Railways

There’s something about the Railways. No, there’s something about the Indian Railways in particular. In fact, there’s something about being in a non-AC train, and feeling the wind on your face, and hearing the rhythmic sound of wheels on track.

Maybe it has something to do with all the train journeys that I had as a child. Maybe it has something to do with the innumerable questions (and an insatiable wonder) that I had about anything and everything; maybe it has something to do with Baba being able to explain all the wonders of the train (and the world) to a 5-year-old me, and in a way that actually made sense. Maybe it has something to do with seeing a train, and remembering how it is that you know so much about trains in the first place. Maybe it has something to do with remembering the good times, the fun times, spent in Baba’s arms on or near a train.

Maybe, it has something to do with Baba being there.

I had a long train journey with Baba, Ma and Tun, just like the old times, a month ago when I was in India, and before that, a year ago before I came here to the US. A lot has changed since I was a 5-year-old; yet, when I was on those trains, it felt like nothing had changed. It was the same good-old adda, the same relaxed travel, the same… well, the same.

On second thoughts, maybe it also has something to do with having only the happy memories remaining, with only remembering the joys and pleasures of travel, with the memories of having had perfectly perfect times.

Maybe – it has something to do with being very, very nostalgic.

Yes, there’s something about the Railways.

P.S.: This is a post that I started writing a loooong time back (in fact, after the train journey of one year ago that I talked about, above). Only now was I able to finish it.

My latest long train journey was in AC, so there was no wind on the face, and almost no sound either. It was great anyway.