Me & Platform No 21. Review on Howrah Mail

It was winter of 2001 when I was waiting for Howrah mail at howrah station on platform no 21. I used to stay at my brothers house in darjeeling atleast for 2 weeks during my winter vacations. But, that evening, when I was in my way back to my home to bilaspur , my train was scheduled to depart from howrah station at 7.30 pm. Since I was very scared of the traffic in kolkata , I reached the station 2 hours earlier.

As I was all by myself, I decided to buy few books/novels just to kill time. After reading 10-20 pages of the book I was bored as I was not a very avid reader of books. I was feeling sleepy, so I just glanced up so as to catch anything interesting. Suddenly , out of nowhere I saw a girl staring at me standing at about 10 mts from me.

I was taken aback first for few seconds, but as I went into her eyes, it seemed to me as if she wanted to say something. It appeared to me that she was selling toys made up of clay. Suddenly she started coming nearer to me and I gapsed ''OH MY GOD! Not again''. It was well known to visitors of kolkata that the vendors and sellers at the station have the quality of befooling the innocent public.

As an egoistic man , I decided not to indulge in any kind of purchase and I passed my 1st judgement that she is a cheat.

She was the first to speak, and I guessed it rightly that what she is going to speak. She very candidly asked , wether I m intrested in buying the clay toys.? I replied in a very rude manner,'' No; Dont waste your time here''. Then I tought that my reply would be enough to shoo her away. But, she stayed there to my surprise.

I said to myself '' go to hell'', and started reading again. After 10 odd mins, I looked up with a hope that she might have gone away by that time, but to my utter surprise she was still standing there with her toy basket.

I asked her ''What is your problem?'' And then she replied in a soft voice'' What is your name ?''. I got angry by this question, and then I said to her'' This is none of your business.'' Then she turned around, and started to go away. I saw her going away from me and then out my instinct ,I called her back without any definite reason, what was in my mind.

Now it was against my rule to say sorry to someone and that to of someone of lower class than me. Just to start up the conversation, I asked her name? She replied'' My name is PAGLI.'' I was shocked keeping in mind that I was talking to someone loose screw child. When I asked her for the reason for her name, then she replied that everyone calls her by this name. By her appearence it seemed that she was about 13 years old and her voice was really sweet.

Then I asked her , what do you do apart from this ? She replied that she take care of her younger brother who studies in class 3 . When I asked about her parents, she said she dont have any parents. It was really sad to hear that to me. I asked her tht how much do you earn in a whole day. The she said in a very low voice that it is not fixed. She described that, her master pay her 30 rupees only when she persuade ten people a day to buy the toys.

Meanwhile, I saw my train arriving at the platform . In another 15 mins I had to get into the train. Out of my sympathy, I decided that I must buy some toys from her. I asked , what is the cost of the all the toys of the basket. She replied it is for Rs 70. I enquired , if I will buy all the toys, will I get the basket free?Then she laughed and said yes. I was really happy to see a laugh I her face. I told her tha I will buy the toys. Then asked her to come with me to my coach. When we reached there I said that I will be back in few seconds, just to keepy my luggages on my berth. I came back , and took the basket from her and started to check my wallet to pay her. But I was having only 30 rupees as a change . I was also having 500 rupees note, but that I need it for further travelling.

I went to my seat and checked my jacket and took a hundred rupee note to pay her.but to my surprise'the train was already on move and was abt to cross the last end of platform.I looked out from the door of the train,and I could still saw a tiny figure standing out there and she was defintely staring back.After standing there for few helpless minutes,i returned to my seat and had no idea as to what to do? Then I tried to sleep, but every time a soft voice and a sweet figure of PAGLI was retuning to my mind.After an hour I felt asleep.

The event still remain afresh in my mind and I promised to myself that I will pay that girl for her toys on my next trip to kolkata. It has been 4 years , and I have made almost 7-8 trips to kolkata . And every time I made it a point that I must go to platform no 21 to find PAGLI to pay her back , but in vain. I had even enquired from the railway stalls but they replied there are 100's of such girls out there who come one day and leave the other day.

I still have that basket full of clay toys in my living room reminding about her presence near to me. I dont know, weather I will find her in future but my special bondage with Platform No 21 will remain forever........