Diverging Footsteps

The magnificent sea-blue train slid on the tracks smoothly until it came to rest at Devanagari. Then it hooted loudly. Not many people pushed Shreni close to the train in their hurry to get on it. Apoorva was in absolute shock. She looked at the stairs connecting the over-bridge, wishing Yugank would suddenly appear on the platform and then they would get on. Yugank did not appear.

Shreni knew the train wouldn't wait any longer. So she went ahead into a car of the train. Apoorva tried to stop her. But Shreni stood on the footboard, looking at her and seeking with her eyes, for Yugank on the other side. Apoorva, at once had a feeling that she must urge Shreni to get down the train. A moment was all she had, to decide what to do. The Mancherial Express blew its whistle louder now, marking it's departure. Apoorva gasped, not understanding what to do. Soon enough, the cars rumbled and started moving. Shreni hurried Apoorva to get on the train, but she was just standing on the platform, stupefied.

Apoorva was in shock. The luggage was on the train with Shreni. It seemed Yugank was not coming. At first, she thought not to get on the train, but instead, wait for Yugank and see what they can do with the missing train. But then, she thought it would be better if she hopped on the train too, and so she did. She was standing in one of the last cars of the train; not at all in Shreni's. The train was moving. What have they done!

Recalling of what had happened, Shreni first blamed herself for getting on the train without Yugank and Apoorva. Then she blamed Apoorva for not getting on the train when she called. After, she blamed Yugank for having that samosa. And again she blamed herself for not being so strict with the samosa-man. Then she gasped extremely loud and put her hand over her mouth. Daktar hasn't got into the train too! She hoped that at least Viraj would decide something to do.

In her hurry at the station, Apoorva had searched for a face of Yugank, but little did she know, that Daktar was running on the over-bridge, waving to her just when she decided to leap to the train. He descended on to the platform just when the train was in motion. He slid his palm over his head in frustration. He was confused over what had happened – why did Shreni get on the train even after she saw him waving to her? Where in the world was Yugank?

Just then, an announcement over the speakers caught his attention. 'Attention! Train no. 698237; Local Train is about to arrive at platform no. 4' it also said that its destination was Shivadwar.

He was then found sprinting on the over-bridge towards the platform on which the local train was about to arrive. He knew it was faster than regular trains, since it was made for covering little distance. He hoped if he took it he might reach Shivadwar by the time Mancherial Express gets ready for departure there. He hopped in, panting, and the train set out swiftly.

* * *

It was a while after Viraj spoke with the man, when a majority of the crowd moved towards the tracks. He thought, that might be the train coming.

"Come" he said to Mihira and with his bag hung to his shoulder, got up. Just at the moment when he was standing fully erect, a stampede, as the man had said, rushed into the station hall. It was about twice the already existing crowd. The people half-ran pushing everyone on their way. Viraj was thrown away from the bench and pushed towards the gathering at the tracks. One or two men in the front almost fell on the tracks with the velocity gifted by the new ones. They pushed everyone on the way. Viraj was amazed to see such crowd. They had no such thing as humanity or mercy, he thought.

Gradually, the hitting-each-other reduced, and they pressed each other close. Viraj could hardly breathe. He, with great effort, slithered through the crowd and moved backwards where he could sufficiently inhale. It was very chaotic with great amounts of people – hundreds of them, easily. Viraj felt for his bags – yes, he still had them. Then he looked around. Mihira was not with him!

"Mihira!" he shouted, seeking with his eyes, his precious sister. She was nowhere to be seen! 'She was probably pushed away by the crowd to the front' he thought. He couldn't let his sister struggle in the crowd. So he started moving through the crowd, to the front. He just wished he would find his sister safe before the train arrived, or it would become really hard for him. Just as he thought, a distant whistle was heard on the tracks.

* * *

Yugank felt comfortable then. He slowly walked out into the station hall, wondering why the crowd was suddenly less. He walked, sliding his feet on the smooth floor. Then he could see the platforms up ahead from where he stood. He looked for Shreni, who was not there.

He suddenly wrinkled his eyebrows and felt intense. He gazed once again, narrowing his eyes. Shreni wasn't there. Apoorva wasn't there too. For once, he would've thought they might've gone somewhere to buy some drink, maybe; but the absence of the luggage too made him feel insecure. It was clear that they were not on the platform. 'Let me see if I can find them in any of the shops here' he thought. He ran swiftly to the shops on platform no. 2. There were many of them, but it was easy to say that they were not there too, as there was not anyone in any of the shops. Where might they have gone?

Then something made him think of the train. Has the train already come? Did they get in it? Did he miss the train!? He fiercely ran to the information desk in the station hall. A young lady was there.

"Excuse me, miss" Yugank said politely.

"Yes? How can I help you?" the lady replied in the same way.

"Has the Mancherial Express arrived yet?" Yugank asked desperately.

"Arrived?" the lady chuckled, "It has departed too".

That's it. Yugank's cheerful cheeks dropped. How in the world did he miss the train!?

"Okay… What is the next local train to Shivadwar?" he asked, trying to be polite.

"In about five minutes" replied the lady, surprised by Yugank's sudden change of behavior. Yugank tightened his fists and groaned. He was to wait five more minutes! That wouldn't exactly give him the time to reach Shivadwar in-time.