Kabir checked his watch and sighed, "Late again. And the train's not even on time." Standing on platform 10 at Thane railway station, he glanced at his phone to tell his mom about the delay, but it was at 10% battery. "Great, this won't last till I get home," he grumbled.
He noticed 13 missed calls from his mom because his phone was on 'Do Not Disturb.' Worried, he dialed her number, but she didn't pick up.
"Ugh, need to save battery. Well, I'll just text her," he decided, quickly typing a message. Just as he hit send, the train arrived.
Kabir hurriedly stashed his phone in his pocket and boarded the train without checking its route. It didn't matter which train he took as long as it went to Koparkhairane. But this train was different—it was a fast express, stopping only at certain stations.
As Kabir got on the train, it started moving right away. He took a deep breath and began searching for a seat, but the layout inside was different. Despite looking normal from the outside, the train had separate sections for different groups of people, like they were living in separate worlds even though they were all on the same train.
Feeling panicked, Kabir noticed a girl having fun with her friends. She saw his worried expression as he stood by the door, looking around the train. When she caught his eye, Kabir approached her.
"Um, excuse me," Kabir started nervously. The girl nodded.
"I just wanted to know if this is a new train and where I should sit," Kabir explained.
Understanding his confusion, the girl replied, "Well, you're actually on the wrong train. Where are you headed?"
"Koparkhairane," Kabir replied.
"Oh, okay. Don't worry, this is a new train starting today. Koparkhairane is the next stop. It's a fast train, so it skips many stations. You're lucky.
You can sit with us until your stop, but just know that normal tickets aren't valid on this train. We separate people based on religion to avoid conflicts. You'll see signs above each section. If the ticket checker comes, you'll have to handle it yourself. Come, you can sit with us," she said kindly, and everyone else on the train acted like this was normal.
Kabir chuckled nervously, "I had no idea. It's like we're getting used to separating people nowadays." The girl laughed along, though her friends stared at Kabir without showing any emotion, making him uncomfortable.
"If you don't think this is normal, get off at your station, or you'll end up where you don't want to be. By the way, I'm Niyati. What's your name?" she asked.
"I'm Kabir," he replied. Before he could say more, one of Niyati's friends interrupted, asking for Kabir's last name.
"We don't need to know that, Shubham," Niyati stopped him, rolling her eyes.
So Shubham continued talking to his friend, ignoring Kabir.
As time passed, Kabir and Niyati bonded well. But Kabir got so caught up in their conversation that he forgot to keep an eye on the stations. When the train went through a tunnel, Kabir suddenly realized he had missed his stop.
"Oh no! I forgot to get off!" Kabir exclaimed.
Niyati looked at him sympathetically, as if warning him of the twist ahead.
When the tunnel ended, Kabir saw the ticket checker, so he rushed to the door, hoping the next station would arrive soon. Luckily, before the ticket checker could reach him, the train stopped at a station, and Kabir quickly got off.
Niyati looked like she wanted to say something to Kabir, but before she could, the ticket checker stopped her to check her ticket. Unfortunately, it was too late as Kabir had already left the train.
Kabir looked around and realized he was in an unfamiliar station. It looked posh and new, with around 20-23 platforms and fewer people. He was surprised but knew he needed to get a ticket quickly to avoid a fine from the ticket checker. So, he started searching for the ticket counter.
With only 60 rupees in his pocket and hunger creeping in, Kabir decided to pay for the ticket using UPI. However, he realized his phone had only 4% battery left. In a rush, he ran as fast as he could to find the ticket counter, but the vastness of the station made it hard to locate.
After searching around, Kabir finally spotted an old man sitting on a bench. He had a bald head, white mustaches, wore a dark gray T-shirt with a white line, black pants, and held a wooden stick for support. He approached him and asked for directions to the ticket counter, explaining that he had come to the station by mistake and was clueless about the place.
The old man examined Kabir from head to toe, then pointed him in the right direction. "Just go straight, then you'll find an escalator. At the end of it, there's a bridge. Cross that, and you'll see the ticket counter," he advised.
Thanking the old man, Kabir followed his directions. He found the escalator and reached the top, where he saw the long bridge stretching out before him. It seemed endless and precarious, with no visible support and surrounded by dark clouds. Despite his nervousness, Kabir noticed a few rats crossing the bridge and decided to follow suit.
As he walked, the initial nervousness disappeared, and Kabir found himself feeling normal. After 23 minutes of walking, he finally reached the end of the bridge and saw the ticket counter just a few feet away. Before his phone battery died completely, he managed to purchase his ticket.
"Thank god! No need to worry about the TC now," Kabir muttered to himself, relieved. He glanced around but saw no one, not even at the ticket counter. "Strange, where did everyone go?" he wondered aloud.
His stomach growled loudly. "Ugh, I'm hungry," Kabir grumbled. He noticed a staircase tucked away in a corner near the ticket counter. The flickering light above the staircase made him uncomfortable, but hunger pushed him forward. Gathering his courage, Kabir began descending the stairs.
As Kabir descended the staircase, the surroundings grew dim and dull. A putrid smell filled the air, making him hasten his steps to get to the bottom quickly.
As he reached the bottom, the noise of car horns and people chatting flooded his ears. Despite the darkness in the sky, it wasn't midnight yet. Kabir spotted a food shop across the road. Traffic was at a standstill, with vehicles honking incessantly, much to Kabir's annoyance.
"Why can't people see there's no need for all this honking?" Kabir grumbled to himself.
He managed to cross the road and headed towards the shop, eager to satisfy his hunger.
Just as Kabir was about to enter the shop, he heard a little girl's scream. Beside him, a group of men were harassing her, and she was begging for help.
Kabir walked past her without even glancing in her direction, as if the situation wasn't even happening. From his perspective, he couldn't see or hear what was going on, but the girl kept pleading for his help.
"Two vada-pavs, please," Kabir requested from the shopkeeper. Just then, a plump lady with a bleeding leg and tattered clothes entered the shop. She was a beggar, asking for food from the shopkeeper, barely able to speak properly.
"I've seen many like you. I have nothing for you, even if you die. Why should I care? Who are you to me?" the shopkeeper callously replied.
The beggar looked at Kabir, hoping he would intervene. Kabir checked his wallet, finding only 2 rupees, which was clearly not enough.
"Here, take this," the shopkeeper said unexpectedly, handing the vada-pav to the beggar instead. Kabir felt relieved to see the shopkeeper helping her and waited for his own order.
"Why are you still here?" the shopkeeper asked Kabir.
"Um, my order," Kabir replied.
"Where's the money?" the shopkeeper demanded.
"I already paid," Kabir insisted.
"No, you didn't," the shopkeeper rebutted.
"I've been standing here for so long, would I not have noticed? Don't lie, kid," a woman spoke from behind Kabir. It was the beggar, now sitting at a table, her leg healed and wearing luxurious clothes.
"If you don't have money, you can't stay here," the shopkeeper informed Kabir.
Before Kabir could explain further, a stranger abruptly kicked him out of the shop.
After getting kicked out of the shop, Kabir noticed a dark corner that he wanted to avoid. However, it was in the path to the staircase, and he was eager to get home quickly due to the strange atmosphere. Before reaching the staircase, he glanced at the corner again, sensing a dark aura emanating from it. To his surprise, he saw an old doll facing him.
As Kabir got closer to the doll-like figure in the dark corner, he saw someone who looked like the eerie doll. All he could see was the person's back, hidden in the shadows. Kabir couldn't help but move closer to the mysterious figure.
As he got nearer, Kabir noticed the person was eating something hungrily. It made him feel sick to his stomach when he realized it was a human the person was eating. Kabir felt scared and shivery at the gruesome sight.
Suddenly, the person noticed Kabir and turned around to face him. Without waiting, Kabir quickly turned and ran towards the staircase, feeling terrified.
Kabir gasped for breath as he reached the ticket counter, his heart racing as he noticed the person still chasing him, although at a slower pace. Desperately seeking refuge, Kabir's eyes fell upon a metallic cabin nearby, offering potential shelter.
Without hesitation, Kabir hurried inside and locked the door, sealing the window tightly shut. Inside the cabin, he discovered a sliding eye hole and attempted to close it. However, the rust made it stubbornly resistant, and in his effort to force it shut, the mechanism broke.
The resulting gap was large enough for someone to easily reach inside. The cramped space offered no room for movement, leaving Kabir feeling trapped. The looming threat of the person finding him filled Kabir with dread, realizing the danger he faced if caught.
The man stood just outside the cabin, visible through the broken eye hole. Kabir watched him anxiously, seeking refuge inside the cabin. Inside, he noticed a screen with the words "game is going on." Curious, Kabir touched the screen, causing the game to pause.
Suddenly, everything around them froze in place, including the man who had been chasing Kabir. Kabir observed the scene in awe.
Slowly, he opened the cabin door and peered outside. The bridge he had crossed earlier now appeared radiant, as if touched by some heavenly magic. It was a breathtaking sight.
* * *
[This narrative unfolds as a philosophical exploration of the human condition, traversing themes of time, perception, moral dilemma, and existential fear.
Kabir's initial frustration with time and technology serves as a reflection of humanity's perpetual struggle against the constraints of time and the ever-present pressure to be punctual. His reliance on devices highlights the paradox of modern convenience, where technological advancement often breeds dependency and exacerbates anxiety.The missed calls from his mother symbolize the potential consequences of disconnection in human relationships, illustrating the fragility of communication and the profound impact of technological barriers on interpersonal connections.Boarding the wrong train represents the unpredictability of life's journey and the existential uncertainty inherent in decision-making. The segregated compartments on the train metaphorically depict the societal divisions and prejudices that persist despite the shared experience of existence.Niyati's explanation of the train's segregation underscores the moral implications of societal norms and the ethical dilemma of conformity versus resistance. Kabir's realization of the normalization of segregation reflects society's tendency to accept injustices as commonplace, prompting introspection into the nature of social progress.Kabir's encounter with the beggar at the food shop evokes questions of compassion, privilege, and moral responsibility. The shopkeeper's callousness highlights the moral decay caused by indifference and self-interest, contrasting with the beggar's transformation into a symbol of resilience and dignity.The eerie encounter with the mysterious figure in the dark corner symbolizes the confrontation with existential fear and the unknown depths of human depravity. Kabir's flight from danger reflects the instinctual drive for self-preservation in the face of primal terror.Seeking refuge in the metallic cabin represents the human quest for safety and sanctuary amidst chaos and peril. The broken eye hole symbolizes the vulnerability of human existence and the fragility of artificial constructs of security.The frozen moment inside the cabin signifies the suspension of time and the transcendence of mortal limitations, offering a glimpse into the realm of existential contemplation and metaphysical revelation.
Ultimately, Kabir's journey culminates in the radiant transformation of the bridge, symbolizing the transcendent power of human resilience and the transformative potential of existential exploration. Through adversity and fear, Kabir emerges with newfound insight and enlightenment, embracing the sublime beauty of existence.]