“Sometimes involuntary incidents takeplace in daily life and live, forever with us, till death”. I want to share anincident, happened to me four years ago, when I was doing my engineering inBhilai. This incident, which I am goingto share with you, proves this statement. I will let you pull back and see whathappened to me.

I am enjoying my engineering, that’swhat every engineer do, have been leaving as a tenant in Bhilai. My one moreterm is going to terminate today with some unforgettable, and lots of cherishedmoments. I have decided to go my home by train which is at 5.45 pm. After completing practical I rush to roomand leaves for station after an instant packing. It’s an expected rush ofstudents and other co-passengers at station. After waiting in long queue Isuccessfully take my journey ticket. As soon as train reaches platform I tries tograb a seat and finally get one. The train moves ahead after a couple ofminutes it reached its top speed. Peoples around me are looking jolly andtalkative so an hr goes very smoothly with ‘Gupshup’.

Its 10 O’clock. The train is standing still at theplatform, its Nagpur station and I don’t know when train touchedNagpur because I was sleeping. Automated computeroperator has been announcing the arrival of train at platform and warm welcome ofits passenger. I take a cup of tea for refreshment. Minute later trains blowswell such that every passenger gets alert till last boggy. Now I decide not tosleep because train takes near about 3 hr to reach Betul from Nagpur and if I sleep it could create problem.

“Baba (Papa) I will be coming by Samata Exp.train, it has left Nagpur station just now.” I called my home.

“Okay fine”

“At least don’t sleep now.”-Baba. Certainlyhe was sure that I would have slept till Nagpur and didn’t felt that it’s a matter to ask.

Night journey has alwaysbeen a headache for me…… The train has gradually slowed down and my eyes are openingslowly. I see, one man sitting in front of me, but not exactly in front of me,and suddenly my sleep goes away somewhere in space! Alas! I was sleeping. He isfather of a girl, who used to be my classmate in school and we were living inthe same colony before their family shifted to Bhopal, 1 year ago.

TRAIN STOPS! I guess it must be signalproblem.

Station Name: Dhondhara Mohar; looking like asmall village with small platform in Satpuda Valley.

But it’s not a regular stoppage for that train;certainly I have crossed my destination. After a couple of minute train blowsand moves on. It’s a cold night. Stars, small platform, slowly moving train ontrack, giant trees adjoining the platform and one and only man, at theplatform, holding a green signal (Station Master), all are staring at me.

You will surprise that I have leftthe train at a place which is strange for me! An obvious question arises thathow can I do this? Though step down from the train could have done at next bigstop.

Now I will tell reason in short; I,living as a tenant and always used to keep at least 150 bucks before 20 to 25days of the expected date of journey, from my expenditures so that I could reachmy home, after spending rest of moneyand borrowed money too (worst case). Idid this but at this moment worst case has happened and now after spending onfare and others, at this moment I do have exact only 25 bucks with me. So nowreason is clear to you. How long these 25 bucks will help me that am why I tookdecision to step down.

“How long am I come ahead of Betul?” I ask to the station master.

“You are at least 35-40 km ahead”-Station Master answers.

“Have you missed Betul”-Station Master

“yes, right”

“You can ask anyone for help from highwaywhich is passing from this village and its 2 km away from here.”-Station Master

“Thanks”I showed my humbleness as much as I can and I left that station.

It’s too coldas I can expect because it’s a small village in dense Satpuda Valley. Stars are twinkling and half moon is sparinglight like a small lamp in a huge dark tunnel. There is nobody in the streets,vagabonds have slept at a place, such that winter night can not disturb theirsleep, like beneath bullock cart, in the sand, in the grass …….I am walking,down the streets, alone and it seems that every single thing is staring at me,with unfriendly eye.

My feelings getoverwhelmed when a sudden thought of home comes to my mind. What would havebeen the situation, after 30 minutes the train has passed from station and yetI am not there. I can’t make a call because of unavailability of network. Ithink, if I would have PM or at least CM of Madhya Pradesh, I would have made companies to transversetheir network in deep villages of India or MP state.

I am walking though the streetsas fast as I can, you can say here I am acting opposite an invisible force appliedby cold-winter-night, to make me unable to move ahead and I am trying hard towin. After 10 minutes walking I see that I came across one road with closed shopsbeside, except one which is still half shuttered. I move to that shop but no one is there and TVis ON! My hope gets shattered of making a call to my home.

“I am alone” my heart echoedand I take a look on my time machine, its 2.30 AM, sitting ideal on a bench beside road. Mymind is boggling and a lot of thoughts are striking to it. ”you fool could notyou wait for next big stop? orkoi jagah nahi mili?” I shrugged. After passing half an hour onlytwo or three vehicles, that too lorry, have passed yet, which is annoying.After passing one more half an hour one chaiwala comes and preparing to place his Thela. I peppered my question, as you can expectwhich it could be to which he replied…

“Don’t worry you willdefinitely get any conveyance to reach Betul by dawn.”.

I took a deep breath and a cup of tea.Its hand operated Charcoal Sigadi(A Hindi word for Stove ), which he is usingand a smell of that Charcoal has caught by that cup of tea but still taste isgood. After half an hour, this is probably my sixth or seventh cup and only twoor three Lorries have been passed, which makes me tense.

Around 4 O’clock one lorry stops for tea break. While chatting withLorrywala, he gives information that one overloaded Lorry has been slipped in midof the road and that’s why there is huge traffic jam on this way and vehiclesare changing their ways much before that place, there is less possibility ofany bus to come in this way at least for 3-4 hrs.

Lorrywala has gone bysimply saying this but now I collapsed. I am realizing that what kind of stormwould have come in my home and I can not help in any way as the cause is me,myself.

“Do not worry bhai youcan catch press jeep, it will definitely cross this place around 5 O’clock, press jeep to ml hi jayegi”. So nice of Chaiwala he is keepboosting my limit of patience and my faith too and tries to show me options Ican use. But I decide to catch any first vehicle coming in this way.

Around 5 O’clock press jeep has not come yet. But a lorry comes by,I stop it by waving my hand and told my situation and urge to help me out bydropping in Betul. He agrees and the moment I was hauling myself inside lorrywith my luggage…..

“Hey…press jeep is coming”Chaiwala shouts byfloating his hand in air, he is looking happier than me. I step down from theLorry by thanking the Lorrywala and move quickly to stop the oncoming jeep. Afterknowing my situation person in the jeep agrees to help me. I float my hand inair to say “Thanks” to Chaiwala and jeep moves on quickly.

I reached Betul within 30 minutes at 6 O'Clock after enjoying Ghats and scenes of Satpuda Valley, while dawn wasmaking its feet in a new day of our unpredictable and exciting life. Every dayteaching us the harsh realities of life and courage to face them.