Happiness lies in THE JOURNEY , not in the DESTINATION

Hey friends, this is me, Raghuveer. I have just turned 63 on the 5th of January this year. I wanted to share a wonderful experience with all of you - the most beautiful unplanned thing that ever happened to me. 

It was the last month and last week of the year 2019, 28th December to be exact . I was traveling from Kolkata to Delhi with my friend Akash . We had gone to Kolkata to attend our Alumni meet at IIM. Akash was to deboard at Dhanbad, his native place and I would be going to Delhi to attend  a family wedding. My wife was already there. 

So all said and done, Akash and myself boarded the Rajdhani express from Howrah Station. We were traveling in first class. At the age of 60 you feel like using all the luxuries you can afford and with the senior citizen discount, it's really a smart decision. 

I have always loved and preferred traveling by trains 🚆. It feels like a real journey. It takes its own sweet time to reach and when there is no hurry to be at a place, why not enjoy the landscapes. 

Both of us were engrossed in discussing our Alma Mater, what it used to be and what it had become presently, we hardly noticed a lady entering our cabin. She seemed to be in her forties. She looked a little ill at ease as she sat on the seat opposite ours, speaking to someone on her mobile phone that she had boarded the train and was seated. She looked at us, then spoke again saying "just two passengers presently, one is still left to board."(Since the cabin was for four passengers).

Who was she, a reporter 🤔 or something, passing  detailed information to her seniors?! Who cared anyway. Akash and myself continued our discussion as the train started with a jerk exactly at 4:55 PM 

The lady in front of us  kept looking out of the window 🪟. It was evening. The December sun had set half an hour back. But the view was still pleasant with deep green hues on the ground and pale prussian blue in the sky. It was 5:40 when tea and snacks were brought in by the attendant. I told Akash, that the best thing about traveling by Rajdhani express was they keep feeding you throughout the journey. We both laughed. I observed, the lady had refused tea and refreshments. She was busy reading a book. The train reached Dhanbad exactly as per schedule; 7:55 PM. It was a 10 minute halt here. I went with Akash to the compartment door to see him off. I came back and took out my earphones from my bag pack and started listening to music from my phone. Soon dinner was brought in. I have a good appetite when it comes to food 😋and music 🎶 🎵. After eating, I got up to walk through the compartments. The train was packed to capacity except the first class . Our compartment was almost empty, understandably so,considering the fares were almost equal, infact a bit higher than air travel. When I came back , the lady was again engrossed in her book . Trying to initiate a conversation, I asked, "Do you live in Delhi", she just nodded without looking at me. Okay I said,  now what to say, I thought. She doesn't seem interested in talking 😐so be it. I shall play games 🎮 on my phone 📱 for the time. The younger generation can be really unfriendly and cold in their behavior 🙄 God knows what attitude they carry around. Around 10 o clock the lights were dimmed an indication to all the passengers to wear their night-caps and call it a day. I happily 😊 spread the blanket on my berth to lay down and relax. The lady was still presumably reading. I was never into books and stuff somehow. When I felt a little sleepy keeping the earphones and mobile in the side pocket of my berth, I dozed off.  

When I woke up , the train was not moving , I looked at the time on my phone, it was 1:30 AM . I got up from my seat. The lady on the opposite seat had disappeared. Her bedding was also untouched. I checked for her suitcase, it was there, I checked for mine, thankfully it was there too. I peeped out of the window , it was some station. I came out of my cabin and my compartment, stepping on the platform, I read the board Mughal Sarai Junction. I asked a steward standing there,  why had the train halted . I was told due to dense fog being reported near Prayagraj , the train would be delayed. Many trains were already stranded at Prayagraj Junction. 

I looked around, the air felt chilly. I noticed my co-passenger huddled on a bench all wrapped up in a shawl, woolen cap and  gloves. I walked up to her and said , if you are feeling cold why not get inside the cabin. She refused , saying she suffered from mild claustrophobia. That is why she preferred not to travel by trains, considering the amount of time they take, air travel is much faster. Just because her flight to Delhi got canceled 😞 due to the fog, she had to book a last minute train ticket. 

Oh what a favor done to Indian Railways. IRCTC are you listening, I thought 🙄

I laughed saying you people are young, you should enjoy traveling by all means . She raised her eyebrows, being sixty is young in what context,  she inquired. I was confused ."What are you trying to suggest? See, I shall be sixty one in January and I am comfortable with the chill and the adventurous travel, you are way younger, still so chickenhearted ."

She felt angry😠 and totally showed it.

"Excuse me Mr, I have just wrapped up my sixtieth birthday in November. For your information age has nothing to do with feeling fear or feeling cold . In the case of the former its your mental set up and with the latter, its just your metabolic rate and of course how much fat you have in your body ," 😉 saying this she laughed 😁😁 "the gumption of calling me chicken hearted, how dare you ",she added .

I knew the barb of "having fat in your body "was directed straight at my overweight self, but her being sixty was unbelievable. She didn't even look fifty. And with her head in the woolen cap ,she could be a easily mistaken for a forty year old. I had to ask , "how have you maintained yourself so well pray 🙏 tell me ". She said she was a religious practitioner of Yoga 🧘‍♀️.  

WAAAOWW , I wish I was too, I thought 😔. Looking at my disfigured body , I regretted the laid back attitude I had been nurturing for decades. 

I sat beside her on the bench and we started talking. She told me she had been visiting a friend and attending a wedding too in Kolkata. Now was returning back home to Delhi. I told her I was from Bangalore . I asked if she would like some tea. She nodded. There was tea- stall very close to our bench . The tea- Vendor was also selling fresh pakoras . I asked for one plate  and two cups of tea. She took the tea but refused the deep-fried delicacies.  Having tried , I pestered her to eat ,since they were hot , fresh and really tasty . She said this was something unbelievable for her , stranded at a Station at 2:30 in the night having snacks and tea  with ...(she didn't complete,  but it was obvious,  with a stranger).

At the tea Vendor's stall  an old song 🎵 was playing on his FM radio. I started humming the song as we walked  the length of the platform, 

Ye raat Bheegi Bheegi , ye mast fizayein                                Utha dheere dheere ye Chand Pyaara pyaara

She listened attentively and added "You sing very well . Are you a professional?" I was happy at the delightful compliment ☺. I said, I just sang for friends and family at get-togethers, whenever requested . She told she had always been a big fan of the black n white music era.  What a pity the younger generation is being served just thrash in the name of music .

We kept strolling on the station along the length of the train 🚆 talking about different music genres,  composers , singers , lyricists etc.  She told her favourite song was Ajeeb dastaan hai ye and she hummed it a little . I requested her to try singing it. She refused,  I said just a line . She relented . Hearing her sing I could perceive, she must  have been into singing at some point in her life.

She told me , her Mom used to teach her classical music when she was very young , but that was long ago. She had left music once she got married. I requested her to sing the rest🎵  after all her favourite song deserved to be sung properly. She felt odd , but in the flow of the moment she started singing softly..

Ajeeb dastaan hai ye 

Kahaan shuru kahaan khatam 

Ye manzile hain Kaun si 

Na woh samajh sake na hum .

She couldn't recall the stanzas , in which I intervened and it turned out beautiful .

 Wow!! She said when we ended it together. 

The chill was forgotten and so was the delayed journey.  We were completely engrossed in our discourse when the whistle sounded. As if we both were enjoying our platform conversation and the whistle was just a killjoy. 

We got inside our compartment. She said she wasn't sleepy at all, considering the caffeine in tea . I had never given it a thought that tea deprived you of sleep. In any case, I could forever talk about music. It has been my only passions and when the co-singer is equally good who wants to sleep. 😁👍

We kept discussing the music directors of the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s era , the varied genres , the classical touch in SD Burman 's songs, the  horse's tap🐎 in OP Nayyar's , the guitar and rock introduction by RD Burman. Humming a few lines here , singing a few lines there , some started by me , finished by her or vice-versa.  The train was moving at slow pace but who cared . We were having the time of our lives. 

Finally she said , she felt sleepy and excusing herself got up to spread her blanket. I was looking out of the window, wishing the train could get late by a few more hours .

She slept soon after saying  good night . I too dozed off sitting beside the window. 

In the morning 🌄 when I woke up,  she was already sitting all fresh with her bedding neatly folded in the corner. Looking at me ,she said a cheerful 😊 Good Morning. I replied and excused myself to the restroom. 

When I returned tea was being served . She had accepted on my behalf. We had our tea together and continued our chit chat about random things. The train would be reaching at 11:45 as was told by the steward who came to serve breakfast.  

We continued our discussion about actors , movies directors. We were both fond of happy and simple movies , the ones directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Basu Chatterjee. Very relatable and closer to daily life kind. She said her favorite movie during her college days used to be " Choti si baat" directed by Basu Da. I said my favorite song used to be Jaaneman Jaaneman from the same movie . I started singing it in my excitement. She joined in filling the female lines with equal fervor. We were like a house on fire, just then the ticket collector appeared.  We stopped abruptly, really embarrassed searching for our mobile phones to show the e-ticket. He went away smiling 😃 without even seeing.  

The realisation struck us , that we were in a public place and this kind of behavior from SENIOR CITIZENS was least expected 😕. 

We both kept looking out of our respective windows.  Her phone rang,  she answered saying the train was running late and was expected to reach by 11:45. 

It was already 10:30 . 

After she hung up , I initiated the conversation once again, saying that she sang really well and her voice reminded me of the female singers of 60s and 70s. She said she loved to sing songs of that era , but she did it only and strictly in private except ofcourse, yesternight and today , she giggled😁😁.

We kept talking till the station was announced. The train had increased its speed and was violently entering the platform or so it seemed . When it finally stopped she saw someone at the station and waived . Getting up and taking her suitcase , she said bye . "It was wonderful meeting you" and left the cabin . I couldn't respond,  she left in a hurry . Just Wonderful meeting you,  that's it !! Hey listen....I called out .

Oh no,  I had forgotten to ask her name and didn't even tell her mine. Shucks . I got down to see if she was still there,  but no sign .

I came back took my luggage and left the train . 

It's already been more than 2 years. I don't know if she has survived the Pandemic. I hope 🤞she has . My favourite song since the train adventure has changed to 

Ek ajnabee haseena se ,youn mulakat ho o  gayi 

Phir kya hua ye na pucho kuch aisee baat ho gayi .

😇😇😇😇😇

I hope where ever she is, she is  singing happily 😊

Just as I am doing Yoga 🧘‍♂️ diligently. 😏

Thanks for reading friends. So you see happy experiences can come anywhere, anytime 😊 at any age .

Somewhere in a posh colony in Delhi 

"No I want to go by train only " .

Why Arohi?  Since you came from Kolkata you have started loving rail journeys which previously you abhored. How come this change? Don't sing a song in answer, please!

Arohi is humming in the kitchen 

Na jaane kyu hota hai ye zindagi ke saath 

Achanak ye Mann kissee ke jaane ke baad 

Kare phir uski yaad

choti choti si baa'at 

Na jaane kyu 😇😇😇😇

.