A TRAIN JOURNEY

Train JOURNEYS have always been close to my heart,Whether i travel, or whether i am there i see off some one or to receive some one.The cause is not important, but the effect.

My earliest remembrance of an enjoyable train journey dates back to when i was 7 years old, when i travlled in the cozy comfort of the then Ist class compartment (maintained neat and clean with attendants enquiring your needs every now and then) along with my dear fathe rand other family members. The journey was to Vijayawada. The train reached in the early morning hours to the welcome breeze of the River KRISHNA and the steaming IDDLIES of Vijayawada accompanied by the Gongura CHUTNEYS and samabar all served in spotles plates ..a privilege enjoed by the Railway employees of higher cadre those days.

THEN CAME A NUMBER OF JOURNEYS, NOteworthy among them are my journey to HYDERABAD, to join the CA course with out knowing what it is all about, journey to MUMBAI to attend a marriage at the famous Shanmughananda hall (attended by famous film personalities from MUMABI)of my aunt's son(who breathed his last a couple of months back, on the same day as my elder brother...briefly putting me off), a journey to Kolkata to take up an employment, a journey to the same place accompanied by wife after the marriage (with a delay of 24 hrs due to a bandh at kolkata), a journey to
Bhopal and Delhi accopanied by Children,A journey to OOTY(less said the better ) A journey to a resort at Ernakulam with wife, son and daughter,a journey to Hyderabad again (after 27 years of my first visit, carrying nostalgic memeories of the past) to take up higher responsibility and in particular to join my loving son, a journey later back to CHENNAI on transfer in a coupe compartment with my dear wife ,a journey to Raichur and then to Mumbai to spend some quality time with my daughter and son..

EACH ONE OF THEM IS MEMORABLE AND UNFORGETTABLE IN THEIR OWN WAY.

Then there are innunerable occasions to see off some one or to receive some one, with accompanying feelings of glee and sorrow.

And this post arise as a result of one of those send offs yesterday at Central. I bade fare well to my son and the next moment felt a little disturbed and uneasy,restless all at the same time ...as usual .

Then i remembered the train and its OWN JOURNEY. It runs every day. Thousands get in and get out. But its journey goes on and on. It has got miles to go, destination to reach. Nothing else is important for it.So also for those who travel by train.THEY HAVE GOT A PURPOSE TO ACHIEVE, a goal to reach, a project to complete,a friend to meet, a reunion awaiting and so on. What is there to get disturbed with it. Instead let us welcome those who arrive with a glee never felt before and let us send off those with good wishes for all their desires to be accomplised...

TRAINS.A NAME RIGHTLY COINED. YES IT TRAINS YOUR THOUGHT AND MIND.