Train Ride

Every train ride has a story,
The ones you've longed for,
The holidays, you planned and saved for,
When each passing day adds on to the excitement,
And piling up of expectations,
To be back with your own, your home, and friends
And of course, lazing in your cozy bed!
It's not just about the destination,
But so much about the journeys.
When finally you pack up from work,
Your feet unable to hold back the joy,
Almost gravity-defying,
Add a bounce to the walk,
Why not, having waited for ages,
How often had you not leaped out from sleep,
Run to the calendar,
To check if you had counted it wrong!

Every train ride has a story,
The strangers, the bubbly and the excited,
That joined you by the door,
Waving to strangers at the level-crossings
And the lanky children in the barren fields,
And enjoyed the swaying of paddy fields,
Under the golden moonlight.
Or, the one who bought a cup of tea
Not because she wanted one,
But to bring a smile to the tired boy,
Whose fragile frame almost gave up,
Under the weight of the shoulders!
Few hours, few stations, and a few glances
And, she seemed to like the smell of the train,
The drizzle that soaked her face,
And the sip of hot tea from the earthen cups,
Breaking free of the layers,
Letting her hair down.
What a rocker of a journey it was!
The banter, the smiles and the uncomfortable silences,
The stretching of hands through the window rails,
To feel the stream's warm water,
As the train raced through the tunnels,
And scarily close to the rocky walls,
How they yelled
Matching the blare of the horns,
As the coach rattled and roared into darkness,
Didn't it seem like a house on fire!
As the time came for parting
It was tough to tell if it was fun, or, if it was tough
Assuring to be in touch,
When they exchanged addresses,
And the glances,
The looks gave it away,
You could tell the hope, the fear, the lump in throat,
Or was it yet another journey!

Every train ride is a story,
How tough it gets when you get ready
To head back, leaving the warmth and the smiles,
On another long journey,
When you struggle to keep the smile on
And take care not to meet her eyes,
Lest the emotions burst from them.
When you finally board the train,
Feet grudgingly accepting their fate,
And then you realize the train's pace, and your fate
From her moving away,
She picks a small flight to hold on to your hand,
One last time,
When you see the kajal turn moist in her eyes,
You couldn't hold back the warmth behind yours,
Any longer,
Words slip your wary thoughts,
You could see her lips move quickly to match yours
She said something,
Only to be drowned by the whistle
That had signaled start of another journey,
Of fear, of hope and of guessing her words,
Until another story is written,
Of another train ride!


© Sashikant Mohanty