It happened to one of those people for whom even the train journey was a big deal.
There they were, two of them, one tinkering with a large package in his lap, gauging that it had not suffered any damage from the air resistance, while other was busy squeezing out the last droplets of water from a damaged hand pump.
The one sweating on the hand pump was a large plump man, with tobacco stained lips, a paunch on his stomach, dark and well cared for face, stubby fingers, clad in complete white khadi. He was the man that usually happened to the big brother of the other one, as was in this case also. The younger one was tiny rat like, the only boy in the whole village who happened to be literate enough to have spectacles for his eyes, and also one of the few who was selected by his school to represent it at the science fair organized at a place situated some 500 miles away in a town called Bina. The pair seemed indeed juicy to me. So I indeed had to arrange a train for them.
“What do you think, brother?”
“About what?” Nathuram asked.
“Will I win?”
“Of course you will. Kali Maa has bestowed blessings on you. You are a gem for the village.”
“But what about the others?”
“What about them, they will lose. They are no match for my younger brainy brother. Not only you would win, you will also grow up being a Government Officer.”
This brought a smile on the younger brother’s face. “This is a science project.”
“So what?”
“But then if I am good at science, how would it be possible for me to join politics?”
Nathuram scratched his bald head. “Gee, for me there is no difference between the two. That is the stuff that big men usually do. Now there is no need for you to smart talk with me, understand?” He asked, getting angry.
The younger boy gave up. One thing that you can’t do is to make your elder illiterate adamant brother budge. You have to live with that. So thought the younger brother, condescendingly, shrugging his shoulder.
I saw the leader in him. He would definitely lead his elder brother to me.
“Well, when is the train coming?” Bhole asked.
“Any time soon. Didn’t you here that on Thursday, 2 trains stop here in the evening, 2 trains.” He said, wiping his moist face with a handkerchief.
“But at what specific time?”
Nathuram stretched his hands to the heaven. God knows.
That piqued me. God does not know anything; they should ask me for it. But, I in my supreme ego forget that they don’t even know me. But they will know me, won’t they?
Here it chugs, the train that they were waiting for, though not the same which leads to Bina, but the one which leads to…………
“See, here it comes. God, in his supreme kindness is benevolent.”
The boy gaily stood up from the hard bench, carrying the package carefully. The platform rumbled under his feet. It was indeed the arrival of the giant. And it was slowing down, not whirring past their station, but actually slowing down for him!
This made Bhole extremely happy, he saw a grand design for himself, waiting just to happen. What he didn’t knew was that a grand design indeed waited his presence.
“Ha, the station master was wrong. We didn’t have to wait for the train at all. So, ready for your first ride in the train, brother?” Nathuram asked.
But the brother was not gazing in his direction at all. “Where are all the passengers?” He asked, turning towards his brother.
Oh, the boy was indeed intelligent. I had to act fast.
“Inside the train of course, you can’t see them past the opaque windows, can you?” Nathruram chuckled.
“Windows, what……” The boy stopped in mid sentence. He jerked his attention back to the train. How was that, kiddo!
The windows were indeed closed.
“But they weren’t just a few moments ago.”
“That’s why I tell you don’t study much. Your eye sight is getting worse.”
The train came to a standstill. The elder brother readily jumped on through the door right into the coach.
He stretched his hand forward. “Give me your hand.”
“Are you sure brother that this is the train?” The boy asked.
Don’t doubt me kid, this indeed is The Train.
The elder brother did not counter my opinion. “This indeed is the train.”
“Should be ask the station master? He knows more about these things. Damn it, they mention the names in English, how can you suppose that anyone can read it.”
“Come on. The train won’t wait for us.” Nathuram asked, forcing Bhole in by the motion of his hands.
Come on Bhole, I was counting on you to be the leader, not the other way round. Hop in.
But Bhole was still wavered.
Come on Bhole, we would have fun.
But the boy was not budging. I indeed had to do something.
BEEP.
“See, that’s the bell. We better move. Do you want to win the competition or not?”
“I want to.”
“This is the carriage, and these are the tickets. The station master told us to climb on the first train that arrives. This is the first train that arrived. Now come on.”
Bhole climbed the train.
The moment he climbed the train, I started its forward motion. This of course filled Bhole with superstitious fear. But there was nothing to be afraid of, was there?
Alienman 