"Hey Tanzeel, want to listen to a story?", my friend asked. And I was thinking aloud, "Why do you even want to ask? Just amuse me." And he heard me and all the others too who were waiting patiently or biryani to arrive. That night was my treat night. Just a day before I was recruited by Cognizant and my friends wouldn't stop hitting me until I give them a good biryani treat.
We were at Arsalan and biryani was yet to arrive. I asked him to start his story. He said he will but but also added, "Don't share it with others". I was surprised, "But you are doing the same, you are telling me and others here (there were 4 other friends) and you want me not to share it with others, what difference does it make?" he justified, "I mean to say, do not tell this to unknown, you are a blogger and if you share the story with your readers, it will do no good to me and my sister." "Okay" I said, "I won't share it with others and if i will I won't reveal names". "Then it's okay" And he continued...
"Once my sister went on a excursion with her college friends, they were six of them. Their trip was not far from Kolkata, it was in Murshidabad a six hour journey from
the city."
Someone interupted, "What happened there?"
My friend continued, "Well, that may not be of interest to you. What may excite you is what I am going to tell you now. So, as I was saying they went to Murshidabad and had spent a day or so collecting all the informations they needed to regarding some palaces and historical places. They had a return journey by train starting late night at 11 PM. They choose this train because it carried less number of passengers and it will bring them back to the city early in the morning and hence they can go to the college that very day.
"So, they all were seated, their luggages all arranged beneath the seats. they were done with the dinner and all were ready to go to sleep. The train was rather empty and the ones present there were not making much noise. It so happened that one of my sister's friend quitely went to the toilet and when she came back, she was rather shivering with fear. Everyone asked her what is the matter? She didnt say anything in the beginning but slowly when she calmed down, she said that she saw a person
sitting near the gate. Nobody seemed amused. They said he must be a beggar and so she must not worry about him. But she defended herself asking why is he sitting near the gate? The train is not full,
he can come in and sit or sleep in his choice of seat. Her reasoning were logical but they were unable to think as to why is she so much concerned about that beggar.
"Then she said something that really got everyone interested. She said that beggar didn't seemed normal to her. On a day when the temperature was touching more than 35 degree celsius, he was wearing a dark colored shawl. She told them that she even had the guts to ask that guy if he wasn't feeling well then ahe and her friends could help him. That guy hesitated and ask her to simply leave him alone. As she was leaving that place, her eyes caught red colored liquid around his feet. She immediately understood that this was his blood and he is in trouble. She asked if she could really get help from her friends. The man then yelled at her and scolded her to mind her own business. She ran from that place and here she was trembling and shivering and sharing with everyone what she saw.
"The group got perturbed. They decided that they should go and check what was wrong. They hustled inside the moving train which was approaching a station, and indeed they found the man sitting there. The train stopped at a desolate station. They were astonished to see the man standing up slowly while holding his shawl. If they were to believe my sister's friend's words then there was something wrong as the beggar started to get down the train. The situation was turning into a nightmare for the group. They were unable to think as what to do, that man was already moving on the platform, the train would start any moment, should they get down and get hold of this man? But that would be too risky.
"They decided to let him go but one of them shouted to him, "What is wrong with you? Whay are you wearing a shawl in this hot night? Why are you bleeding? And why are you running away from us?" The man started to laugh and slowly he lifted his hand which was hidden beneath his shawl all this while and showed his priced possession to everyone, he couldn't wave it as it was too heavy for him to do so. Everyone was shocked to see what he was holding. Nobody moved, the groupe was numb, they turned around to see one of the girls fainted. The train was gaining speed, but they could still see the man standing there holding another person's mutilated hand, blood dripping from it. Two gold rings on the finger and a bangle could still be seen from the distance glittering under the station light and slowly faded away as the train took speed.
"Nobody spoke to one another, they were concerned about the girl who fainted. Slowly they took their place and tried to sleep, praying that nothing of that sort would happen to them.
"They reached the station early morning. Generally Howrah station is too crowded even at the early morning hours. They tried to move out of the station strolling their luggage around the people sitting there. Some were sleeping and there was one such woman who was sleeping with her hand beneath her head, pointing at her one of my sister's friend shouted, "That's a beautiful hand". My sister hit him with her handbag and called him stupid. But that broke the ice and they went home with a light heart and not discussing on the events that happened to them last night."
We were all listening to my friends story. For one full minute we couldn't believe that the story was over and it happened for real. Our eyes were wide and mind still unable to digest what we heard. but my freind insisted that it really happened and why would he make up a story. Nevertheless on our way back home there was only one topic in discussion and you know what.
We were at Arsalan and biryani was yet to arrive. I asked him to start his story. He said he will but but also added, "Don't share it with others". I was surprised, "But you are doing the same, you are telling me and others here (there were 4 other friends) and you want me not to share it with others, what difference does it make?" he justified, "I mean to say, do not tell this to unknown, you are a blogger and if you share the story with your readers, it will do no good to me and my sister." "Okay" I said, "I won't share it with others and if i will I won't reveal names". "Then it's okay" And he continued...
"Once my sister went on a excursion with her college friends, they were six of them. Their trip was not far from Kolkata, it was in Murshidabad a six hour journey from
the city."
Someone interupted, "What happened there?"
My friend continued, "Well, that may not be of interest to you. What may excite you is what I am going to tell you now. So, as I was saying they went to Murshidabad and had spent a day or so collecting all the informations they needed to regarding some palaces and historical places. They had a return journey by train starting late night at 11 PM. They choose this train because it carried less number of passengers and it will bring them back to the city early in the morning and hence they can go to the college that very day.
"So, they all were seated, their luggages all arranged beneath the seats. they were done with the dinner and all were ready to go to sleep. The train was rather empty and the ones present there were not making much noise. It so happened that one of my sister's friend quitely went to the toilet and when she came back, she was rather shivering with fear. Everyone asked her what is the matter? She didnt say anything in the beginning but slowly when she calmed down, she said that she saw a person
sitting near the gate. Nobody seemed amused. They said he must be a beggar and so she must not worry about him. But she defended herself asking why is he sitting near the gate? The train is not full,
he can come in and sit or sleep in his choice of seat. Her reasoning were logical but they were unable to think as to why is she so much concerned about that beggar.
"Then she said something that really got everyone interested. She said that beggar didn't seemed normal to her. On a day when the temperature was touching more than 35 degree celsius, he was wearing a dark colored shawl. She told them that she even had the guts to ask that guy if he wasn't feeling well then ahe and her friends could help him. That guy hesitated and ask her to simply leave him alone. As she was leaving that place, her eyes caught red colored liquid around his feet. She immediately understood that this was his blood and he is in trouble. She asked if she could really get help from her friends. The man then yelled at her and scolded her to mind her own business. She ran from that place and here she was trembling and shivering and sharing with everyone what she saw.
"The group got perturbed. They decided that they should go and check what was wrong. They hustled inside the moving train which was approaching a station, and indeed they found the man sitting there. The train stopped at a desolate station. They were astonished to see the man standing up slowly while holding his shawl. If they were to believe my sister's friend's words then there was something wrong as the beggar started to get down the train. The situation was turning into a nightmare for the group. They were unable to think as what to do, that man was already moving on the platform, the train would start any moment, should they get down and get hold of this man? But that would be too risky.
"They decided to let him go but one of them shouted to him, "What is wrong with you? Whay are you wearing a shawl in this hot night? Why are you bleeding? And why are you running away from us?" The man started to laugh and slowly he lifted his hand which was hidden beneath his shawl all this while and showed his priced possession to everyone, he couldn't wave it as it was too heavy for him to do so. Everyone was shocked to see what he was holding. Nobody moved, the groupe was numb, they turned around to see one of the girls fainted. The train was gaining speed, but they could still see the man standing there holding another person's mutilated hand, blood dripping from it. Two gold rings on the finger and a bangle could still be seen from the distance glittering under the station light and slowly faded away as the train took speed.
"Nobody spoke to one another, they were concerned about the girl who fainted. Slowly they took their place and tried to sleep, praying that nothing of that sort would happen to them.
"They reached the station early morning. Generally Howrah station is too crowded even at the early morning hours. They tried to move out of the station strolling their luggage around the people sitting there. Some were sleeping and there was one such woman who was sleeping with her hand beneath her head, pointing at her one of my sister's friend shouted, "That's a beautiful hand". My sister hit him with her handbag and called him stupid. But that broke the ice and they went home with a light heart and not discussing on the events that happened to them last night."
We were all listening to my friends story. For one full minute we couldn't believe that the story was over and it happened for real. Our eyes were wide and mind still unable to digest what we heard. but my freind insisted that it really happened and why would he make up a story. Nevertheless on our way back home there was only one topic in discussion and you know what.
