The journey continues...

2. The journey continues...

It had started drizzling outside. I could see myself running along those slippery boundaries of the paddy fields, sitting under those big tamarind trees after getting totally drenched, playing kabaddi beside the temple, races to cross the muddy trench, running along the roads to have a plate of bhajji... tonnes and tonnes of those moments. All of them in rain. Memories are a good thing to have. Sometimes I am into this doubt - was it all real? or, was I just dreaming? There is a line dividing dreams and reality... in the run all these years I have forgotten the line. I often dream about getting back to my friends, getting back to my old days... I don't know when I got separated from them. It is a dream... hope it always isn't!

Dreaming is a healthy sign... at least you know that somewhere within you the spirit is still alive. Everyone dreams and everyone has the right to dream... but what you dream could vary from the sweetest dreams to your struggle for survival in this world. I once dreamt of being a good doctor, a good citizen and what not. But today I feel I have been torn apart... Of all the people I see around, there is hardly any one who has been behind their dreams. The kids working in these stations, the kids polishing shoes, the kids selling tea, what have they done to be deprived of all those wonderful dreams of childhood...

Oops.. an alarm! My watch shows 8am... time for my BP tablets. Suddenly the alarm had broken my chain of thoughts. I don't know how these tablets work on me. My doctor tells me that one tablet a day helps keep my BP in control... I doubt that. I always feel I was more warm blooded during my college days, now I am all the more passive to insult... and high BP?? They don't go together! Yesterday's was the last tablet I had taken... at least I want freedom from these.

Oh.. what was I thinking about? I missed it... will recollect it in a while. But whatever it was, I know it was yet another confession. Memories... memories... they haunt you... they are something you relish... they are something that will make you cry. But one thing is true, every memory is a moment you had lived... so there is nothing like you can't.

The train was slowing down... further delay... damn! The place looks very scenic... barely visible green hills in the backdrop, the track some 10ft above the surrounding area, dim light, drizzling... A couple of huts were now visible. A yellow board having the name "Kuttulu"... is this a station? I was looking for the platform... can't find any. A beautiful village.. with hardly any houses in the vicinity. A excellent place to be at - I thought. It was indeed very intoxicating. Should I get down here? Why did the train stop here? Where am I going to stay? Did the train stop for me? I don't think so. Everyone looked disturbed seeing that the train stopped there. I was telling myself to get down and that this was the place to be. But I didn't know any one here... in fact I never heard of this place. Yes.. No.. Yes.. No.. My thoughts were going no where. The horn was blown... the train was going to start. I didn't want to repent once again in life... I decided I would get down.

I quickly pulled my bags and ran for the door... the train had started moving. I pushed my bags out... I didn't ever care to see where they fell. It was now my turn, the train had gained good speed. I doubted whether I could make it... without wasting much time I set my foot on the ground and tried my best to keep up with the speed of the train. Not quite there.... THUD!

--buddi
0443
17 - 11 - 2008