My Return Journey

My Return Journey

My Return Journey

Bangalore is the capital of Karnataka. I was there for last one month or so, doing industrial training in a company. But it ended eventually and time to say good bye to the city had came. I was living there with my elder brother Anu. He is there since last four years for the job in the same company where I had done my industrial training.

            During this one month, every moment that I had shared with Anu is priceless for me. Those moments are the moments that I was desperate to have since last 10 years or so. We were together for more than 30 days after a long time.

              Train for my return journey to Nanded was scheduled at 11:00 pm. It was about 8:45 in the evening. After confirmation about the luggage, we left the room (me and Anu) to advance towards the railway station. Came at the bus stop in 5 minutes, as soon as we reached there, got the bus for railway station. They call it Vajra, the a/c city bus service.

            Sitting in the Vajra, I was looking outside the window. The city is made of historical as well as modern buildings. The scene was like I had seen never before. Finally Vajra reached at its last stop, Kempegowda. They also call it Majestic. We left the bus and five minutes of walk took us to the railway station.

            As soon as we entered in the railway station, I saw the time in my newly bought wrist watch. The wrist watch was bought to me by Anu, which is the most expensive and the best gift I ever had. It was 9:35.

We decided to wait there for the announcement of my train. For time pass we started to talk, and talked about trains & there scheduling etc. After 30 minutes or so finally we heard the announcement, "The train number 16594, Bangalore – Nanded express will shortly be arranged at platform number 8". So we decided to go to platform no. 8, went there by using footbridge.

We were at platform no. 8, but the train wasn't. After 10 minutes, the mostly awaited train had arrived. As train arrived, I looked into the ticket. Berth no. 60 was reserved for me in the S1 bogie. The S1 bogie was right behind the train engine, so we had to walk through the whole platform & that too with luggage.

"Phew" that was my reaction, when I saw the S1 in front of me. Saw the reservation chart beside the entrance of S1. The chart also suggesting that the berth no. 60 was reserved for me, so confirmed my place.

As we entered in the S1, thanks to Indian railways an odour has entered in my nose coming out from the toilet. We moved ahead quickly to the berth no. 60. Thank god it was far away from that toilet to reach that odour to me.

We sited there, still 30 minutes to start the journey. Again we were talking for the time pass about here & there, so & so. Suddenly I heard, "Excuse me" a pretty girl smiling at Anu asked him, "Is this your berth, the berth no. 60, the lower one?"

I was just looking at her, she was having big eyes and those were very attractive. Anu told her that he is not coming and the berth belongs to me, pointing towards me.

            Now smiled at me, she repeated the question. I said "Yes". She again asked "My mom got the lower berth, the berth no. 63 but I didn't. Can we exchange our berths, I got the middle one?"

I thought for a while and said, "Ok, no problem!"

            And suddenly heard the horn from the engine, the train had started to leave the station. Anu stood up and said. "Ok then, have a nice journey. Bye take care," and left the train. I just replied "Bye!" As train was taking the speed, I was looking at Anu. He told me by making action only "Call me", I replied yes by moving my neck to & fro. Now the train had taken the rapid speed, Anu was beyond the horizon.

            That pretty girl sited beside me, she again smiled and asked me to open the window. I opened the window without any hesitation. The train was making more noise as it is taking more speed. There were total 6 people in that compartment along with that girl, her mom & I. For next 15 minutes, the train was the only one which was making noise. No one was talking, everybody was looking else where.

            As train left the city area, it was traveling through the forest like area. The train was surrounded by lots of trees. A speedy cold wind was coming inside through that open window; I was freezing due to the coldness of that wind. So, I asked that girl "Can I shut down the window?"

She answered quickly, "Off course!" The way she answered, I guess she was also freezing by that cold wind. I quickly closed the window as got the permission from her.

After a while she asked me "Are you going to take your dinner now?"

I replied with a yawn "Already taken."

"Ok then, will you please extend the middle berth for you? So I can sleep on the lower berth, I am really sleepy now." She requested.

"Sure" I replied looking into her sleepy eyes.

I extended the middle berth, put some of my luggage as pillow and slept over the middle berth; she slept on the lower one.

            Next morning, I woke up and saw downwards at the lower berth. She was already awaking; the extended berth was causing her to sit uncomfortably there. I quickly came down and said, "Sorry for waking up late. You sited uncomfortably due to me."

She smiled and replied, "No problem."

Then I folded the middle berth to make her sit comfortable. Then I opened my bag, took my toothbrush and toothpaste from it & went towards the basin. Cleaned my tooth there and came back at my sit. As I came back, "Will you please give me your toothpaste? I just forget to take last night." She requested. I gave my toothpaste to her and got thanks from her for that. She went towards basin with that paste. After sometime, she came back and this time sited exactly in front of. She was looking so refreshing with her face wet.

            I saw the time in my wrist watch; it was about 8:00 in the morning. The train was doing its job with new energy in the new morning.

She looked at me carefully this time, thought something for while, smiled and then asked "Where are you going?"

"Nanded, the last station" I replied calmly.

"Oh really?" she reacted. I smiled at her by her surprising reaction.

"How much time it will take, your total journey from Bangalore?", Her curiosity.

"24 hours." I replied.

Her eyebrows went upstairs by my answer, again I smiled at her.

Now I reckoned it was my turn, I asked "You tell me, where are going?"

She said quickly with excitement "To Sellam and the train will reach there at about 1pm."

That was more than what I asked.

She was taking my attention, as I was looking at her for her every movement. After a while, she had taken a walkman from her purse and started listening songs. Looking at her while listening songs the way she was acting, anyone can recognize that she is crazy about music. She not only listening songs but also singing along with moving her body slowly on the music beats with closed eyes.

I was watching the whole event carefully. After sometime, suddenly she opened her eyes, like something went wrong. I was only looking at her, she watched me watching her. She shied a bit by this and then smiled at me. It was totally a different smile this time. 'Oh my god' she looked really attractive with that smile.

I replied only with a smile looking into her eyes, both of us were looking into each others eyes for while. And suddenly she asked me, "What's your name?"

This time my eyebrows went upstairs. "Aniket" I replied surprisingly.

"What?" she reacted, after hearing a different name.

"A-ni-ke-t" I pronounced it slowly this time.

"A-ni-ke-t" she pronounced it too!

"That’s correct." Me.

"Well, you have a nice name but its different for me. By the way I am Saujyanya." She.

"You too have a good name with very nice meaning. And you know what, you have very attractive eyes." Me.

"Thank you." She again shied.

"You are from Bangalore?" her question.

"Nope" I answered.

"So, how have you been there?" One more question from her.

"Well, I was there only since last month for industrial training" My answer.

I felt like giving an interview at that moment.

"So, you do job there?" her question.

"No, no. I have not completed my studies yet. Came here during summer vacations, that’s all" My answer.

"What are you studying?" her next question.

"I am doing engineering, with electronics branch, appeared third year exam this time around."

I answered more than she expected.

"So you are from Nanded, it is in Maharashtra, right?" she asked again.

"Yes" this times just a word from me.

"By the way, I am also a student, but a commerce student. I have appeared 1^st year exam this year from Sellam." She explained.

"Oh that’s good" I replied and then asked.

"Why were you in Bangalore?"

"We went there to meet my elder sister; she lives there with her husband" her answer.

"Oh Ok" Me.

I thought for a while and said "Seems like you love music."

"Yeah, I love it. Haven't you seen it?" she.

Her answer made both of us laughs.

            We talked and talked for a long time. She was quite open minded, as talking to stranger very freely. She talked really well. While asking about me, my interests, my family she was really curious. And while telling about her life, her hobbies, and her interests she was exciting. Time just flied away while interacting with her.

            After a long chat, she asked me the time. I looked into the watch and said "Its 12:45"

"Oops! My station is about to come" she told me. After 10 to 15 minutes later, the train stopped at station. It was Sellam. Taking luggage with her, she said to her mom "Let's go mom."

Looking at me, she said "Bye Aniket"

I smiled at her and said "Hope to see you again."

She smiled last time for me and left the train. The train left too, from the station.

            I was still having 9 hours to go from there on. As train was reaching to next station every time, people were coming to and leaving from the train. But I was only thinking about that pretty girl 'Saujyanya' with looking outside the window during rest of my return journey.