8. The Diwali Train Ride

It was Diwali time and everyone were busy booking tickets to go home for the seasonal festival.

Wikipedia defines Diwali as:

“Diwali is a significant 5-day festival in Hinduism, Sikhism, and Jainism occurring between mid October and mid November. It is also popularly known as the Festival of Lights.”

Of course it was one of the greatest festivals in India. The fireworks and the deepams are the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of the festival (and forgot to mention the 90% off sales at various shops!!!). It was time for everyone to take rest and be at home with family. It was in short a mini vacation.

My train was booked on Thursday the 12^th of November. The train was in the evening and I had booked the berth in second class air conditioned. I went to the railway station at about five in the evening (late as usual). I was walking on the platform no.8 going towards the spot the AC compartments would come. The station was very crowded with people who wanted to go to their native places to celebrate this grand festival with relatives and loved ones. I was walking towards my spot and two girls crossed me and went past me. One of the girls’ faces looked familiar and I could tell that she could have been from MIT. Both the girls saw me and I could tell that they had the same MIT feel that I had when I saw them.

The train came immediately as it usually does in the movies and I boarded the train. The new coach was awesome but there was no colour in my cabin. There were only family people all around me and I felt really uneasy. I started to message my friends to pass off my time but things got no better. I left the compartment and stood near the entrance of the coach. I decided to call Selvin and talk to him since I was really bored.

“Hi there man….” I started as he picked up the phone.

“Hi man….waz up?” I heard his voice on the other side.

“Jus called up coz I was feelin kinda bored wit all these family people around me” I said feeling really sick to admit my situation.

“Oh….thatz sick….no cool guys or girls in your compartment???” he asked.

“No buddy….everything’s so boring here” I exclaimed.

He consoled my state of boredom and entertained me with some ‘neck strangling’ jokes (mokka in Tamil). Anyway I felt I’d laugh at anything after being so bored. We were chatting for some time and someone interrupted the conversation.

“Excuse me….”

“You’re excused….” I said in a usual way that I always used to do with friends and turned back.

It was that girl who I saw at the railway station. I stood there stunned.

“I need to get into the compartment and you’re blocking my way” she said with an awful look on her face for my previous reply. I didn’t speak a word and she simply kind of pushed me aside with her stare and went inside.

“Hello……hello…..you there man???” Selvin was shouting on the phone. I wanted to talk with her but I didn’t have the guts to pull this one. Besides I was not in campus. If something goes wrong then I’m all alone and I’ll definitely be screwed up.

“Hello….” I said on the phone to Selvin.

“What happened there!!!?  Where were you?” he asked.

“It’s the MIT girl who I saw at the station….She’s in the same train” I exclaimed.

“Oh great go talk with her….” He said over the phone.

I wanted to talk but I felt I didn’t want to talk and get into anything again after Anamika. I loved her a lot but I felt that I might never hold hands again with Anamika.

“Some other time maybe….I’ll call you tomorrow buddy. Goodnight” I said and hung up.

Girl on a train….it was something already something I had been through in the past.

My mind didn’t sleep that night. I was pondering over my train ride with Anamika….the crazy night train journey with her.