True Love

By Jahnabi Basumatary

This was my first ever story that I wrote in 2010 and published in my school journal for which I also won the intra-college story writing competition. It was loosely based on the premises of the railway station in my hometown, hence a few things are slightly culture oriented. Hope you like it :)

‘Flip-flop… flip-flop…’ the sound of her hurried feet could be heard from a distance in an alley that cut a short way to the railway station. She was worried sick that he would never return.

“You never listen to me after all I do for you. Is this how you treat me? I’m warning you, if this continues, I would never return,” he had told her sternly that very morning over an issue that was quite important to her, and according to her, she had her own valid reasons not to follow him. And now, he was gone.

They had found each other 5 years ago and, ever since, had never been apart. He was the only love she had known in her life, and no way was she letting go so easily. He was her family, one she could call her own; they made a home together, modest but happy home with just a few necessities. She loved him, and believed in him more than she could in anyone else, even God. Living without him would be torturous and a curse to her.

She had remorse filled in her for making things hard on the poor soul, who worked hard enough every single day of the year, just to keep the two of them from starving for even a day. Deep inside she knew that he would return, eventually, but in dire times like these, where there was the epidemic of swine flu spreading out like wildfire throughout the nation, and places blowing up every now and then by bombers in the name of causes out of her conception, she had a bad feeling about the whole state of affairs and just couldn’t help but come running after him, to make sure that he returned, to apologize, and to bring him back home safely. She knew where to find him; he worked at the central railway station. Every morning, after the breakfast, he would go out to get few of the elementary jobs done like sweeping the platforms, cleaning up the lavatories, etc.

She had been running for a while now to get to her destination, but her feet couldn‘t carry her faster than she’d wanted. The soles of her feet were pounding with pain and her heart palpitating loudly against her chest. The rocky roads around the premises of the railway tracks were as if little harsh on her, forbidding her from reaching where she wished to.

It was a while before she got to the station. Panting heavily, she came to a halt on the stairways going up to the main platform. There was a morning rush for the earliest train of the day; people of different classes, castes and places had all assembled to either book the tickets, enquire about their itineraries, or to check for their names in the list of boarders. It would be much of a herculean task for someone like her to search for anyone amidst the crowd. People hunting for their compartments, the local chaiwalas* singing their same old jingle, “chai lelo… Garam chaaaaiii…"† in the same old fashion to the crowd, other vendors running up and down the train length in hopes that someone would try their munchies, coolies loading the belongings of their hirers to their berth, in all it was like stepping into a bedlam. One would be lost in the objective to look out for someone else, not knowing where to start. But that wasn’t a case with her, the station was where she grew up, it was like a 2nd home to her, she certainly knew her starting point.

She turned to her left where there were some magazine stores aligned and a stairway going up, leading to other platforms. Slowly and carefully scrutinizing the crowd, she crossed the stores and staircase before reaching the other side. There, to her utmost relief, she spotted a few of his friends sitting near the water taps and cackling at their simple jokes, and she let out a sigh, her hopes of finding him lit bright.

She was only advancing towards them, beckoning one of the workers when, her voice was suppressed by the shrill whistle of the train announcing its departure the loud shrieks of the huge horde from the departing train. Her heart skipped a beat, “Biren dada‡…” she tried her best to cry out to one of them at the top of her lungs, but none seemed to hear anything apart from the ones nearby. Soon enough, the workers seemed to make a move from that place and head behind the walls. She ran for them, but they had all soon vanished out of sight. It wasn’t like she could not go any further but she was strictly instructed by him not to go into certain places.

Broken, tired and insecure, she watched the train leave. And as it left the station she felt all her hopes dying. Something made her believe that he had left with the train and was never coming back. She wanted to chase after it, but knew better that it would do no good. She motioned back to the foot of the stairs and sat there, gloomily, while her innocent face drenched with warm tears rolling down her soft cheeks. “I’m sorry,” she choked to herself while she wept an innocent river, wishing she could turn back time, but the brutal time has never spared anyone, what chance did she have?

Time went by as she sat there. The faint whistle of the train could be heard from a far distance now. Whipping her face, she got up to head back home when she threw a last glance across the platform. And just there, right across the tracks was he, sweeping the floor on the other side of the station, engulfed in his own duties. She felt her life gushing back into her; she knew no bounds of happiness and was already climbing down the platform onto the tracks. With not a care in the world, she ran over the tracks to the other side and before long climbed the other platform. It was only a matter of time before he spotted her too, and amazed, dropped his broom and leapt with joy towards her.

“Daddy…!” She ran right into his arms and cried out, “I’m sorry papa, I promise I’ll never disobey you again. I‘ll eat the porridge also, but please don‘t leave me.”

She was only a 6 months old when he had found her. He was a young man then, a bachelor, full of hopes and dreams of being someone more than what he was, filled with belief that there was more to life. But, unlike other young workers along with him, his innate humanity was way too high and pure for many to fathom, and this is why he couldn’t let a little cherub be left all alone in the corners of the vast, merciless station, curled up in a cardboard basket, covered in rags, sleeping peacefully oblivious to her fate. He waited whole day for someone to get her. But alas! no one came. He fed her when she woke just so she would fall back to sleep until her guardian comes along… But she was left there, unattended, all by herself by a mother who couldn’t bear the burden of her own child. Other workers ignored presuming it would be another encumbrance to their own. But not, he. He was a man of morality. So he took her in, even though he had to work 18 hours a day to make ends meet, to earn his daily bread, he still took her in, with love, with compassion, as her father. Ever since, he was hers and she was his. That was the pure and true love of a father and daughter the two, united by destiny, shared that no one could ever take away.

He lifted her in his arms and laughed, “See, I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere sweetheart;” with that he kissed her forehead and took her back home that was just about 200 yards away from the station.

The Happy End!

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* Tea vendors

† "Have some tea, hot tea…"

‡ elder brother