The Train Journey

“Ahmed, hurry! We are getting late. What are you doing? Why are you taking so much time? Hurry up!” Mom shouted.

“Coming, Mom!” Ahmed answered.

He hurriedly came and sat in the wagon, and they headed towards the train station, which was an hour away. When they arrived, the train had already reached the station, and they had only 10 minutes left to catch it.

Ahmed, along with his three siblings—Noreen, Hadi, and Yasmeen—and their parents, ran towards the train. Dad shouted, “It’s the 3rd compartment, hurry!” With a lot of excitement, they finally climbed into the train’s 3rd compartment.

The journey has been pleasant so far. They had booked their tickets early and secured all six seats. Mom took out a long cloth to cover the entrance, like a curtain, so she could sit comfortably without passing passengers seeing her. They settled in, and the ticket checker arrived, asking for the tickets from behind the curtain. Dad showed him the tickets.

Ahmed, an average student, often found himself lost in thought. He began to observe his surroundings. After an hour, a tea seller came by, calling out loudly to let passengers know he was selling tea. Dad asked Mom if she wanted some, then got up and told the tea seller, “Two teas, please.”

Throughout the journey, various sellers came by offering juice, snacks, and other items. One particularly memorable moment was when a snack seller, with a loud and cheerful voice, came by selling samosas. As he passed, Hadi, being mischievous, decided to bargain.

“How much for one samosa?” Hadi asked.

“Twenty rupees,” replied the seller.

“How about ten rupees?” Hadi countered.

The seller laughed heartily and said, “For you, young sir, twenty rupees! Special discount!”

Everyone in their compartment burst into laughter at Hadi’s futile attempt to haggle. Even the snack seller couldn’t stop chuckling as he moved on.

The sound of the train whistle and the sensation of running on the tracks filled Ahmed with excitement. The swaying of the train and the rhythmic brushing of the tracks created such a joyful experience. Even when Hadi went to use the washroom, he couldn’t help but smile because of the playful swaying!

The train made a stop at Hyderabad station in Sindh, where it took a fifteen-minute break. Ahmed climbed down with his father to look around. He saw different food stalls and gift shops and observed passengers either leaving the train or climbing aboard. A group of school children, all wearing the same uniform, were running around the platform, playing tag and causing a delightful ruckus. After the whistle blew, Ahmed and his dad returned to the train and said goodbye to the station.

As the journey resumed, suddenly, a commotion erupted in the next compartment. Ahmed saw a young man shouting, “I am not going to get married! Why did you forget my dress?” Everyone was tense as they tried to figure out a solution. Eventually, they decided that one of the cousins, still at home, would bring the dress to the train’s next stop.

All the passengers were surprised but also prayed for a successful handover. When the station arrived, the groom was standing on the wrong side of the platform while his uncle was on the right side. Ahmed’s father requested the train master to stop the train for a while so they could receive the dress, but the train master refused. However, he agreed to slow the train down.

The train slowly left the station, and Ahmed watched everything from the window. His uncle leaned out to reach the dress, while the cousin, hanging the dress up as high as he could, made sure his uncle could grab it. Passengers who were at the platform side window were eagerly watching how they got the dress.

When the train slowly passed, his uncle managed to grab the dress. Everyone on the train clapped and cheered for the groom, who, unaware of what had just happened, came back crying, “See, I told you! My dress! What will I do now?”

The passengers started laughing, and Ahmed’s father hugged the groom, saying, “Here is your dress.” The groom was astonished and relieved, joining in the laughter with everyone else.

Ahmed gazed out of the window, watching the fields stretch out endlessly, dotted with cattle grazing peacefully. Beautiful country houses passed by, and he breathed in the fresh air, feeling a sense of tranquillity. However, he also noticed some passengers throwing garbage out of the window. This bothered him, as he believed in keeping the land clean and beautiful. He wished more people would take care to dispose of their trash properly and not spoil the natural beauty of the countryside.

Ahmed noticed some passengers chatting and making new friends, exchanging numbers, while others sat silently. He reflected that life is much like a train journey. People come into our lives, become friends, some remain strangers, and some leave, only to be replaced by others.

The constant ebb and flow of relationships, much like the passengers on a train, reminded Ahmed of the transient nature of life. Every stop, every new face, and every goodbye shaped his understanding of the world and his place in it.