Shrishti Reborn

Chapter 37. The Toy Train Ride

The train arrived and came to stop. Many people began to climb it. Raghav, Shrishti and Arpit stayed back and held Megha back too.

'Why aren't we climbing too?', Megha asked worriedly.

'We still have time. The train won't leave for next fifteen minutes. We could take some photos too now that rain is stopping.', Raghav explained.

And Raghav was right. The rain was stopping. While most people had climbed in and taken the seat, some people were outside, posing with the train for their photos. Raghav led them to the steam engine in the front and they all took photos posing in front of it. The guard even allowed Arpit to climb up and pose from the captain's cabin. Once the photos were taken, they went to their coach and posed outside of it. Megha and Shrishti took turns to pose on the steps of the train. The four of them even stood on the threshold of the train and leaned out and Raghav took a group selfie.

Then it was time to take their seats. The train was about to start. Shrishti pulled out her phone, ready to take selfies. They were in the first class with Shrishti and Megha sitting side by side and facing Arpit and Raghav. Megha and Arpit had taken the window seat. The boys took the back facing seats while the girls chose the front facing ones. But it would not have made much difference as once at Ghum the steam engine would be attached to the back and be led back the same route with which the girls' seats will be the back facing ones.

The train began and Shrishti found herself glued to the window in between Megha and Arpit. The train made the two loops around the War Memorial before chugging along the roads of Darjeeling. All of them watched in awe as the train went through the city, crossing the roads sometimes and sometimes running alongside it. They went through narrow streets and all of them stared outside wide eyed. Shrishti frowned. She was up and close with Megha to look out and both Megha and Arpit in their window seats were also looking out. But where was Raghav? She turned around to see him sitting in his seat and looking outside above Arpit's head. She glared at him.

'What are you doing, so far away? Come close and look properly.', she ordered him.

He smiled at her. 'I can see enough from here.'

She shook her head. 'You are two years older to me, not twenty! Why are you acting like an old man!', she could not help but complain.

Arpit chuckled at her words and turned around too. 'Come on, bade Bhaiyya! Have some fun!'

Saying this, he got up and made his brother move to the window. Arpit took Raghav's seat now and happily crowded Raghav to lean over and watch outside. Shrishti giggled at how uncomfortable Raghav looked at being crowded around in such a manner. He was not a touchy feely guy, she realised and felt bad at telling him off. Just then he glanced at her and she raised her hands and touched her ear lobes before making a wincing expression. She mouthed sorry to him and he shook his head and gave her a soft smile. She smiled back before Megha said something and she went back to focusing on the vista outside.

After a long ride, the train came to stop at the Ghum station. They got down with rest of the travellers and were led to a guide who explained that Ghum station was the highest railway station in India and hence, it was a world heritage site. The station also housed a museum whose ticket fare was added onto their joy ride ticket. They entered the Museum and spent some half hour there following the guide. The museum was fun but the four of them found themselves spending more time taking photos than listening. Although, saying that four of them took photos would be a stretch as it was Raghav taking photos of all three of them around the museum exhibits with either Arpit or Shrishti's phone. But it was fun experience and soon they were back walking towards the train for their ride back.

As they climbed the train and reached their seats, Shrishti grabbed Raghav by his arm and dragged him to sit beside her. She took the window seat and smiled at Arpit. 'I hope you don't mind.'