RAILWAY TRACK…
Today, again, she did not even try to understand my situation before passing sarcastic comments on me and conferring the title “The irresponsible father”. This was not the first time when we had a scuffle over a trivial matter. However, my wife takes all those things very seriously which have quite less importance in my eyes. How would I have known that my meeting would be scheduled coinciding with the arrival of my son’s train? How would I have made my Boss understand the degree of my son’s happiness on my presence? How would I have made my wife realize that I also love my son with the same intensity as her? I also felt bad at my absence on most of the occasions.
In course of time, my wife had got habituated in replying to all the guests with her tailor-made dialogues for me, “He is stuck in some official matter.” And I always came back with my favorite line, “For whom I am working so hard? Only for you people. I work hard so that you can enjoy life to the fullest,” which they found difficult to digest.
Usually, I found it difficult to understand the reason for my wife’s sudden mood swings. This was not the first time when I excused for not going to receive my son. Why should she react like this? They all were tuned with my quick change in decisions. Sometimes I stopped speaking with my wife for her erratic reactions. My cell phone rang, my Boss’s number was flashing on the screen. I took a few seconds to make myself ready for intimating my Boss for not being able to attend that meeting. Before I could initiate my excuse, my Boss informed the postponement of the meeting. It was really a relief for me. No sooner had I come to know the delay in the meeting than I rushed to the Railway station.
I parked my car and stepped out hurriedly to reach the right platform. I was almost running to catch up with my son. My entire excitement flushed out when I caught the fleeting glimpse of the electronic information board. My son’s train was 3 hours late. It was 5:28 PM on my watch. I was wondering what I would do during these three hours. All the people were engaged in their work. Coolies were bargaining with the passengers. Hawkers were attracting the walkers by their garbs and glib for selling their wares. Ticket collectors were alert in catching the defaulters. There was so much noise. The hustle-bustle of the platform was making me sick. I wanted to run back to my office, but I had a fear that if I got stuck in some work then I would lose this opportunity too. I decided to stay back there.
I moved towards the WAITING ROOM. On the way,
I took a few packets of snack, a bottle of cold drink, some fruits and a newspaper so that I could dig myself in the current affairs as we get very little time to update ourselves about the current happenings in the world.
Usually, I do not go much to see-off or receive anyone. In fact, as far as I can remember, this was the first time when I chose to spend these waiting hours in the waiting room. I stepped in and scanned the room for a vacant place. I was the only person in a blazer, the odd man out. Most of them were in casuals. People were busy chatting among themselves. Some of them were playing cards. I was surprised after seeing their pre-planned waiting in that room.
I went near a seat, looked stealthily on both sides and cleaned it with the newspaper I had bought just a few minutes ago. I was finding it somewhat uncomfortable settling there, but I had no choice. A few minutes passed when suddenly, I heard the scream, “Help… Help… please help!” Out of reflex, I rushed towards the source of that scream. Just a few steps ahead of the entrance of the waiting room, an old woman clad in a tattered saree was lying on the floor surrounded by a few passersby. Just by looking at her one could easily gauge the degree of her impoverishment.
“What happened?” I asked inquisitively
“We don’t know,” A voice came from the crowd, “Her relative has just asked to look after her until she comes back with some aid.”
I did not wait for help to arrive. I shook that lady lightly and offered a cold drink. She opened her eyes slowly and took a few sips. I sat right next to her giving a damn to my inflated self-esteem. Though it was much unexpected of me, I did not know why it was working as an antidote against my tension. I offered her snacks and fruits, which I had kept for myself. She did not refuse a single thing and took all the things into her custody.
I was experiencing so many things for the first time in my life. Within a few minutes, all the people who had surrounded her trailed off gradually. That left her and me alone, sitting there. I was waiting for her relative to come so that I could go back to the waiting room. I looked at my watch. It was already 6:23 PM. I wanted to ask her regarding that relative, but she had dozed off.
I was suspecting whether that so-called relative would ever come back or not. Maybe she had actually left her in this situation to get rid of her. My brain was advocating taking her to RPF (Railway Police Force) and hand her over to them whereas my heart requested me to wait for another few minutes. The battle started between emotions and logic.
Suddenly, a fair and rich lady clothed in a silk saree appeared in front of us. I could not expect in my wildest dreams that she could be her relative. She wore jewellery which was not less than a lac. She was holding a small leather bag under her arm and some snacks in both her hands. Her earrings were twinkling intermittently which kept on diverting my attention. My eyes were wide-opened and my mouth was left half-opened, unconsciously as I was unable to take my gaze off her. I wanted to ask not less than a hundred questions that how she could be her relative. She was also looking at me in surprise, but God has given special characteristics to women. They can hide their expressions and feelings both at the same time.
She stooped down to the level of that old woman and said, “Massi, I have something.”
“No Bitya, this BABU has given me so many things,” and she signaled towards her old and dirty bag.
I was feeling honored. At least that lady remembered my help. Nowadays, your own relatives forget your support.
“Thank you very much,” she looked at me. “For what?” I asked to hear more from her. “For the help you extended in my absence.”
“Being a responsible citizen of this country, it comes under my duty to help senior citizens,” I said with the intention to show my humbleness and responsibility.
She looked at me but did not utter a single word. The degree of curiosity within me was going at the apex. I wanted to understand her.
On the contrary, she asked from that old woman, “Are you feeling better now?”
That old woman nodded her head slowly.
“Then let’s get inside the waiting room,” she said
I joined in their decision without thinking even once and blurted out, “Yeah, yeah, that would be better.”
We took that old lady inside the waiting room. Fortunately, there was only one space vacant in the left corner of the room. By then it was 6:55 PM. But this time, I did not want the time to pass speedily. I wanted to talk to her, but my male ego was holding me back. There was a fear that if she did not respond or reply properly then my self-esteem would be surely hurt. Nevertheless, my heart wanted to take that risk.
The award-winning question was still squirming in my brain. I could not hold back anymore and finally. I asked her, “Who is she?”
“No one…” she replied in only two words.
It was difficult to initiate the probing again and again and more importantly, at this age. I attempted one last time but before that, I had already made up mind that if she would reply properly only then I will continue any further, otherwise I would wait for my son’s arrival at the platform instead of the waiting room.
“Good to see humanity still persists in this city,” I said looking at her.
She looked back again at me and then hung her head down.
