Midnight musings of the meandering mind

At a familiar railway station on 29th June 2006 at 12.00 am

11.45 pm: She leaves home for the railway station.Its raining heavily
"How could I have traveled if it were not for 'Dad's big car' ?".

12.00 am : She reaches the railway station, walks to the window to buy a platform ticket for dad .There were atleast 50 people sleeping on the floor near the window

"Boy !Its raining cats and dogs and these people are sleeping sound, when I am hurrying up and down to reach pune tomorrow to make it to office on time. Money that I have -can afford a 3 tier AC journey of 500 Km and peace that they have-makes them absolutely indifferent to people like me"

12: 15 am: She gets the ticket and thereafter reaches for the station master to inquire about the arrival of 0673 DN Yeshwantpur Express. He tells her its further delayed by 1.20 minutes.
"Indian railways- this the biggest public enterprise. Manages a mammoth volume of passengers and freight every day.In weather as such, the train is bound to be late.How can someone blame the railways ? Each system follows its own maturity curve and so will the railways. The progress is visible in the internet based reservations and otherwise affordable passenger fares."

12:20 am : She took the overhead bridge to reach platform number 3. A group of young lads were gambling on the bridge.
They beg or work all day, cleaning cars on stop signs,cleaning floors on train compartments, selling water, tea , etc and when the night dawn they gamble on the sweat. It that the purpose of earning , is it pure entertainment,a chance to prove your skill with a pack of cards, or a attempt to dominate. Whatever it be, there was an enthusiasm in the group, a joy! Their way of ending the day in laughter and satisfaction.

12:23 am: She finds herself a seat on a lonely bench on platform number 3
Recollecting all the college days -I traveled unreserved in general compartments for years. All the trains , railway stations and hawkers seemed so trivial then . Alas! Now there is a new perspective to those elements. There is a 'what can be done to ease passenger comfort on trains ?', 'How much this the ROI of hawkers on the vada pau?'. Its just so much more than a
railway station - a sleeping ground, an earning place, a betting field

12:45 am: A Frontier Mail train zips through the Track no 1.
Those three seconds are the best definition of speed. As it rushed pass the track, it quaked the platforms and took with it the some rags and polythenes. How effectively does power pull and disturbs ! It virtually forces the inferior to follow its travail in action and in thought over time.

12:50 am: A couple of Platform residents pick up a quarrel. She watches from a distance as drunkards blabber and get in position to beat each other. Just then another rowdy character rises to dominance and settles the dispute.
Sure he was the king out there, one of the card playing lads who grew up to be the leader of the gang. Amazing that he didn't ignite further fights. Just settled the whole thing in peace. I thought peace was the business of the UN and the center piece of summits.

1.00 am : A Freight carrier rattles away along Track 3. A colourful sitting of Maersk's and Hanjin' pulled by a dull slow engine keep her eyes still for 3 minutes.
The track is the same and so is the engine power. Different things designed and destined to run at different speeds at different times. Freight trains run slow - Its a prejudice.Why ?Aren't there are freight carriers that have priority over the fastest of trains. Exceptions presenting themselves to an otherwise biased mind !

1:20 am : She hears a computerized voice announce -'The train arriving on Platform no 3 is 0673 UP Ajmer Yeshwantpur express '
Finally it will be time to catch up some sleep on S3 Middle berth no 2. Hope the train reaches Pune by 9 without further delay.

How amazing are the trails of thoughts ! She is me and the station is none other than the one in my hometown. I'd lived in the town for 18 years and had been to that particular railway station innumerable times in the last 25 years and I never noticed the life it bred or the saw a perspective it had to offer. It was not about the station. Just a maturity of sight and thought