My remarkable train journey
Having supped for the night I scaled to my upper berth. The whole day was spent in hectic preparations. Being tired through and through I fell asleep. At around midnight when I alighted from the berth to go to the lavatory, I saw that the train touched off Lucknow.
A faint hubbub that reached me through my sleep indicated that it was some sort of a pandemonium. It was small hours of the morning. I jumped from my berth and saw that the centre of the confusion was some three cubicles away. In the process of getting down at Aligarh a small sleeping child had fallen down from the upper berth. The helpers were busy with the girl. I leaned forward to see the injury, as I always carry with me a first-aid box. But meanwhile my attention stuck at a queer object. It was hidden from view. I had a clear apprehension that it was some lethal object. It might be a bomb, I thought. I decided to be cautious. The least mention of it will spread a panic. In the hurry and confusion it may be disastrous.
In the NCC I had learnt as to how one should behave in such situations. I quickly brought my aid-box and dressed the child’s injury. Instead of speaking aloud I whispered my suspicion into the ears of an elderly person. Quietly the passengers of the spot got down. A boy brought in the conductor guard and through him the train was detained.
But the silent activities could not last not long enough. The matter surfaced and the typical Indian confusion ensued. I got involved in the whole operations. I rushed to the GRP who might have trained staff, for everyone is not competent to handle such dangerous things.
A usual hurly-burly set in and I was completely taken in by the situation. The experts came and confirmed it to be a bomb by means of their detection devices. The entire compartment was evacuated and the passengers safely landed on the platform. The bomb was defused and brought down.
I had to accompany the expert body to their office to endorse a report. They said that I deserved and award also for this good service.
Naturally I got stuck up at their office to complete sundry entries and signatures. Meanwhile the bogy was detached for the train.
The entire event lasted for more than two hours and I was involved into the whole affair up to the neck. Naturally I had little time or breathing space to think about myself. When I came out of the GRP office and came to my senses, I began to hear a repeated announcement. It appealed to the passengers of the affected compartment. A separate bogie was being attached. The loudspeaker hauntingly repeated the bogie number.
I woke up to my senses and was about to rush to the station master. But I found a co-passenger carrying my suitcase. I felt to be lucky, but suddenly remembered that my small bag carrying my documents and a certificate was missing. But by then the bogie was in the siding and untraceable. I was going to attend an interview. I lodged a complaint with the GRP and obtained this certificate. It was a big loss, no doubt.
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