The Puri express came to a screeching halt at Thaparam Station. The halt had been sanctioned recently by the Indian Railways, or else Uncle Srini
would have come by bus from Bheemavaram as usual. He got down at the station and looked at his watch. It was 11:45 pm. Soon the train left the station leaving him alone. The station was near empty except for a stray dog and a drunkard lying beside him, mumbling something in his sleep.
Srini pulled out the bottle of water from his bag and drank the left over. He then threw it on to the tracks. He had to walk at least 4 Kms to reach home.
Everyone would be asleep by the time he reached. He hadn't had dinner and was feeling hungry now. He thought he would reach home by 10:00 PM,but due to a rail cross over, the train had stopped at Yekkarolu station was almost an hour.
Anyways the week's gruelling job of Salesman under the sun at Bheemavaram would be eased now.
'I will take my wife and kids to Anaparthy tomorrow, for a movie' he thought. 'Then we will go to Babai hotel and have dinner'.
He slowly started walking off the platform towards the railway gates following the railway tracks. The gates were closed, implying another train, probably goods on its way.He bent below the closed gate and went ahead.
He remembered his wife insisting him to chant Hanuman Chalisa, as there were an age old tale of the Railway Cabin Ghost, which he trashed away as some urban legend. He was anyways an athiest and never believed in all this.
As he approached the gate, he could see the Cabin labelled abandoned. He knew it was due to some technical fault, that they had to abandoned to Thaparam East Cabin and only the West was functional now, though the villagers assumed something else.
He took left , bending his back below the gate and made for the village road. He couldn't wait for the train the pass over.
He crossed the village lake which lay towards the right of the road. When would they make this mud road tarmac he thought. He could hear dogs barking distantly. God, these stray dogs, the only way to avoid them was to ignore them. He slowly tip toed his way , lest he disturb these creatures,till
the Seetharamaraju center which forked the road into two.The right leading to Post office "Sandu" and left towards to newly established Cloth Market Center.
The Seetharamaraju center was famous for its Panchayat TV in the 80s, villagers used to flock every night to watch Doordarshan programmes- he recalled. Now it was just a sign board.
Srini preffered to take the Cloth Market route as it was easier to get to the Tanker street where his family lived. He looked straight as he could feel a group
of dogs walking behind him. He kept walking till he reached the Cloth Center. He took a right and kept walking closing his eyes partially, he felt he could kill
time by not looking at anything. He opened his eyes and could see the Water Tank. The barkings ceased as well. Thank god! He thought, though he was an athiest, finally escaped from Dogs.
He could see the Sodium street light flickering near the street bend, from where he could take a left and go to his house. There were series of houses adjacent to the street end.
The Arugus (kind of pavement in front of village homes) were usually filled with elderly people chitchatting during the evenings, but at this late hour they were eerily empty. As he approached the street end, suddenly his eyes fell on the Arugu. In the flickering golden light of the Sodium bulb, he could see here clearly. Yetulamma. She was lying on the Aurgu, with her head turned towards the road. What was she doing here in this dead of the night? He wondered.
Clad in a white saree, and overflown matted hair, she looked at him, sadness in her face, a face that seemed to be longing for someone. Her eyes were charcoal red.
'Anyways she is mentally retarded' he thought and walked ahead, still focussing on her. She followed him with her eyes, as he turned left following the path that left to his house.
He tried opening the gates but they were locked,
He knocked at the gate and shouted.. "This is me.. open the door!"
Slowly his elderly father came in a while, with keys in his hands. He opened the lock, 'Come' he said feebly, as Srini pushed the gates open. He could see his wife at the grill door way inside.
'How was the journey' his father asked him yawning. 'Yeah it was ok, but train was late by an hour..' he said, 'Will wash my feet and come'. He went near the Goluva (a traditional water storage, made of stone), and filled the floating pitcher with water and washed his face and legs.
***********
would have come by bus from Bheemavaram as usual. He got down at the station and looked at his watch. It was 11:45 pm. Soon the train left the station leaving him alone. The station was near empty except for a stray dog and a drunkard lying beside him, mumbling something in his sleep.
Srini pulled out the bottle of water from his bag and drank the left over. He then threw it on to the tracks. He had to walk at least 4 Kms to reach home.
Everyone would be asleep by the time he reached. He hadn't had dinner and was feeling hungry now. He thought he would reach home by 10:00 PM,but due to a rail cross over, the train had stopped at Yekkarolu station was almost an hour.
Anyways the week's gruelling job of Salesman under the sun at Bheemavaram would be eased now.
'I will take my wife and kids to Anaparthy tomorrow, for a movie' he thought. 'Then we will go to Babai hotel and have dinner'.
He slowly started walking off the platform towards the railway gates following the railway tracks. The gates were closed, implying another train, probably goods on its way.He bent below the closed gate and went ahead.
He remembered his wife insisting him to chant Hanuman Chalisa, as there were an age old tale of the Railway Cabin Ghost, which he trashed away as some urban legend. He was anyways an athiest and never believed in all this.
As he approached the gate, he could see the Cabin labelled abandoned. He knew it was due to some technical fault, that they had to abandoned to Thaparam East Cabin and only the West was functional now, though the villagers assumed something else.
He took left , bending his back below the gate and made for the village road. He couldn't wait for the train the pass over.
He crossed the village lake which lay towards the right of the road. When would they make this mud road tarmac he thought. He could hear dogs barking distantly. God, these stray dogs, the only way to avoid them was to ignore them. He slowly tip toed his way , lest he disturb these creatures,till
the Seetharamaraju center which forked the road into two.The right leading to Post office "Sandu" and left towards to newly established Cloth Market Center.
The Seetharamaraju center was famous for its Panchayat TV in the 80s, villagers used to flock every night to watch Doordarshan programmes- he recalled. Now it was just a sign board.
Srini preffered to take the Cloth Market route as it was easier to get to the Tanker street where his family lived. He looked straight as he could feel a group
of dogs walking behind him. He kept walking till he reached the Cloth Center. He took a right and kept walking closing his eyes partially, he felt he could kill
time by not looking at anything. He opened his eyes and could see the Water Tank. The barkings ceased as well. Thank god! He thought, though he was an athiest, finally escaped from Dogs.
He could see the Sodium street light flickering near the street bend, from where he could take a left and go to his house. There were series of houses adjacent to the street end.
The Arugus (kind of pavement in front of village homes) were usually filled with elderly people chitchatting during the evenings, but at this late hour they were eerily empty. As he approached the street end, suddenly his eyes fell on the Arugu. In the flickering golden light of the Sodium bulb, he could see here clearly. Yetulamma. She was lying on the Aurgu, with her head turned towards the road. What was she doing here in this dead of the night? He wondered.
Clad in a white saree, and overflown matted hair, she looked at him, sadness in her face, a face that seemed to be longing for someone. Her eyes were charcoal red.
'Anyways she is mentally retarded' he thought and walked ahead, still focussing on her. She followed him with her eyes, as he turned left following the path that left to his house.
He tried opening the gates but they were locked,
He knocked at the gate and shouted.. "This is me.. open the door!"
Slowly his elderly father came in a while, with keys in his hands. He opened the lock, 'Come' he said feebly, as Srini pushed the gates open. He could see his wife at the grill door way inside.
'How was the journey' his father asked him yawning. 'Yeah it was ok, but train was late by an hour..' he said, 'Will wash my feet and come'. He went near the Goluva (a traditional water storage, made of stone), and filled the floating pitcher with water and washed his face and legs.
***********
