An Old friend

This is an account by a second person as told to me,Iam narrating the story in first person.

"Iam already late and this train..." I was at dadar station platform 4 waiting for churchgate bound slow train..
"I was better off in college..job life is a hell..but then...Its always greener on the other side..no matter..u r never satisfied", all these thoughts of arguments and counter arguments were going on through my mind.

The station was busy with business as usual..Coolies..Beggars..Hawkers..
I had been witnessing such a scene every day and night and this day was another of such a day.

The station was a living to many and a world to many others..!!

Waiting for the train,my eyes couldn't ignore some street beggars with tattered and dirty clothes lying on the platform below the stairs.It seemd to me a family of four.The women was busy preparing the meals for the family.
The children aged less than five were playing....rolling on the platform with mud all over.They were happy ,no matter wherever....whatever...
Children who had born..grown on the platform listening to the hustle and bustle of people and trains everyday...everynight.To them silence was unknown.To them this was a world.

I sometimes felt lucky and thankful to god for the kind of childhood i had got...but at the sametime unhappy with the world those small wonders were going through..compromising with the daily meals..compromising with there childhood.
"India is the land of hideous human sufferings" I muttered with a deep breath.
A sense of disgust surrounded me for a while.

"What are you staring at those urchins for so long and talking on own,haan...." an elderly women spoke from behind,interrupted my thoughts.
With a smile..pointing to those small kids she said "Yes!u seem to be in deep thought..eh?"
I had compltely got lost in there world for a while until when she had interuppted.

"The train is arriving..." she gestured and tried getting up from seat.
She was struggling to get up..trying to get up with difficulty, I gave her my hand to support.

"Well, beta sometimes i curse this age of mine...and with diseases apart,I feel i had enough of my life..." the old lady was continuing to tell her miseries.
I was not at all in a mood to hear miseries after a long rest less day...but then..sometimes it becomes a duty to make others feel happy when they are seeking happiness.

The train had almost stopped and some 'seat savvy' men were already starting off with there usual habit of dashing inside the empty compartment.
It was nothing new to me and so i was not at all amused..like some onlookers new to the city...watching with eyes wide open..refusing to miss any action.. :)

I held her hand and slowly helped her get into the second class compartment.I made her seat in near the window seat.

"Thank you beta..i..iam pretty impressed by your compassionate nature" she said
She was looking at me with extreme satisfaction while saying this.
"Its all my duty...",I uttered my first words to her...with a feeling of worthness.

Not less than 60 years..i guessed..!She was all alone carrying a huge bigshopper bag. With jewelleries all around the neck and plastic bangles all over her hand, she seemed to look like a perfect bridegroom or rather a perfect 'slightly overaged' bridegroom. [:)]
I sat close to the window opposite to her seat.

The train started moving slowly..!I too had some thoughts running through my mind..!!
The lady was too old to be left alone to travel..old age is a real curse..or may be she is not among the luckier ones..

The thoughts about her as to how she would manage to get home..where she is coming from..what about her children..grand children...
"Beta..arrey..beta..yeh..train..kahan tak hai..?" she was alomost shouting at me..
perhaps..i had became deaf...prhaps in deep thoughts...

"kya.?.aapko waise..kahan jana hai?Koi to ayega na aapko..lene..?Beta..ya beti??"I asked her back..

I was looking at her with anxiousness...waiting for her reply..but..
she was silent..
for a while..i had a feeling that..she was confused with my questions...but then..
Perhpas..she didnt knew what she wanted to say..

For a while,i wondered...if she too was a victim of ageing..

I looked at her..eyes..and held her hand..
A drop of tear from her eyes fell on my hand..

The drops were not mere tears...it was what life has given to her during her old days..
I was to get down at the next station which was not more than 3 minutes of more travel...but I was ready lost in her emotions..

She clasped my hand more tightly..as if she knew that i was going to get down at the next station..
as if..she didnt wanted to be left alone..

This small meeting..had now turned into a emotional bond..
an emotional bond of lifetime..
she was shivering...

I felt her pulse immediately..and looked at her eyes again..
she had turned pale..her eyes red...

I could sense something was terribly wrong..

By this time..she had already laid her head

"Dadi....dadi..what happened...dadi...." I was shouting...and screaming...
She wasnt saying anything..
I was in a state of shock..for a while..
"Please... say something..dadi.."
[Guess next or Read the rest soon..!!]