Breathless Experience

To realize the value of one year: Ask a student who has failed a final exam.
To realize the value of one month: Ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby.
To realize the value of one week: Ask an editor of a weekly newspaper.
To realize the value of one hour: Ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.
To realize the value of one minute: Ask the person who has missed the train, bus or plane.
To realize the value of one second: Ask a person who has survived an accident.
To realize the value of one millisecond: Ask the person who has won a silver medal in the Olympics.

The value of time can be best described in the above quote and also the experience I and my friends have experienced. It was 11^th March 2011, Friday afternoon when I made the status of my face book as “Rain please go away, I am going home in an hour”. I never knew that it was not only the rain that would come as a hurdle to reach station without problem. I locked the key around 1. 30 pm and went to Monalisa (my friend) room. As I knocked her room, she came all of a sudden to open the door as if she was waiting for me just beside the door ready to open it. She asked me, “whether you have contacted the travel agency for the cab or not?. “ I lazily replied, “Yes I have contacted Shanker da. Da is used in West Bengal for referring to brother. We mostly have with all the relationship as brother and sister. He will be sending the cab in front of the hall at 2.30 pm”. Then she packed her luggage and we went outside the hall. But since it was raining heavily we waited near the verandah of the hall and called bijay laxmi (my friend). When she came she asked, “Have the cab came? Why don’t you call again?” I redialled the number and asked Shankar Da if he has sent any vehicle. He said he has sent it already. I went outside with an umbrella to check any vehicle has come or not. After sometimes three of us went outside together and saw a white colour Marti wagon near CCD. Together we laughed that Shankar da wont sent such a shinning car for us. We need to wait for some time to get our hired cab. Then a grey colour maruti came. It was too looking good and then Bhayalaxmi said “see shaker da has sent us a new cab.” I laughed and show her the broken lights and wrecked front side of the car “yes see how new it is”. Hope it runs well and take us to our destiny soon. As we entered the cab we saw the gas cylinder behind the back seat and wishing it won’t burst to turn our pretty face to burned faces. We were chuckling and suddenly the cab stopped. It stooped near the railway track level crossing as a train was about to come. A train carrying goods came and it was plying less than the speed of the pedestrian. But even if the train passed we could not go as the railway gate was opened as another train would come. Three of us were watching the clock just like a student giving matriculation exam watches the clock to see how much time is left to finish the last question.  We were already late. We had only 20 minutes left now to reach the station. But the driver assured that he will take us to station within time. So we related a bit even though we were complaining against the railway authorities that time. Another second train soon passed. Then the driver checked both directions and crossed the track as the gate opened. But there was another gate and it was again closed. Now the crowd has increased. Some people in the bike were waiting for the gate to open, some standing without bothering for the rain, some crossing the gate by lowering below the gate breaking the rules. We were discussing why people don’t love and bother about their life, so many rules are made not to cross the gate when the train are about to come. But it seemed as if all such rules are meant not to be listened. People should follow the rules as such practises may be dangerous to their life. Monalisa then suddenly said “Few days back we have heard the sad incident of the guy’s accident that died on the spot as he carelessly crossing the railway track.” All such incidents made us upset and forget for a while that we are being late. It is truly said that “Road safety starts with you”. Bhagya laxmi spoke, “Thank God, the crossing gate opened soon, we have only 15 minutes left. We got tensed when the driver shouted that the vehicle is not working and it won’t start. We got angry and tensed unable to think what to do and how to reach station on time to catch the train. But thank to goodness, one auto came and we shifted our luggage and went by that Auto. But it was really very difficult to accommodate ourselves as there was already space covered by other people. But we pretend to manage ourselves. Monalisa and I had the first time experience of sitting near the driver seat. All was going wrong today i spoke when i had to carry a heavy luggage, seat almost near the drive, tightly holding the auto so that when the humps come I am not thrown away. Three of us were scolding the cab driver and shanker da for sending a tuta futa (broken) gadi (vehicle). Suddenly two more auto came all of sudden with their rash driving in front of the auto we were going. It was like a heart throbbing experience, as we were feeling that the auto might crash with each other and we will meet accident and the auto may fall turning down. But the driver gave break, the two other drivers were about to fight with each other, and they were scolding each other in Bengali. When someone scolds, they scold in their mother tongue... I heard such Birbal story from one. We stopped them from fighting and asked them to drive so that we can reach station in time. But we thought we would miss the train today for sure. Finally God gave su budhi (intelligence) to the driver to listen to us and drive soon. Finally we reached the station and gave money to the driver. When we reached the station, announcement was going on “ Janasatabi expresss kichi samaye chad be” (Janasadab di express is about to leave within few minutes) . Listening this we rushed to the platform in such a speed as if we are practising for next Olympics. Since all places were wet due to rain, our sandals were slipping, but still we managed to rush to catch our train. Nobody was seeing each other as if one will go and manage to control the railway authority to wait for a while till the rest of friends reach safely. Mean time I was asking monalisa if I could help her in carrying her luggage as the weight of her luggage was nearly half of her wait. But it is no new thing to hear as girls have the habit of carrying heavy luggage with them. If they are going for one day, they take things of a week and if for a week then take things for a month. Off the record, I would say it is good habit, as if the girls obey the rule of accounting “anticipate no profit and provide for all possible losses”. Bhagya laxmi said, let us enter into any of the compartment and then will think of going D8 berth. But luckily near the engine, the berth was D8. As we entered, three of us breathing heavily and managed not to look at the staring eyes of the co passengers. We search for our seat numbers and sat for a while without uttering a single word. We took couple of minutes to rest so that our stressful body don’t scold us seeing the level of stamina after running so fast. Then we thank god that we did not missed the train like Geet in Jab we met and said to each other that we won’t forget this “Breathless Experience” where for just one minute, we wouldn’t have catch our train.