Click clack, click clack…

I have been travelling frequently over the last month, and it is amazing how most of the places are so easily accessible in today’s day and age at the click of a button. I remember in my childhood, so much planning was involved if we had to travel from one city to another. Right from planning the dates of the travel, deciding the means of transportation, to checking for availability and then finally the booking of the tickets was a process in itself. Now, all we have to do is open an app, book the tickets and off we go!

Out of all the means to get from one place to another, I believe there is something magical about travelling by train. The hustle and bustle around the station, the constant hawking of wares, the clickety clack of the steel wheels on polished rails (I’m a big Sheldon buff! :D) and the sound of the railway announcements; not to mention the rush to get to the right platform and coach – the whole experience itself is exhilarating. There are so many people from different strata of society, and there is no discrimination in the kind of people travelling by trains. The aspect of a long journey is also so emotionally charged – watching the poignant emotions while someone is bidding goodbye to a loved one, waving till the last moment of visibility when the train leaves the platform and yet looking forward to the adventures.

Passing through the cities and states, watching the landscape change; you are aware of how much more there is to the world. My fondest memories of a train journey have all been when I have travelled solo. While the fun of travelling with a gang is undoubtedly great, the solo trips are an unmatched ‘ME’ time which are extremely refreshing. My absolute favourite trip was always between Pune and Mumbai. The freedom of sitting at the door, watching the hills and lush greenery roll by interspersed with waterfalls during the monsoons while passing through Lonavla was something that is indescribable. I remember giving up my seat on quite a few occasions as soon we entered Lonavala and then enjoy the rest of the journey standing at the door! I think in retrospect, these are the instances which have taught me to enjoy and experience the journey that is life as opposed to rushing towards the destination.

On this note, I’ll pen down a poem I had written years ago on another such train journey…

I wish this journey would never end,

How I wish this journey would never end!

Not so sure of when it began,

But slowly as I left the city behind;

The trees sparse and the meadows bare,

Although in the beginning I did not care…

Used to appreciating nature at her best,

The beauty around me, I took it in jest;

Evergreen foliages and soothing oceans have filled me with awe,

Whereas the peaceful meadows, I gradually saw…

Nestled in between peaks and mountains,

Littered with rocks like pearls in ocean;

The dry grass with a halo like gold in sun,

The meaning of beauty has evolved, so is the idea of fun…

The cows and sheep grazing, pause for a moment;

They gaze at me, seeming to question my lament;

For as the destination approaches, seemingly very close;

My tranquility I lose, and questions again pose..

I wish this journey would never end,

How I wish this journey would never end…