Messenger of God

August 31, 2008, Train was on time that Sunday, Mysore – Mayiladuthurai express, which starts from Mayiladuthurai which is 40 Kms from my hometown Kumbakonam, comes to Kumbakonam at 6:05 PM, from my place, it goes via Thanjavur, Tiruchy, Karur, Salem, Bangalore and finally reaches Mysore. Usually whenever I return from my native, I ask my mom not to prepare any food for my dinner as I would buy some food in Tiruchy station where train stops for about 30 mins. During the last two visits, I asked my mom to prepare since they have changed the platform in Tiruchy and to get the food I used to eat, I need to walk a lot. I was well on time, this time it was a hectic trip as I had to run around the place from morning to evening to get things done. On top of it, that Saturday night I didn’t sleep well. Throughout Sunday I never had a chance to lie down for a moment. This was one reason I was looking forward to Train journey, I know I can take complete rest. Train arrived on time – 6:05 PM and for me it was business as usual, I decided before Tiruchy station, I will finish my dinner which I was having as a separate parcel, so that I need not to search for a proper place to eat since most passengers’ board in Tiruchy. Another reason to finish my dinner early by 8:00 is to have hot milk from the platform vendors, it was one of those nice things.., well as train started moving, I relaxed and was waiting for train to reach the outskirts of Tiruchy, I didn’t know or didn’t even had the clue of what was waiting for me in Tiruchy.

 

As the train started moving, I was playing games in mobile which usually is kind of the timepass I do if I don’t carry any book. I was not playing well, I attributed it to the fact that it was moving train, also just before reaching Thanjavur which is again 40 Kms from Kumbakonam,my native, I was feeling bit of uncomfortness in my head. When I boarded the train, no one was there in my compartment, when we reached Thanjavur, a family of three (husband, wife and a kid) and two other guys boarded the same compartment, as the family conversed I understood that they are not going to be in the compartment for long, train started for Thanjavur station 5 mins late that day due to crossing, as the train started, feeling of nausea was slowly but surely started creeping in. I was not really pertuberated at the start, but 20 mins into the journey since Thanjavur, I know it wasn’t the usual feeling, I was falling sick and I was falling sick quiet fast. It was 7:50 PM when I decided I would take my dinner and the tablets (Crocin and Digene) which I carry and then sleep off quickly. At that point, I could barely feel comfortable, giddiness started and I had to look down to be able to feel ok. With difficulty I opened my food parcel, for the next 5 minutes I hadn’t done anything but staring at the chapathi’s. I was not feeling a bit to eat; I know at that point how serious my health has deteriorated. He, the head of that family asked me if I am not well, I told him I am feeling giddiness and sense of nausea. He asked his wife if she has tablets, he asked me not to eat the food which I was carrying, rather advised me to take idly’s once train reaches tiruchy. With the state I was in, walking a few meters itself was looking herculean task, I know going and taking food from platform is out of the window, I forced myself,ate a chappathi and chucked the remaining, his wife told that she doesn’t have the tablet which she usually carry, I was cursing my luck, I called my cousin who is a doctor and got the tablet names, I asked another guy in my compartment if he could buy the tablet for me in Tiruchy station, I was anxious because being in that state is horrible, I cannot look up, I cannot turn my head fast, there seem to be whole lot of weight on my head, I was totally lost to say the least. He told me that he is a frequent traveler by this route and there is no medical shop in Tiruchy railway station and one has to go to bus-stand to buy the tablets, He, the father, who was trying to help me also acknowledged the same.

 

Each passing minute worsened my condition, he asked me to take the tablets I have and go to sleep, I asked one fellow passenger to give me the window seat so that I can vomit incase if I need to, I sat and laid my head down with the support of the window rails, 5 more mins passed by, I started feeling from stomach some kind of trigger which would eventually go uptill my head, I know I have ran into total nausea. I asked my fellow person to pass the bag, I couldn’t even go and take it, it was that bad, opened the bag with great difficulty and found Crocin and Digene, by then train had reached Trichy, it was 8:10. The family who boarded on Thanjavur was getting down, he came to me and asked me to take care, advised me to sleep immediately. I know he cared for me, unfortunate his wife didn’t have the tablets that day. It was when I realized how divine the medicine field is. Something told me, if I vomit I would feel better, I gathered all my strength and walked to the side door which is opposite to the platform, I sat down with the water bottle. I guess I was sitting there for 10 mins, I was sweating which told me I am not running fever, but the giddiness was not leaving me, I know sitting there wouldn’t help, I went back to the seat and was back to the position of laying my head down on the window rails. I was also thinking should I get down and go back to my hometown, it sounded very illogical since I couldn’t walk even, I know the only way I can manage is by staying on the train. For each action I need to do, I need to regroup all my strength, I was left surprised how weak this last one hour has made me, I once again with all difficulty opened the crocin tablet and was holding it as I was not feeling like doing anything but to stay still. I know Crocin would not help as I am going through giddiness and the tablet is for fever, it was a state of desperation and I wanted to take some tablet which would give me relief from that painful state. It was about 20 mins since the train has arrived and in another few mins it would leave Tiruchy.

 

“Take this”, I heard the voice and saw a hand holding 2 tablets. It was a moment of joy I cannot explain in words, with difficulty I looked up and found that hand to be the person who left 20 mins earlier with his family. He advised to take one at that point and take one in the morning, I took the tablets on my hand and looked at it as the treasured magical possession, I took the tablet immediately without any questions, I desperately wanted to get better. I had to look down if I need to feel better; I cannot look normally that’s the magnitude of giddiness I was going through. I wanted his number so that I can call him later, but the only words coming out of my mouth were Nandri- (“Thanks”), as I took the tablet he touched my head softly and said, you will be better in next 30 mins, as I said thanks, he said no problem, and walked away., I couldn’t even turn my head and see himoff, within next few minutes I vomited a lot and then came the relief I was looking for, I lied down immediately with the support of my bag, I closed my eyes, in the last hour I was closing my eyes most times, but this time, it was a different feeling, a sense of happiness, a sense which told me I am out of the worst part. Had that not been for that unknown man I don’t know what would have happened, he doesn’t know me, he has taken all the pain to get that tablet for me. He looked to me as the messenger of god. I was touched, in a world when people just stare when accident happen and pass by, his act of kindness is incomparable, I am thankful to someone whom I don’t know. I felt bad that I didn’t collect his contact details, hopefully I would meet him in one of my future journey’s, but I know it wouldn’t have mattered to him, he didn’t leave any clue, what he left with me was the two tablets, a heartful of most pleasantful/thankful experience and more reasons to look forward to the mystery called “Life”

 

PS: It took me couple of more days before I could get back to normalcy; Nausea was due to lack of sleep and more of tiredness.