A Recent Train Journey

Corona. I don’t feel thanking it for this massive destruction but I want to thank it for giving one of those wonderful moments where I’ll find myself on cloud nine. Of course, this incident happened 10 days ago but now I got time and words to write my return journey from the hostel to my palace – for which my dad pays the rent. It was around 6:30 pm when myself and my other 4 idiots (friends) have boarded the train and sat in our seats of coach S7. Unfortunately one of us got a berth far from others in S4, so he went to his berth and left of us got glued to our own phones and minding our own business. Two were busy in making memes and the other in watching YouTube videos and me putting my whole soul in playing monopoly like I did in my childhood days. I changed my seat several times without my knowledge until when my friend saw me as if I ran out of some mental asylum.

And at around 8:30pm we all thought of having supper. Our college provided us with parcels which had tomato rice. We all sat and after having tomato rice everyone took their seats. Finally, I sat in my seat beside the window. Two of us got lower berth and the other two got upper berth. And when everyone took their seats everyone started watching movies but myself I sat near the window. Still, I don’t know who this middle berth guy is. If he comes soon then I must sleep. But this thought lasted in my mind till I started watching outside scenery. Indeed it was dark and nothing was visible but still, the fresh air which hits on our face, it gives a whole new experience. 

Suddenly someone came and sat beside me. When I turned to my right it was a girl of around 19 years, who seems like a college student similar to me who is going home on her corona vacation. She was struggling with her parcel to eat as there was no place to keep the box and eat. So I offered her my window seat and started to play monopoly again, I had only that game on my phone. Then after some time, I saw my friends who were now highly intensive in watching films. But I was still playing monopoly as I didn’t have any earphones at least to listen to songs. All of a sudden the girl who was eating called me and asked whether will there be anyone who can share this food with me or not. And I was like, “What? Are you aware of what you are asking?” Still, they were on my tongue but I didn’t say anything but gave a confused expression. She laughed but confirmed that she really meant what she asked me. And I replied to her with a no and a small smile which usually gets onto my face when my heart starts laughing louder deep inside. Then she continued telling that this box is huge for her to eat.

But finally, when she finished it all by herself I could see happiness in her face, in her voice which was almost the same, when my LOVE PROPOSAL song hit 1k views. She repeated this many times, “I never eat this much rice. I never had, even in my home.” I felt her words. It was almost 9:40pm when she finally settled down in my window seat. I was feeling sad that I missed the seat but that feeling was covered with the feeling that a girl sat beside me which didn't happen in the last 3 years of my life😂😂.

Slowly I was searching for topics to talk to her. But when I started asking her some random questions like where are you from and where are you heading towards and all such sort of questions the climate around me started settling cool. And of course sometimes in between, she got calls, but I can’t stop those so I kept quiet and started looking around. Then I sat in my friend’s seat to see which movie he is watching. And later when I came to my seat still she was in a call. So I took my phone and started writing some lyrics for my next song.

Then after some time, she cut the call, so I turned to her and asked “Are you sleepy? Should I pull up your berth for you?” She said, “No, I’m fine. If you feeling sleepy, then tell me. I’ll go to my berth”. I thought to myself that “A girl is sitting beside me and we are becoming good friends. After this night's journey, when we wake up, it’s only the goodbyes left for each other. Instead of knowing each other, sharing our memories, how you could think that I would sleep?”. The irony is that while thinking this, I was yawning a lot. Yeah, it was a totally odd thing to do but, still, I didn’t want to sleep. So I went aside and looked into the mirror and had a facewash and again I came back and sat in my place and started talking with her.

Till then I didn’t know her name. I was feeling so odd. I didn’t know how to call her. Without knowing her name, I talked for 2 hours, not exactly but around 2 hours. So finally I dared to ask her name. In return, she asked my name and I said to her mine too. Then later we shared a few of our incidents and our hobbies. Then I said about my hobby of making songs and writing blogs and I had shown her my YouTube channel. I was thinking about how to ask her Instagram ID. But she took the lead and asked mine. And I was so relieved at that point that I didn’t have to dare. She was a bit more active than me and while she was talking I was just daring to look into her eyes. I feel looking into others' because eyes can let you know more about them.  But it seemed very difficult, because I still don't know how to talk to girls. I have 3 female friends but still hearing that I don't know how to talk to girls made me laugh on myself, but what can I do nothing. Finally, around 12:30am she said that she was sleepy, and so I helped her to arrange her middle berth. In my mind, I thought that it was too early for her to sleep. But finally, when she slept I too went to sleep.

And in the morning around 5:15am my friends woke me up and said that we are going to reach the destination soon. So I woke up and washed my face. Every one of us was busy packing our bags but my whole mind was to wake up the girl and tell her that we are about to reach the destination. So slowly I went near her to wake her up and tell that station is almost near. But I was afraid. When finally I dared to call her name and slowly she turned her head and saw me. I said, "we are going to reach the destination in 10 min". But “I have a habit of sleeping till the station usually”, she said with a smile and went back to her sleep. After not more than 2 minutes she woke up and got down her berth and started packing her bags. And I smiled to myself because 2 minutes ago she said she will get up when we reach the station but now she got down and started packing. I laughed and teased her, “We haven’t reached station yet, and how did you break your habit and woke up so early?” She smiled and said, “Sleep was gone when you called me.”

Finally, we reached our destination and got down. I knew that our paths were different when we get down the train. I had to take another train to reach my home but she has to go out and take a metro. Did I add something in my bag? Because I feel that something got added in my luggage. What is that? Do have to check it my bag, that what was making this a bit heavier than before? I guess it's not needed. Because I realized that I was carrying a new friendship with me. And I guess I won't drop it anywhere in the midway of my journey. Not in the midway of my journey home but in between the journey of my life. It was not less than any other memorable journey I had before. 

“Journey. Few will be special to us to be remembered, and few will be remembered as a special.”