Motor Gadi?

Wake up! We have reached Kalka! I heard my husband calling out and jumped out of the cozy 2 tier AC berth ! My son was still sleeping and holding onto to me. Yeah realized the train had stopped! We hurriedly unloaded the luggage and rushed to another platform where we had hopes of getting onto to the ‘Shivalik Express’ to reach Shimla!

Disappointed! We had overslept and missed the tickets! Anyways the next passenger train to Shimla was at 8.30 and we had nearly 2 hours before we boarded the train! We got our tickets, and luckily the train was at the platform by 7.30am. We got into the train and found comfortable seats ! My son went back to sleep!

We still had an hour. I was sitting by the window sipping hot tea, looking around and was pleasantly enjoying the happenings around (love doing it!). The train (toy train) got packed in sometime and I could see people arguing for seat /luggage place etc.

One old lady caught my attention. She entered our compartment; she looked old, frail, tired eyes, messed grey hair. She noticed that there was no vacant seat. She murmured something and squat at the compartment door blocking the way. At the scheduled time the train rolled out of the station, swinging (yes it swings  ) and slowly the wheels moved over the narrow gauge rails! It was exciting! Cool breeze, fresh air…..it would be a lovely journey up the hill!

Coming back, the old lady at the door made herself more comfortable and lied down. This irritated a few people who were standing and they demanded that she either sit or stand so as not to cause inconvenience to the fellow passengers! One after the other the local people went on non-stop shouting at her! She did not reiterate. She slowly got up and sat. She had not spoken a word. There was one guy who did not stop at this…..he further abused her saying (this was in Hindi) “you should find a motor gadi (gadi meaning vehicle) separately for you where you can sleep and travel, people like you travel free of cost and are such a nuisance to others “! The old lady looked into his eyes and replied slowly (again in Hindi), “I do not need any motor vehicle and practically speaking so does anybody, as long as we all are alive we can travel by any motor gadi that suits our pockets, cycle, rikshaw, car, train or aeroplane. But remember at the end of our journey, we really are not sure what motor gadi God will provide us, we all will travel free of cost! Will there be a different class of motor gadi for different classes of people then? I thought that we all will travel in a similar gadi! Remember (yaad rakho ) Life itself is a journey and in what motor gadi one travels does not matter much as we all reach the same destination, ” I was dumb struck and so were a few others who heard and understood what she was saying!!!!

Her words were completely meaningful, we are surrounded with people fighting for luxury, comfort and cribbing for things that they do not have rather than spend a little more time in self realization, being good to others, sacrifice, sharing, charity, simplicity and above all being thankful for what we are blessed with!

I looked at her, she was sitting with her eyes shut and I remember she got down at a station mid way. Rest of the journey was pleasant, I was not cribbing that I missed the famous ‘Shivalik – Himalyan queen’ express. I enjoyed the passenger motor gadi which slowly but safely reached us to Shimla by late afternoon!