Monsoon in the Westghats in Maharashtra, India (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
It was a rainy day as most days of that monsoon had been. We were at Lonavla railway station waiting for the Indrayani Express which would take us back to Mumbai. We were nearing the end of an amazing weekend in this picturesque hill station which was made even better by the constant drizzle. It was a while since we had been on a holiday with my new job not giving me the luxury of a break. With my daughter’s vacation coming to an end that weekend, my wife and I decided to pack our bags and go out for a weekend to the nearest hill station from Mumbai i.e. Lonavla. To make the experience even better, we decided to travel by train. The journey to Lonavla was an exhilarating experience for our eight year old daughter as she watched in amazement at the vivid colours of the monsoon. She jumped in glee seeing the many waterfalls that seemed to magically appear in the Western Ghats at this time of the year. She held my hand tightly when the train passed through one of the many tunnels that are a feature of this short train journey but slowly got used to it by the time we passed through the fifth or sixth one. In Lonavla, the three of us had a wonderful time under the numerous waterfalls, having a cup of hot tea at Tiger Point or a masaledhar bhutha (Spicy corn) at one of the many viewing points dotting this famous tourist destination. It was a tired threesome who was now waiting at the station as the train chugged in. Having settled in our seats, I took a moment to look around. My wife had a happy but tired look as she placed her head on my shoulder. My daughter still had the energy to go on and on about the wonderful things she did during the past couple of days to her grandparents who had just called on my mobile phone. With a smile on my face, I looked outside the window to see the train slowly moving out of the Lonavla station. Life seemed so wonderful around the people I loved the most. As I replayed the wonderful moments of the past couple of days, the train slowly made its way into Khandala station. There was a crowd of people waiting to board the train at this station as well. As the train came to a halt, I looked outside the window. Among the many people moving about, my eyes fell on a lady with her two kids who were standing just outside our window. They were looking around anxiously and from what I could hear from their conversation amid the din, they were apparently waiting for the father who had gone searching for the right compartment. Suddenly, in a flash, a vivid memory of a similar rainy evening started playing out in my mind.Continue reading the story