........A Lifetime Lesson.....

......the 6.32 am Arr.Time of thn 25 Up Patliputra Express at MDP was nothing but a huge wave striking the Home Signal with a thud, enough to unruffle the feathers of a departure Lad for School at the end of term end vacation...though St.Xavier's Sahibganj was not too far off but the circuitous route to SBJ via Kiul Jn was arduous to say the least...as connectivity to Mail & Exp. Trains were scanty....nd the long haul Pass. frm Gya to Barharwa, Farakka on the SBJ Loop line wud stop at all stns....amazingly ,the Loop line had far more no. of Stns upto SBJ....surprisingly whn Bapi accompanied me it was always the King of tht time TSK Mail frm New Delhi to Tinsukia nd the Upper India Expresses....Bapi's clout nd connectivity always ensured a First Class Berth nd reaching SBJ in style....but as it wud happen owing to his pre occupations nd his subtle way of releasing me frm his shadows....wud ensure the Slow or Fast Pass. rides on my own......so, whn at sharp 6.32 am the wave called Patliputra wud hit me hard on the Rly Stn at MDP....the last bastion of swelling emotions nd exposure to tough world wud hv a cataclysmic effect on the new, young at 14, passenger....as the train moved towards Kiul I had recollected enough passing thru JAJ(JhaJha) finally saying adieu to the Santhal Pargana Plateau....the herculean task of detraining at Kiul Jn ....hiring a porter ...crossing over to the opp.platform thru an underpass was all part of Growing up as envisaged by my parents...stopping at every stn towards SBJ,notably Jamalpur & Bhagalpur, Nathnagar ,Sabour, Kahalgaon, until Vikramshila Halt was a journey in eternity....the lunch box packed by Ma & Didis was the last link with home in an unknown terrain....kept me energised till the Gates Of St.Xavier's....!!!!