Another Journey

I have been travelling since childhood days. Not that I have been on regular holiday trips, but yes each time I have boarded the train with a new reason and objective.
In the good old days, it was for summer vacations. This distance was not much-- tatanagar to howrah. But the excitement was always in leaps and bounds.
In the student years, it was for entrance tests and for college hunting sessions. And here a new journey begins. Hostel lives, leave forms, weekend plans to rush home, excitement and anticipation, mom and dad waiting to receive you at the station. Simply memorable. A journey that kept me away from home and connected me each time I boarded the train.
I have been always observing these small peculiarity of passengers loving the window seat, the items that hawkers have been selling since historic times, quick magic shows, spiced rice puffs,singing beggars and nevertheless the man in the black cloak signing off boarding tickets.
The general compartment is always packed with passengers and hawkers. People are loud in there. They begin conversations with you within the 1st hour of the departure that can continue till you actually arrive at your destination. There are mixed discussions on politics, socio- economic concerns, children's future and ofcourse the ruling government. I never enjoyed the fact that people want to use a 3 seater seat as a multi seater. And if you are near the toilet, you will automatically learn Pranayam without Baba Ramdev.
In contrary, the ac compartment comprises of passengers who are cautions about the polish on their shoes. They mostly speak english, the person sitting next to you is either an alien or a stake to your sophistication if you happen to start talking. The hawkers are like waiters in proper uniform and the man in the black cloak is a little happier than the one in the adjoinin
g compartment.
Today, I am again in this train, from Howrah to Tata, sitting at the window seat. I still love the lush green feilds, the farmers reaping the paddy fields, kids waving you off,the bridge that runs over the Ganga and making a quick wish. The special tea and spiced rice puff.
But today, I can measure the years and the journey am still leading.. I began it here in train with my parents and today I travel back to my roots to part take in a ceremony which I have to mention as my "father's death anniversary".
I seemed to have another journey today.