A railway station is an important place. Trains come and stop here so that passengers can board and leave from here. The goods and furnishings are also sent here and there by goods trains. Day or night, there is the hustle and bustle here as vehicles and passengers keep coming and going. The movement of passengers, the sounds of the pawnbrokers, the rumble of the trains and the whistling of the engines etc. make it a noisy place. Sometimes, this noise and the hustle and bustle increase a lot.
Everyone is familiar with the railway station. Last Sunday I had the opportunity to go to New Delhi Railway Station. Although I have been there many times, this was my first time going alone. My uncle had to come from Calcutta. I went there to receive them. He was coming to Delhi for the first time.
There was a huge crowd of cars, taxis, three-wheelers, scooters, porters, passengers and hawkers outside the station. The passengers seemed to be running away with their luggage. The porters were busy carrying the goods. There were long queues at the ticket windows. Many people came there to pick up or drop off someone. I bought a platform ticket and went inside.
It took me about 20 minutes to buy the platform ticket. There was a huge crowd on the platform. There were many shops here and there where books, tea, sweets, food, paan-bidi etc. were being sold. Many hawkers were selling their goods by calling. Cars were coming and going after a while.
At such times, it was like a rout. People were eager to climb while others were eager to land. In such a situation, there was a scuffle. Women, children and older people were facing a lot of trouble. The condition was even worse in the normal and un-reserved coaches. The trains were full. It was half an hour late for my uncle's train to arrive.
So I started enjoying the scene. Men and women from all parts of the country were present there. They were all speaking in their own accents and dialects. Some people were also speaking in English. It was as if only a small India was present there.
I went to a tea stall and had tea. The tea was hot and flavourful. Other people were eating and drinking too. Some people were enjoying a cold drink. There was no empty space anywhere on the platform. Some people were lying down some people were sitting down. The benches were also full.
The TTs, guards, mechanics and other employees were busy with their respective work. Police officers were also patrolling there. The movement of vehicles was being informed on loudspeakers. I did not realise when half an hour passed and uncle ji's Rajdhani Express came to a standstill on the platform. I started watching cautiously. Uncle was seen standing at the door of the compartment. I shook my hand, and he immediately waved his hand in reply. I reached him before the car stopped.
The luggage caught the porter, and we came out of the platform. Took a taxi and left for home. There was huge traffic on the way too, and our taxi had to stop at various places. Finally, we reached home, and we breathed a sigh of relief. But that railway station scene became memorable for me in its diversity and strangeness.
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