The Comfort Of Train Travel

For a person like me, traveling opened the door to observe and understand people. I love to travel by train, and I know why. First of all, it’s comforting. No matter how sad, angry, or anxious I am, when I step onto a suburban train, I become quiet and calm. I’ve always wondered why. Even if I’m on the verge of losing my cool, a back-and-forth journey on a suburban train soothes me.

ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS ABOUT TRAVEL IS THAT YOU FIND OUT HOW MANY GOOD KIND PEOPLE THERE ARE. “

EDITH WHARTON

A Childhood Love For Trains

My mom once told me how and when it all started. When I was a 5-month-old baby, my Appa (dad, in Tamil) would take me on train trips as soon as he returned home from the office. It wasn’t just then—during weekends, and even if I cried, my dad would immediately take me on the train, and I would quiet down like a lamb. Plus my Appa used to work in Railways, so there is always an overflowing admiration I have over trains since I was a kid.

Meeting People On Journey

Over the years, I’ve met different people during my train journeys. I’ve encountered a sweet, chubby little girl coming back from school with her mother, a white-haired and smart-looking grandma who reads wonderful novels (I later found out she’s a retired principal), and a tired woman ticket checker who once overslept, whom I woke up and later befriended.

I’ve also seen high school kids who spend their entire journey talking about smart stuff. There are uncles who debate politics and spirituality, and uncles who argue over trivial things. I’ve met aunties who make space for standing girls, aunties who discuss the economy and human rights, and aunties who badmouth each other for accidentally stepping on each other’s feet. And, of course, the kind, hardworking, differently-abled brothers and sisters who sell burfi. Please, if you get the chance, buy some burfi from them—it’s really sweet.

On a really bad day, though, we might encounter some drunkards and perverts too.

Encounters on the Metro: A Different Experience

Apart from suburban trains, I’ve also met lots of nice people on the metro. I’ve encountered strangers who share a smile, met kind foreign travelers whose enthusiasm is contagious, and watched dads carrying their kids on their shoulders, showing them airplanes and buildings. First-timers doing video calls to their families or taking videos of the airport—these are sometimes a trademark of Chennai’s metro.

A Serendipitous Encounter on the Bus

I decided to write this post because I met a kind person last Saturday. I don’t usually ride buses; I find it insecure. I neither want to be molested nor want to lose my phone, so I avoid traveling by bus as much as possible. But last Saturday, I found myself on a bus due to a lack of share auto services. As my stop neared, I moved towards the door, trying to get in front of an old man. This old man is the reason I wrote this post.

A Glimpse Of Humanity

Recently, I’ve been encountering more and more bad, vile, and selfish people. I was beginning to lose hope in humanity. I longed to encounter good people once in a while. I longed so hard. And then, there was this tall, bald-headed old man with a few silver hairs.

As I hurried to overtake him to get closer to the bus door, he gently pulled me back and said, “Wait, Miss, wait, why are you rushing? What are you rushing for? You still have lots of time to live; you have a long way to go. Don’t get hurt. Be patient.” I was perplexed, but strangely, I was happy to hear those words. It may sound weird, but I was so happy he said that. I was so happy he cared. He even nagged the guy wearing headphones who was blocking our way, urging him to move. The old man got down from the bus and walked in the same direction as me.

While walking behind him, I noticed another incident. He helped girls cross the road safely and moved a girl’s luggage. He showed concern for us—a rare quality called humanity. He started to move faster, and I tried to catch up with him to thank him, but I missed him.

The Importance Of Kindness: A Lesson Learned

I regret all those unsaid words. But someday, if I find him again, I will tell him how thankful I am. If you come across good and kind people like him, don’t hesitate—go up to them and talk to them. Tell them thanks. Trust me, these people are the last of their kind. We won’t find many like them in our generation or in the future.

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