It has been 3 years, away from home, exploring a completely different world. The journey towards my aspiration, indeed, has been through thick and thin but surviving all the odds i still fight for my existence.
I recently got a new job, met new people, and met new challenges. Moreover, left the place i was staying at, with a roommate, for last 8 months. In short, life had changed completely and i was happy. I had to shift to my didi’s place temporarily till i secure a good place to stay. Mornings started early and nights began late and it took an hour of local train travelling from Dombivili, where my didi stays, to Dadar, where i work, both are the most crowded places for local travelling. Indeed life was HELL. No sleep, no proper food, new people, lots of workload, to describe it well. But i was enjoying it. Every day i used to catch 8.36 am ka Dombivili local.
The frequent journeys made me acquainted to a didi. She too stayed at Dombivili and worked at Dadar and was new to this crowd, though she was from Mumbai, as she got married three months back and was staying in western line before. The first day i saw her, she was sitting at a fourth seat and so was i, both struggling to remain on the seat. I asked for a safety pin and there started are talks, and it went all till we got acquainted to each other’s routine and family as well.
The next day had to catch the local at 7 am as i was handling the PR of a trade show at goregoan. It was a three day event and we didn’t meet. The forth day when i boarded the same 8.36 ka local, i rushed to secure a window seat. I sat there as a smug, as if achieved something great. While ogling at the mass of ladies struggling to board the train, i glanced at the lady next to me. To my surprise, rather our surprise, it was she. I can’t describe the feeling. It was as if i saw one of my close relative after a long time, when it was just our second meet.
Before i uttered a word, she asked me, “Aare! bahut dino baat dikhe. Mujhe laga aapko naya ghar mil gaya hoga.” Then i stared bitching about my event, and one after other switching various topics, we went on talking.
The next day went on as usual; we met at the station, boarded the train but secured only one seat. I sat till Thane and then offered her to sit till she got her pre-booked seat at Ghatkopar. Strange though but now we had become train friends J
It was now a week since we met, we exchanged numbers too. I reached the station and was looking for her around. She was not there, even when i boarded the train. Damn, i was feeling so lonely. There were many known faces around, but my eyes waited for her. She had told me about her visit with her family to a temple near Mumbai, has she not returned. Well it was actually not my concern why she had not come, but i was sad. I called her, she didn’t answer. Was she all right? I went to the extent of thinking that her in-laws must have objected her work. God knows what the reason was but i kept on contemplating for the entire day.
The next day, finally she was there. The first question i uttered was “kahan the aap kal? I missed you? Seat bhi nahi mili.
I will be leaving Dombivili soon, but whenever would visit or pass by i will remember her, our chit chat and our experiences.
The only thing i could give her is these four lines which i conceived in her absence in the train
“Life’s journey is indeed like a local train journey,
A few people board the train with you, a few join in between.
Many leave at their respective destination while there are very few who are there till the end.
The journey has many experiences, some good, and some bad.
We meet many people; some make a difference while some are indifferent.”
I never thought that staying away from my family would make me so lonely that even a stranger would become a dear one, and that this small life span we shared together will bring tears in my eyes whenever I’ll think about it.
