Train to Chennai - II

The sun rays entered the next morning and started giving warm feeling in the AC compartment, I was half asleep but soon it was broken by the chaiwallas with their piercing voice, they were best in this work. I woke up and put my hand into the bag to find the toothbrush, but then I realized that I forgot the instrument of cleansing teeth. It is not that much difficult because God has given you fingers, I treated it as a tooth cleanser though it is not brushy.
I was sitting like a lazarus who were asking for somebody to get rid of his boredom, but nobody gave any alms for improving my boredom. When nobody helps to overcome your boredom, then only one thing can make you happy and ‘BOOK’ is the only magic word for these situations. The day before coming on this journey, I bought Chetan Bhaghat’s latest novel ‘Two State-The story of my marriage’, it was the only souvenir for that moment. I saw the dedication; it was for his in-laws, I am sure his in-laws now will show some mercy on him. God bless him. I started reading the first page of a novel, it was a description of a mess scene, particularly about south Indian girl who were standing and messing with the mess worker, and Chetan were fallen for her because of her attitude and south beauty. The novel move around in between Delhi and Chennai, I was feeling good when I heard the name of both cities as I already familiar with one and for the other I was going. The novel took my boredom and filled its curiosity into me; I was reading, reading and reading throughout the day, the neighbours got frustrated as I was getting out of my boredom leaving behind them into the same psyche of it. They were trying to see the name of the novel, I kindly showed as now I wanted them to ask for it. Hehhe...how revengeful I am....
It was 7:30 in the night; I was feeling a bit hungry as all my energy got into novel reading, train was stopped on some station in Andhra Pradesh, I don’t remember its name as it was little difficult to pronounce it. The moment I asked the name of the station, I forgot at that moment only. I stepped out on the platform, looking forward to eat something but nothing was there except chaiwallah and thier piercing voices (this is the only voice which cannot change even in south India also, same quality of voice they also speak when they come to sell chaii...). I took a cup of tea and started strolling with every sip on the platform, and then I felt that somebody was licking my shoes, I panicked for a moment ...ahhh...it was dog. Thank God, he was not there with the bad intention, his lazarus eyes and shaking tail was asking for something in return of licking my feets. I was having only a cup of tea and I never heard that Dog also takes a tea. But I had a two piece of Chikki in my bag, so I gave it to him, first he examined the two pieces with suspicion and smacking it with his tongue, but soon he realized that this was not fit for him, he left those two pieces of chikki on the floor of a platform and sit quietly on the other side with dirty look on me as he wanted to complain me that I didn’t give him anything special. I too gave him a dirty look as he wasted my two pieces of chikki, that too of Lonavla (speciality of that place...). I was dawdling on the platform then I saw one man picked up those two pieces, first I thought he was going to eat so I thought to tell him, but he placed those two pieces on the side of the floor so that nobody could step over it. I was so impressed by the act of this person, I realised the difference between Delhi and Chennai, more appropriately North India and South India, their people don’t care for these things, if they find something thrown on the road they throw something more over it rather than picking those things and make a dustbin to that area. But this is all opposite in South, this is the importance of education. I was not even overcome by this impression, one poor boy took those pieces, I told him not to eat that it was already licked by dog, but he didn’t listen me, he washed those two pieces and eaten it. These two incidents touched me a lot; I realized the importance of those two pieces of chikki. For me maybe it was nothing more than two chikkies but for that poor guy it was something very special that he ate it though the dog too left it.
After overwhelming incident, I again stuck with the novel reading and reaching furiously at the end of the story, only 40 pages were left, interruption occurred, somebody switched off the light curtailing me from reading more. I showed a little soreness with the sudden barbaric treatment given to me by that mad fellow. I thought to answer him, but I went outside with the novel, thinking to be a better answer. I again started, sitting on the floor of the gallery outside the realm of those early sleepers. Some of them were watching me from inside, definitely were thinking me mad, mad about the novel. But then, I was not disturbing any of them, nor I wanted to, I didn’t want to distract my mind from the novel. I was totally into the novel, got emotional with every line of emotions and finally tears rolled into my eyes...............the novel had done its job, it made me cry. If any creative art holds your emotions even for a few minutes, it means it shows its effect, believing to this aphorism I moved on to the end...and a feeling of satisfaction covered my face when I read the last page of the novel. By the way, does every story have a good ending in the real life also...? I hope so; after all I cannot question on God’s decision...leave it...I am not here to argue with God...
Well, after all incidents, I came back to my seat for sleep, had a last look to my neighbours, they were busy in their dreams. I closed my eyes recalling the memory of all day...and thinking for a person I am going for...... gone into deep sleep......as deep as a sea...even sea is shallower than my sleeps and dreams......


to be continued...