Train bound

I have been thinking about writing for quite some time now but never really got down to it. Today, I could not stop myself. I am sitting on a train on a journey from Bangalore to Hyderabad. As I sat, content and peaceful, a bit excited at the prospect of surprising my sister’s family with my unexpected arrival the following morning, I missed not having a book to read. I observed the solemn faces of my fellow passengers, a grumpy looking young fellow in his mid 20s as he looked onward with a rather faraway look, angry at the world. An old north Indian grand pa coughing persistently with his mouth half open and tongue arched against his lower lip to form a smile. He made a jarring sound with his artificial teeth as he chewed away on his soup sticks half coughing half licking. He reminded me of my dad in a sense.

There was also a young girl with glorious black shoulder length hair. Her hair had first caught my attention as she stood parking her luggage with her back towards me. Now as she sat opposite me, I noticed her small frame which made her look even younger. Her glasses and her hand bag told a different story. She looked very pleasing and I liked her instantly. She returned my smiles and my laugh at the sardar in the next compartment whose mobile phone howled away with ‘punjabi’ music.

I was feeling strangely excited, I wanted to tell all of them, pretending to be unconnected, stealing glances at each other that we are related, we can strike a conversation, have some fun, it is fine, it is safe, we do not need to be untrusting. However, I did nothing of the sort. Perhaps, this was the biggest break down, these souls did not share my thoughts. They would have thought I was mad.