On the Move

 "Why don't you travel?" "Go for a trip, you'd feel better" -- and other permutations of these have been thrown at me time and again. So much so that I feel traveling is pretty overrated, and rather tedious. For someone who is a daily commuter, travelling may not always be appealing, and I don't think I'm deep enough to feel the transformative experience that journeys are supposed to bring. Anyway, what I've come to understand is, being on the move is much enjoyable than having to get down or flit from destination to destination; provided, there is a window seat.

Even though clueless about wanderlust, I have always been fascinated by trains, Indian Railway to be specific. Railway station has been an important part of my formative years since every weekend I'd be at the railway station with dad, waiting for mom to arrive from her workplace. Equally indispensable part of this trip were the poori masala from railway canteen and the chilled HPMC apple juice, and a comic book or magazine from Higginbotham's.

Spotting the slow moving engine from afar was one of the most exciting feelings and even today when a train is spotted I feel the same. The walk from one end of the platform to another, was yet another interesting part of the weekend visits, along with peeping into the Station Master's room to see the board that showed train positions. 

Coming to think of it, trains are a kind of portal to different lives/worlds. Just observing a family/individual with luggage, waiting to board a long distance train can trigger the imagination to build up a narrative. In my imagination, I've arrived at New Delhi in Rajadhani Express (perhaps the poshest train then); or gone to Mumbai in Jayanti Janta, or thought about the distance covered by Himasagar Express as it traversed the entire length of the country, from Kanyakumari to Jammu Tawi/Katra ! 

How many times have I pretended to be one of the travellers rather than a local !

At a phase when 'favourites' are becoming vague and non-existent, I'm truly glad I have retrieved my love for trains. And I still long to board a long-distance train !

Many ask what I plan to do with my money and life. I guess I now have an answer to that -- I will take tickets for the many trains I've seen leaving the platform; and I'd be inside the train rather than looking at it and imagining its journey.

"safar khoobsurat se manzil se bhi"