Between Stations

Trains have always held a special place in my life. And railway stations have always felt like these important little junctures, places where something is either beginning or ending, where life is permanently in motion.

Growing up, train journeys meant everything good. Summer holidays, Diwali at Dadi's house, long vacations where the whole family would pile in and the excitement would begin even before we left home. I'd sit by the window and just watch fields, small towns, tiny platforms flying past in a blur without a single thing to worry about. My father would handle everything. He'd book the tickets, find the space, and tuck the luggage neatly under the seat in that easy, quiet way of his. I just had to show up. The journey took care of itself.

I didn't think about any of it then. I didn't know to.

Then I started living alone. And suddenly I was the one on the platform with bags in both hands, checking the coach number, pushing through the crowd, hauling everything in and finding my seat. And quietly, without any fanfare, you become someone who can figure it out. I think about him every single time I do it on my own.

But I'd be lying if I said there wasn't also a part of me that felt proud. Not in a loud, attention-seeking way but in a quieter way. The kind that settles in when you sit down after the chaos of boarding, look out the window at the platform slowly sliding away, and think, I did that. By myself. Nobody helped me find the coach. Nobody lifted the bags. Nobody told me which side to get off. Not a big thing, right? Everybody who lives away from home does it. Of course. But for the girl who never once travelled alone across cities, it's always a big deal. The challenge I give myself to pull off all four bags, small and big, across one of the largest, busiest stations without a coolie, going from one corner to another — is thrilling enough.

But here's the thing about trains ;they are never just about getting somewhere. There is so much life happening inside a compartment if you just look up from your phone for a moment. Families spreading out tiffins like it's a proper meal, an aunty two seats down already deep in conversation with a stranger she met twenty minutes ago, kids running across the aisle, someone staring out the window with that particular faraway look. People from every kind of background, every kind of story, all briefly sharing the same moving space.

I've made friends on trains. I've listened to strangers talk about their lives -weddings, heartbreaks, hometowns and carried those conversations long after the journey ended. There's something about being between places, between one version of your life and another, that makes everything feel a little more open, a little more honest. A train journey holds more life than most places I've been.

And then it pulls in.

Every time, no matter how far I've gone or how much I've grown into this person who manages her own tickets and carries her own bags ;when the train slows into my hometown station, I already know he's there. My father, standing on the platform, quietly scanning the coaches for my face.

He always finds me before I find him.

And in that one moment I am somehow both things at once ;the kid who sat by the window without a worry in the world, and the person I'm still figuring out how to be. He reaches for my bag before I can say anything. I let him, every time, without argument. Because being independent doesn't mean you stop letting people love you. It just means you finally understand what it costs them. And you are grateful in a way you simply weren't before.

Because no matter how grown up you get, there is something about your father waiting on the platform that just gets you. Right in the chest.

Some things I really don't want to outgrow.

It's Time!

Well, It's time!

It's time to get out of your comfort zone

It's time to do everything you have always wondered to, 

when you were all alone

It's time to stop thinking about what others may feel

It's time to get yourself a good deal 

It's time for you to look around and find your real steal 

And it's time to break the boundaries that don't set you free

It's time to know that no matter how harsh things go, you're gonna heal

 And now, it's time for me to to make a quick appeal

That there's no harm in being the REAL ME.

But is it really the time we were waiting for? 

It's now or never 

that's all I know.

AN ADVENTURE TRIP TO AGRA

                                                                                 

In June 2022, I visited Agra with my family for a vacation after a long, hectic schedule of board exams (sigh). It was a very spontaneous plan, just like most of our plans duh. Since Agra is just 195 km away from Gurgaon, we decided to go by our car. 

It all just started perfect. We left our home at 6 in the morning. The weather was amazing and the sky looked so beautiful with the that tint of yellow and orange of the sun rise. Me being my crazy excited personality just couldn't resist the aesthetic view and took my phone out(which wasn't actually mine but mom's) to capture the moment. And just like that the journey went along with clicking pictures, making boomerangs, playing songs and talking random things about life till the time we took our first halt at around 8 to eat breakfast near Mathura.

Ate some really good and heavy breakfast at a dhaba cum restaurant on the highway and again got back into our car. Everything was going so smoothly but it was just like the peace and silence before the storm. Who knew what was going to happen in the next few hours would completely change the dynamics of our trip. Just within half an hour of our drive our car stopped midway on the highway. Despite several efforts, it just wouldn't start. Thankfully we could just park it on one side and my father got down the car to look for help. Everyone just kept passing by but none stopped for help except 2 highly build men on the bike with a Haryanvi accent. They stopped their bike, asked us what's wrong and finally came to our rescue.Those 2 men with a big heart parked the bike on side and pushed our car for at least a km to give its kick start and finally it did start moving again. We thanked them and went ahead.

Are you thinking was this the adventure? Come on, this was just the beginning or as you may say the trailer. We moved ahead for a few mins and again the car stopped. But this time,it was in front of a dhaba near a police station and college. A few people at the dhaba tried to help us by checking the car battery and other things but nothing worked. Now, you won't believe what happened next. A mechanic himself came to us asking us if we need one. Just as god sent his messenger to help us. He told us that he was driving to his shop when he saw our car parked and thought something was wrong. 

After checking the car he went to his workshop to get his kit and assured us that he would come back in a while. Waiting on his believe, we were sitting there patiently but a voice in the head always kept coming if at all he will come back. But what else could we do except waiting. And he did come back. The mechanic could not repair it there and said that it was required to take it to his shop and so we did it. The car till that time was run by an external battery of the mechanic. It took us 15 minutes to reach there and we were already running very late from our schedule. We had our hotel bookings of 11 am and there we were stuck at a mechanic shop. Wow.

Anyways, the mechanic repaired the car but asked us to get it checked at Agra. But somehow my father wasn't too convinced so he asked him to accompany us as the driver so that if something goes wrong in between he'd be able to help us. The mechanic was a bit apprehensive as this would mean that he'd miss out on his daily income. But my dad assured him that we'll pay him the reasonable amount and so he agreed. Now he drove the car and at a very high speed such that my father was constantly telling him to slow down and drive safe.  I can't tell you how the vibe of the journey changed from what it was in the morning. Scared and worried about how and when we will reach Agra everyone was frustrated now. Suddenly then a burning smell started coming. It couldn't have got worse but it did. The car did stop again and now at the highway with forest trees at both sides. 

Imagine a family of 4 with one mechanic standing on the road and sitting on the stones outside the car in the scorching noon of June. Damn, I just can't forget it. And now we did every effort we could to start it back but all went in vain. Now what we did was tried contacting all the emergency helpline numbers, the nearest  HYUNDAI showroom but do these so called "Helpline" numbers ever work? Of course, not. The trip was almost cancelled now with all these unfortunate and unexpected happenings and our last resort was to call one of our family friends or relatives to come and pick us up. It was a total mood off. We all had expected the trip would be fun but this was no where even close, almost on the verge of cancellation. As much as we did not want it to happen , we had no other option. But god really had other plans.

All the water and snacks that we brought from our home were almost about to get over . We laughingly said to the mechanic,"Bhaiya aap bhi soch rahhe hoge na kaha fas gaye" to which he responded by saying that if he wouldn't have helped someone else would have, I know its hard but now since I've come I'll only go when you are able to go back safely. His words really hit me hard as in today's world where people don't have time to be there for each other, a mechanic reminded us that Humanity is still alive.

Time passed by, vehicles were moving on the highway when the mechanic noticed an auto rickshaw with a flag and recognised it as his friend's. He immediately called him and asked him to drop the passengers and come back with 2 bottles of water and a rope. It took another 45 minutes for the auto to come but finally it came. The auto driver was accompanied with another man.

All 3 of them did the entire setting; tied the car with the rope to the back of the auto.And then what happened was nothing like i would have had imagined in my dreams. Our family sat in the auto and the mechanic in the car which was being carried by the auto behind it. WHAT AN ADVENTUROUS RIDE IT WAS! Mind you, it was the Highway! But that was not it. Within a few minutes, we heard a loud thud to only see that the rope was broken and the car got away from the auto. Then again, the auto driver and the mechanic got down tied it back and finally we could reach the Hyundai showroom at Mathura! It was a Saturday and the showrooms are usually off, but luckily it was a working day for the staff due to workload.

We left our car there for servicing and booked a cab. Of course, couldn't get an Ola or Uber as the driver didn't want to Agra! Nonetheless, asked for the contact of some local drivers and found one who finally took us to our hotel safely.

Meanwhile during the cab ride, my father being his natural self, talked to the driver, told him the whole incident and got to know about his life too. Within the 1-1.5 hour drive, we got to know that the driver was a former employee of Hyundai and was now giving a government exam along with having this business to run his family. After knowing our situation with the car, he offered us that he'll repair it for us quicker than Hyundai showroom who said minimum 15 days to get it ready for use. Convinced with his facts and confidence, my father agreed to hand him over the car for repair but Hyundai wouldn't give the car ti anyone without  proper paper work right? Makes sense also.

Anyways, we finally reached our Hotel at 3pm. The lunch was over by then. Never mind, all of us were way too tired and ate some snacks and slept through the noon. Got up in the evening, dressed up and had an evening that no one could tell that we have had a rough day. Visited the Meena Bazar, did a lot of shopping, ate the famous street food of Agra and then enjoyed the buffet at the hotel.The next day we woke up early morning to see the famous Taj Mahal . What a beauty! Got pictures clicked, spent some time and came back. We had a good stay at the hotel forgetting all the trouble we had to finally reach here.

However, now it was time to go back but we still didn't have the car. The same driver who dropped us came back to pick us up . While going back we again stopped at Mathura , took the car from Hyundai and handed over to the man my father trusted on his words based completely on his gut feeling. What else we could do . We didn't have any other option. He promised us that he will personally come back to drop th car at the doorstep. Taking the chance and having faith, we left the car with him and came back home in the cab.

But till the time car wasn't home, we all were just hoping that it wasn't a bad decision. My father kept taking updates on call and text.At 9pm he told that he has started for Gurgaon. But suddenly he stopped picking up calls. All of us got tensed as you really cant blind trust anyone, especially a stranger after all. But as the toll was being charged from the fastag on the car, the notification came on the dad's phone so we had some idea where the car actually is. After hours of waiting and stressing out, he came to our doorstep with our car at 2 am in the night.It was my father's birthday and this was the gift he was eagerly waiting for.

We asked the driver to come inside and have a cup of tea.As he was getting late,he just asked dad to book him a cab to the bus station. We were so grateful to him to get our car back safely ,settled all the payments and bid him a good bye.

This whole Agra episode just made me realise that there are till people who are ready to go an extra mile and help you and we indeed got very luck to get such people at every step of our journey.Despite all these hardships, we really enjoyed the trips.And the worries of that day are mere moments of laughter today.

Well well, that car didn't work great after this whole incident. And this is how we finally sold our 14 year old Santro that served us and in fact became a part of our family. Just for your info,we even got lucky this time too with the delivery of our new Hyundai Venue within 15 days of booking on July 1 2022! 

Some things in life indeed become an experience to remember. In today's busy world no one really has time to go help someone else. But trust me, if you can , please lend a hand forward and keep the trust and faith of people in humanity alive!

The Value Of taking Breaks

 ~Taking a Break can lead to Breakthroughs 💡

But why taking breaks is so necessary in this fast running world!?🏃‍♀️ 

 The question that constantly keeps coming to all of us is that won't we lack behind if we just sit down and take a break while the rest of the work moves ahead? The answer is NO. ⏰

Here's why :

✅ Everyone has a different speed and power to adapt, understand and work and we are not in a Race of Comparison.

✅ Breaks are a great time to rejuvenate,relax and bring peace and calm to mind and body.

✅ Taking a break gives you time for self assessment, observation and and analysis that helps you get answers to various unsolved questions.

✅ Getting a pause from your everyday extensive activities that may even get monotonous helps you awaken your creative side and pave way for fresh and innovative ideas. 💡

✅ Coming back a fresh after the much needed break increases your Productivity and will to work.

✅And even if none of this happens, it gives you time to actually be YOU. 

So, do no underestimate the power of breaks and over exhaust yourselves!

It's okay and at times significant to take a small break!💫

FIRST SEMESTER

 

~There is no University better than the University of Life. 📚

First are always special! Be it the first day of school (which you might not even remember), your first win at a competition or your first job. And in this quest of firsts, we somehow got through the first semester of college that brought with it a lot of memories and learnings.

I followed the 3 'E's - EXPLORE, EXPRESS,EVOLVE that certainly helped me to find my way in this new yet exciting place. My first semester can simply be briefed up with the phrase ' WELCOME TO ADULTHOOD '

It started with a bang. I became the Class Representative and then through a series of college society interviews and auditions, I got into all the societies that I wished for. Got an opportunity to become the Content and Research Head at Chanakya The Economics Cell, Event Head at LèHR JMC  and an ardent member of Management Interaction Cell, JMC , JMC Model United Nations Society and @NSS. 

Even got an opportunity to perform in the inauguration ceremony of Comacumen'23 by Department of Commerce, Jesus & Mary College and be a part of the Flashmob that even reached  Shahrukh Khan's post!! Seems all magical right!? 

And then began the exam season, with all the pattern changes and numerous rants but we all got through it. I too like  every other college student had plans to enjoy and explore and take a break but who knew life had other plans!? Exams weren't even over yet and an unfortunate demise happened in the family. It was this 19 year old girl then who never went to give an exam without her parents' presence at home, who never packed tiffin for her younger brother , who never never travelled in the train alone, She did it all.

When tough times hit, Responsibility also comes in naturally and if you're confident enough to take it, everything is in your favour.

Life if very uncertain and unpredictable both personally as well as professionally.
Cherish each and every moment and LEARN from it because you never know what exam is next in the University of Life!

Comment down below your experiences, journey and learning from college so far!! 💫

#adulting #universitylife #1st #content #opportunity #collegelife #life