain killers & giving him the typical inverted drip bottle treatment.
For a moment, when I saw Vijay lying on the hospital bed that midnight, I felt strongly how skewed destiny can be sometimes but then with its own safe upper & lower limits.The doctor arrived with sleep studded on his face, listened to me patiently and was kind enough to suggest the best thing that we could do. I respected him for the profession that he chose & the humanity that drove him there, at that hour. In sometime Vijay got rid of his pain & dozed off. It was time for me too to catch some sleep. There were many beds vacant in that ward. I chose a bed which had a running fan above it.When I woke up, it was 5 am & the scene around made me realize, we had been through a mini mid night adventure. Vijay was awake too. He was feeling far better. He wished that we leave to Bangalore soon to take a proper treatment for his ailment without wasting any minutes.So we thanked all the people in the hospital who were of help to us the earlier night.
I never expected that we might stumble upon such kind & helpful people on our way.God was there along, I felt. How helpful they were, I can’t explain by words.When we spoke to them regarding our desire to leave the hospital soon, they arranged for the ambulance to drop us in the station. Soon we reached the station back from the hospital by another set of bumpy roads. Railway hospital in that small insignificant south Indian town had handful of kind hearted, service oriented, sincere and concerned people -the driver, the watchman, helpers, nurses & the doctor all appeared to me like god’s personification.More pleasant we felt when we reached station & found that the station master& his folks whom we met the earlier night enquired us with utmost care and was willing to help us reach Bangalore & was keen on making us fill forms to reimburse our more than half way ticket money.It left a very good impression in our minds on the Southern Railways in general and a lasting impression on the railway employees whom we met in person. I heartily thanked them for what ever they were but was not too keen in taking too much of help from them. I decided to stand in that long queue along with the localities that Monday morning to fetch two tickets in Brindavan for our onward journey.
We had ample time before the train arrived. We sat on one of those metal chairs rewinding things slowly. How unexpected is this life – was the topic that we were deeply pondering watching the local scenes in that suburb.Vijay who basically hails from the land of richy rich south indian god, wanted to know where were we ?Mm.. it was Arakonam Junction.In tamil, the word arai means half & the word konam means angle. I was just elucidating Vijay how even the place names with in my state's territory(time to blow my own trumpet) were logically sorted out. It was a happening mid size town which is around an hour’s journey from Chennai towards Bangalore. These days almost the entire working & studying population of Arakonam travels to Chennai in the morning suburban train to make their ends meet. In a way it’s a thriving suburban Chennai, I was evincing. With a big yawn,he took a straight look at the platform and was wondering to himself if that was the same platform which saw him in such bad shape the previous night.Brindhavan arrived in some time. We soon found ourselves heading towards our destination seated among other passengers in one of those, not too crowded compartments where I was feasting & Vijay fasting all the way that Monday morning until we reached Cant station – Bangalore, where life appeared just normal .
In one corner of platform 4 in Chennai central - Dad, I got to leave you now and board this train. Take good care of yourself & mom. I shall be back soon, I whispered to dad holding my sliding bags , sitting on a big trolley adjacent to a giant fan.It was 9.30 pm in Chennai Central that humid sunday night . I just scanned the long platform, which was quite busy with people walking through its long lane. I saw Vijay approaching us.Aaaaaaamm I dreaming ? I pinched me for a second. No, I wasn’t. He came with his usual pleasant smile & stood beside us asking whatz up ?.Hmm … he was my close colleague & a friendly mentor, then. He never prompted a word to me even on Friday, the day I was leaving to Chennai.And that I have never met him in Chennai before. How come Vijay, you in Chennai?.Can’t believe it man. Another smile in a feeble tone- Came to invite a couple of my folks for wedding. Soon after the short enquiry, I introduced Vijay to Dad as my close colleague & a groom to be soon. Dad wished him delightedly for his upcoming grooming occasion. We just had ten minutes left for the train to depart. Vijay was also traveling in the same train to Bangalore with me that night. He said he would grab something quick to eat & was rushing towards the food stall. He asked my coach number & so did I. I turned back to Dad & signed him to leave home.
Stepping in to the coach, I felt for a minute, I sufficiently bathed myself in the humid air around. In sometime, Vijay came with a 1.5 liter Aquafina in hand. He looked tired to my eyes. He started his complaint chores against my Chennai, this time for a change, when both were in the relevant location. We were in a short chat until the train departed central platform, leaving us at the mercy of some mild breeze peeping in through the window bars. Sleep was standing in front of my eyes. And I kept yawning, indefinitely. Vijay prompted - ok shall c u tomorrow in the office. Fine Vijay, I replied back settling myself for a long sound sleep. But I simply kept tossing & turning along sides for a long time & was desperate to catch some sleep before I reached Bangalore.
When it was three minutes to eleven, the TT lit the lamps in my coach and I instantaneously woke up dazzled. It was just not the TT but TT with Vijay. Clueless I was. Slowly I enquired -What happened Vijay? Before I could finish, he puked some more liquid & was holding his hands tightly around his stomach. Neither did he have the energy to speak out nor to give me any explanation. The TT spoke. ’I guess you are the only person whom he knew in this train right now maaa. I don’t think he can travel until Bangalore in this condition and neither does he wish to. Probably what you could do is get down in the next arriving station and get him admitted in some hospital, since his condition seems to be pathetic. Can you take care maaa ?’ he ended. Of course yes. If not for Vijay, for whom else am I going to do that, I told myself.I knew at once seeing him,it was yet another monstrous act of those tiny calcium pellets inside his kid knees. But a parallel thought rushed in. Is it really safe to jump off the train around midnight, not knowing where, how, when & with what confidence ... but then there wasn’t much time to ponder over that popped riddle since the station arrived the very next moment. Vijay was absolutely against me jumping off with him & insisted that I don’t do that. But his situation was absolutely pathetic. More worse was when I realized, with that streak of pain in his stomach he can’t help himself much. Life shouldn’t be a pointless existence Dev – my impulse nerve replied to my parallel thought by jumping instantly. The TT was kind enough to jump, run , inform & request his fellow colleague at the station to do the needful for us at that remote platform and then was quick & smart enough to board the moving train. I thanked him standing in the platform seeing him receding in the train in which we were also supposed to reach Bangalore that following morning.
Vijay found it hard to even walk. Once the train crossed the platform, he sat along the platform and puked at his ease on the tracks.It was shivering cold by then. Hands chilled, because of cold or fear, I didn’t know.Whatz next?, I really didn’t know. After he puked all that was left inside – we managed to reach the station master’s cabin. There were a couple of people along with the station master, who offered us a place to sit & enquired how they could help us. I explained to them the story behind me speaking to them, that very moment. The station master called the railway hospital & checked for the doctor’s availability. Mean while I enquired with a loader,how far was the railway hospital from the station. He said, it was hardly ten minutes from the station and that they would arrange transportation for us. And asked us not to worry.Finally we were in an auto heading the railway hospital by all possibly certified bad roads in a typical Indian suburban town. Couldn’t help much for the kind of help that people offered us during that remote hour that night. Reached hospital, spoke to the nurse and explained the emergency behind having Vijay examined by a doctor immediately. She helped us by making the doctor arrive on time, injecting Vijay with some pain killers & giving him the typical inverted drip bottle treatment.
For a moment, when I saw Vijay lying on the hospital bed that midnight, I felt strongly how skewed destiny can be sometimes but then with its own safe upper & lower limits.The doctor arrived with sleep studded on his face, listened to me patiently and was kind enough to suggest the best thing that we could do. I respected him for the profession that he chose & the humanity that drove him there, at that hour. In sometime Vijay got rid of his pain & dozed off. It was time for me too to catch some sleep. There were many beds vacant in that ward. I chose a bed which had a running fan above it.When I woke up, it was 5 am & the scene around made me realize, we had been through a mini mid night adventure. Vijay was awake too. He was feeling far better. He wished that we leave to Bangalore soon to take a proper treatment for his ailment without wasting any minutes.So we thanked all the people in the hospital who were of help to us the earlier night.
I never expected that we might stumble upon such kind & helpful people on our way.God was there along, I felt. How helpful they were, I can’t explain by words.When we spoke to them regarding our desire to leave the hospital soon, they arranged for the ambulance to drop us in the station. Soon we reached the station back from the hospital by another set of bumpy roads. Railway hospital in that small insignificant south Indian town had handful of kind hearted, service oriented, sincere and concerned people -the driver, the watchman, helpers, nurses & the doctor all appeared to me like god’s personification.More pleasant we felt when we reached station & found that the station master& his folks whom we met the earlier night enquired us with utmost care and was willing to help us reach Bangalore & was keen on making us fill forms to reimburse our more than half way ticket money.It left a very good impression in our minds on the Southern Railways in general and a lasting impression on the railway employees whom we met in person. I heartily thanked them for what ever they were but was not too keen in taking too much of help from them. I decided to stand in that long queue along with the localities that Monday morning to fetch two tickets in Brindavan for our onward journey.
We had ample time before the train arrived. We sat on one of those metal chairs rewinding things slowly. How unexpected is this life – was the topic that we were deeply pondering watching the local scenes in that suburb.Vijay who basically hails from the land of richy rich south indian god, wanted to know where were we ?Mm.. it was Arakonam Junction.In tamil, the word arai means half & the word konam means angle. I was just elucidating Vijay how even the place names with in my state's territory(time to blow my own trumpet) were logically sorted out. It was a happening mid size town which is around an hour’s journey from Chennai towards Bangalore. These days almost the entire working & studying population of Arakonam travels to Chennai in the morning suburban train to make their ends meet. In a way it’s a thriving suburban Chennai, I was evincing. With a big yawn,he took a straight look at the platform and was wondering to himself if that was the same platform which saw him in such bad shape the previous night.Brindhavan arrived in some time. We soon found ourselves heading towards our destination seated among other passengers in one of those, not too crowded compartments where I was feasting & Vijay fasting all the way that Monday morning until we reached Cant station – Bangalore, where life appeared just normal .
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