Commuting in a train with Prady is always fun. More so when we invent our own games during the ride. This too was a usual trip until Pradyumn suggested a new game- game of guessing which side the gates of the Mrt will open up. Suddenly air was filled with aroma of Ma's Aaloo puri, heart was bouncing with
childhood anxiety, eyes were glowing with excitement of another holiday at grandparents' house....nostalgic me went to another world-world of my childhood. Slowly, Pradyumn's voice was fading away in the
shrieking noise of a steam engine train.
Seven years old Nidhi stepped out of the bed, rubbing sleep away from her eyes. The house still had lingering aroma of freshly fried puri's, everyone was moving in fast forward mode, the buzzing atmosphere was a rush rush to catch a train.
The journey to train station was always a balancing act of fitting all four in one rickshaw, not to forget the piles of luggage. The anxiety of catching a train was quite a thrill for me and my brother,competing with each other for window seat was as serious as wining a trophy. The trophy of fresh breeze patting your cheek, the beautiful back drop switching every mile from a village to city. Seeing litlle kids chasing the train and running their own race.
The excitement of shouting "chai le lo" like chaiwalas in the train alley and getting embarrassed when someone would stop us and say "arey suno ek chai dena". Anticipating what new toy or candy will the
salesboy bring at the next station, Trying to predict whether or not to ask mom to buy that for us, that sweet temptation - what if toy coming at next station is much more fun. That strategic thinking at age of 7 was commendable. Anything was fair. Even going to an extent of spoiling the new one and crying to unbearable decibels that mom would give up and say hang on, we would buy another one at the next station. Waiting for the train to reach Mathura so that we can gang up with cousins and plan our next exciting journey to our village. The game of guessing which side of the train will the next platform will appear, and winner of the game would be the person who can guess it right along with the correct platform number........
Just when I thought Bhai was shouting, "Dekha, meri side Aaya", I realized it was Pradyumn shouting "it is on the right side, I won... I won..yeah... Let's go mom". I gathered all my memories and stepped out
of train with a heavy heart, a bit of me left there hovering in the past. Suddenly, I heard Pradyumn saying,"you know what mom, it's ok to loose sometimes. Don't be sad. Next time you can guess it right. The
trick is to remember...". I looked at him and told myself "No baby,trick is to forget and live in the present", and I was again smiling, back in my present.
