The Music Express

The Train was galloping at its top speed say 130-140 mph. It was 3am and everyone in that First class compartment was fast asleep in their coupes. There is no other sound except for the roar of the train. Aditya was traveling alone for the first time. As a habit or convention he never sleeps during onward train journeys. He always wanted to stand by the train door and sing his heart out. But that has never happened before as he never got to travel alone. Now he knew it’s the right time to strike the chord. He slowly moved down from his berth and escaped out of his coupe without making any noise. The footboard was waiting for his arrival He took his favorite position and he was all set for the show. The train was cruising over a pretty straight route with hardly any curves on the way. Bluish cloud covered mountains, tall trees and oil lit lamps here and there…Seeing these Aditya was building up his mood to sing out. He had few songs and lines in mind which he knew will please him at this time of the night and the location he is in. As tough he was a professional singer he started to sing. First few lines he jus murmured. But later on he started to shout. He knew very well that it’s tough even for himself to listen to his voice. But today the speed of the train gave him so much room that he shouted his heart out so loudly, still no one heard him. He was enjoying his singing (shouting to be precise) though he had chosen all sad songs. Suddenly a bulb started glowing above his head. Idea! he said to himself and quickly ran to his berth. He grabbed his Music player plugged them into his ears and turned the volume to maximum. Now again back at the footboard he continued with his singing. This time he was very pleased. He was singing but what his ears received was the original soundtrack! Wow cool idea indeed.

Everything was nice and fine until these lines flashed through Aditya’s mind. He had read them only few hours ago. He had associated those lines with himself. The lines read as “Such was his state… a state where he kept working just to stop the brain from thinking of her… a state where all he wanted to do on his late night ride back home from office was to bang onto something rock solid hard and crash hoping that at least the accident would make him stop thinking about her. He was scared of being alone and not having anything to do because then he would have to think.” Aditya’s mind was continuously pondering over these lines. He has been undergoing this ordeal for reasons unknown. Aditya’s SHE was no were in the scene. He is yet to find her; still he has been feeling it. By the time he realized that he had stopped singing, two three songs had been over in his player. Aditya trying to recompile himself purposefully switched off the songs and diverted his attention in sight seeing. The mountains, the plains, the signal pillars, the distant lights, the shining stars, all these created an awe feeling in him. Sometime back what looked like gods own precious creation and beauty of the nature, now kindled fear fire in Aditya’s eyes. Everything looked enlarged. The fear of FEAR gulping him grew fast. Aditya's feet started to tremble. Unknowingly he started leaning more outside the door and started feeling the Gravity pulling him out. His heart already bid goodbye to the world yet his mind wasn’t ready to depart. The power of his mind commanded his body to push itself inside. 3…2…1 he counted aloud and pushed himself inside, closed the door and rested his back on the door without giving load to his foot. Aditya was panting for breath. He dint know what he was going through. But seriously felt strange with what ever he experienced now. Once he closed the door, the train’s roaring noise had diminished and all that he could hear was his heart beating so fast which synchronized with the rhythm of the express train. Aditya was quite tired after the Push! So he decided to get back to his cabin. He gently tried to persuade himself to sleep for a while, but all he could do was look at the opposite berth where a young girl was struggling to sleep. Who knows that girl too might have been down after a Push, but certainly not from the doorsteps!