Dad worked in the Indian Railways. Since my birth,the only other place
I considered a second home was a train-compartment. I know people who're
extremely uncomfortable travelling by trains,but I sleep best in a
moving train. I love making friends,and this too happens best on a
long journey by train. Besides,the railway fraternity has always been
like a family to me; I've seen dad engaged in friendly chats with
perfect strangers of TTs,station managers etc. But I
absolutely,totally loathe bus-journeys. I always have... Today I came
to Joypur from Belur. I took a local train to Tarakeshwar,and then
journeyed by bus for 3 hours. The bus-journey was fantabulous!!! I got a
window seat,thankfully,and there were vast,never-ending expanse of
irrigated fields before my eyes. At times the greenery hurt my
eyes...at times i thought I was seeing the same fields again and
again...as if time had decided to surrender to our mad race with
it.... Ofcourse,my co-passengers occasionally helped break the
reverie. But those heavily sun-burnt rustics were straight out of my
art-teacher's village-sketches. They were so carefree,smiling all the
time... Their simplicity stunned me. Even when they fought with each
other or the conductor, it was a lesson in patience and good manners.
I have travelled by bus before. I have come to Joypur itself twice.
But today I had an entirely new and absolutely amazing experience. It
was as if I had strayed into another totally different world...a world
that's poor no doubt,but a world that's happy. A world that hasn't
forgotten to put off its problems and smile once in a while. A world
that we can learn from,every minute...
--
Sent from my mobile device
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