Life is stranger than fiction!

An incident happening 46 years go at Mumbai

It was a raining heavily. 46 years ago. There were no uncertainity regarding on the onset of rains. July meant days of heavy rains which continued may be till second week of September.
I was schooling at a place called Wadala. Commuting from Kurla to Wadala via Harbour Brach was quite a herculean task. Trains used to get cancelled. When the tracks were filled with water it was go slow for the trains. But we enjoyed getting drenched ,wading through the waters and reaching the school sometimes 2hours late.
Those days students were innocent and the school authorities too understood our problems.

It was one Saturday. The train could not get the signal to proceed towards Wadala from Koliwada. An hour passed. Some of us got fed up.. But we were always instucted by our elders not to cross the railway tracks and jump out of the train even if we were late. (But we always crossed railway tracks to reach the school and to win the race we had among us. Never knew the seriousness.)

On that day many of my friends did jump . One of my seniors in the school with her twin sister discouraged many of us. Ultimately my senior also lost her patience. Also her twin sister coaxed her to jump. Poor girl didn't have the courage. She kept looking at the signal. After a long coaxing she pleaded the twin to jump. The mission was successful. Now this girl got the courage. She just jumped and the train moved.
Some of us inside the adjacent compartment could hear screams.( They were travelling by first class and we were in the ordinary compartment).

(Her co sister had eye problem and one brother was polio victim. Atleast I wasn't aware of that.)
Those days reaching hospital was a bit difficult. Initially her hand and leg was partly amputated. Unfortunately it became septic. We were not that medically advanced.
Poor girl's hand and leg needed further amputation which meant right hand and right leg will be of no use to her. She remained in the hospital for six months and the next year she became my classmate.
She use to be aloof when we all played. But those days people were more caring. She struggled to board the bus with her artificial leg which made all of us cry.(Those days those mechanism for making artificial leg were also equally crude)
We were together till graduation. During college days once she invited me to her house. Her mother wanted to see me.
It seems she used to tell "amma kanaka sings beautifully".
The day I visited her house I was shocked. I saw a mother - a smiling mother with a girl who had lost partial sight, a polio son who could not walk and this girl who was handicapped. I stii the mother saying"Kanaka Vinayakar pattu, appram ethavadu padu"

Last time I saw this girl was at BARC. She had managed to get a job.I was happy to see her. I was there for a training.
Poor girl said"Kanaka these scientist seems to have no sense. They sit and I have to stand or beg for a seat in the bus. She was right.
What could I do as a trainee. But my stubborness didn't permit me to keep quiet.
Through some officer I manged to make the bus driver(BARC staff bus driver) to let her board the bus before he halts the bus at the boarding place.
Iam told it happened for few months and things were back to square after that.
I believe she met my mother at Palakkadby that time my classmate had taken voluntary retirement from BARC) and kept enquiring about me.
I appreciate her will power. to survive all the odds . Imagine a girl born nearly59 years ago may be, boldly faced the world. She remains spinster and staying alone at Palakkad. My hats off to her.
I have no intention of bragging. This incident just came to my mind. That's all.

kanaka:coffee