FROM MY ALBUM - My first short story

My Short Stories


I remember very well, that day we were returning from Delhi. It was around eight years ago and our school had taken five of us to take a part in a Television Programme and we were returning to Madurai. It was 10.00 PM and the Tamilnadu Express was to leave from the New Delhi Railway station. There were two teachers with us and we were all sitting inside the compartment. They had allotted us seven seats and the window next to me was vacant. The train had whistled and that concerned person had not come. I went out and looked at he passenger’s list. Mr.David, it read a Christian. Before I could read the other details the train started moving and do I came back and took my seat.

Before the train could leave the platform, there rushed in a man, climbing the stairs of the running train. He had a single bag, which we saw first. We thought he would be a young man of thirty-five. He came in and directly occupied his seat. To our surprise, he was quite old on a closer look and we expected him to be in the nineties. Yet he was quite brisk. He had silvery hair that had bit of shine, pus and downs on his skins. Still his eyes were sharp. He spoke not a word. Probably, his age did not allow him to speak properly. As it was already 10.30, our teacher switched off the lights and we were forced to sleep.

The next morning I woke up. The sun was faster – I thought. It was shining. I looked on to my watch – it read 10.00. Then I realised that it was I who was slow. All my friends were already awake and surprisingly that “thatta” was sitting over the top and meditating. Immediately Priya came and told me that he had been sitting like that for about 3 hours. I told her to watch him and I went to brush my teeth. When I came back he was sitting on his seat munching something. Priya and Raghu told me he had just come down, ordered coffee and started munching chips. We had great doubts in our mind about that silent man. We were actually so young at that time that these doubts of us went beyond imagination. Who was he? Why was he silent? Was he spying on someone? Then Raghu suggested that David might not even be his real name. It was at that time that Priya gave an excellent idea to divert his concentration. She murmured something in our ears and we acted accordingly. She started speaking about our friend David, in a higher tone. He had not accompanied us in that tour. We expected him to glance at us if he was really David. But he did not. Priya then gave an I-told- you- know-sort of expression. One hour passed.

Our teacher called all of us and she announced that she was going to conduct a quiz. We liked quizzes and we quickly got ready. That “thatta” took a huge book and started reading. The quiz commenced and the teachers were the quizmasters.

Questioning started and we were answering them well. Priya was extremely good at quiz. She answered almost all questions. I kept listening to her amazing answers. A new round started and each of us were asked to select a personality on whom our teacher would pose us questions. I chose Mahatma Gandhi and answered three out of five questions. Raghu chose Abraham Lincoln and answered four questions. While Priya was answering that “thatta” closed his book and started starring at her.

After the questions were over, he spoke in a highly dignified language, “How, even at his small age, you know about Hitler and his deeds?” Immediately I answered, “She is actually very good at General Knowledge. I too know a bit about Hitler and the help he had rendered to the INA” Raghu murmured in my ears, “How can this old fellow know about wars and other things. I don’t think that he knows what INA could mean. If at all he knows something that can be about using a plough.” I told him to keep quiet. And slowly our talks went deeper. Definitely Priya knew more than what I knew. At one stage what all I could do was keep listening to what they spoke. What all I could understand was some stuff about India and its freedom struggle. Then suddenly he talked about the present India and how bad the situation was. Priya started suggesting what somebody could do to help the country improve. He then advised us on how we must act as future citizens of India. From our talks I started wondering how he could be so brisk and energetic at that age. I could really understand that he was enjoying her speech. I looked at the watch. It was just 12.00. I asked him, “Sir, are you travelling till Chennai?” He replied, “No. I must get down at Bhopal.”

He continued and we listened to him carefully. Our teachers were asleep while this man gave us a good company. I then asked Priya, “After Hitler was defeated, what happened to the INA?” She replied, “Well, Netaji tried to get help from Japan, but it is said that he died there in an air crash. But his body was not found.” He then said, “You know something!! If anybody is not found for seven years, then he is declared to be dead.” I suddenly noticed a change in Priya’s eyes.

The train slowed down. He said, “Bhopal has arrived. I must leave. Thanks for the company.” Priya asked to my ears, “Hey! Do you have film rolls left?” Before I could reply “No” to her, he said, “Why photographs when he have talked a great deal!!” He starred at her. He remained silent for a moment. The station arrived and the train stopped. He got down with his two bags and we too got down. He turned and looked at us. Then he started moving away from us. It was at that time I realised that we had forgotten to ask what his name was. I cried out of curiosity to know who he was – “Sir…Sir…” Priya remained silent just starring at him. We could feel that he heard us, yet he walked.

The train whistled and we got into our compartment. Priya shouted, “Hey! Shank!! You can see a paper on his seat. We three rushed and opened it. It was a letter addressed to us.

Dear kids,
Please burn this paper once you read it. I can see in you the future citizens of this country. This country should not be ruined by petty things. The freedom that we had obtained from the British by shedding our blood is so valuable that…we cannot afford to lose it. I know very well. There are lots of people still in this country who are ready to give me blood for freedom if I ask. But what we need is a proper guide whom I can see in you. Take care. Best of luck.

Beneath was a signature that was scribbled so fast that I could not read. But Priya could. “My God!!” she exclaimed. It took a little time for me to realise what had just happened. We immediately looked out of the window, but he was out of sight.

Priya still has that golden bit signed by him as a memorable gift.