That day I had to make a journey of 500 kilometers. I was standing alone, without a companion, at the railway station. I was waiting for my train like other travelers. It was the time of Dussera Vacation and many people were journeying to their native places. Nobody noticed me. I was there but none looked at me. Many people used to pass by me in their own way. But no one did have a look at me.

The world is moving at a galloping speed and everyone is restlessly struggling through his/her life. Speed has made us machines. And often we utter some short mechanical ‘helloes’ just for namesake. Pronouncing the word ‘Hello’ must be accompanied with a smile which originates from heart and ends on lips. But I can hardly remember when I had last smiled so genuinely. 

Nobody was a friend to me in the station. All were strangers. But soon my eyes got fixed at the entrance of the station for a moment and I said “Hello” with a loud and jubilant voice. I was reciprocated in the same manner by two of my colleagues who had entered into the platform by that time. We greeted and hugged each other. The least known platform appeared to be a 20-20 match playground, full of verve and charge.

Friendship and coffee are the two sides of the coin. Friendship deepens with the warmth of coffee. That evening we three friends relaxed over coffee and waited for our train. We all had to go to the same place and we were supposed to board the same train. As we gave company to each other in the midst of strangers, our intimacy and fellow feeling intensified awesomely.

We emptied our coffee-cups. Then those two friends went to the enquiry counter to make an enquiry about some more trains. I was at the platform. The moment they were out of sight, I saw our train approaching to the platform. The train was abounding with so many travelers. I forgot that two of my friends had to board the same train. I only thought about myself. I boarded the train and the train blew its whistle and soon left the station. I was still at the door of the coach only to discover how my friends missed the train. I felt a little guilty that I did not wait for my friends.

(I would like to receive readers’ response in this context. Because I cannot still decide whether I was right or wrong that day. Two factors are worth to be mentioned. First thing it was a journey of 7 hours. Second thing, it was during Puja vacation when all trains get heavily crowded.  )