Hero

It was a trip to Kullu Manali during summer vacations and the year was 1990. We made a group of 40 students and three teachers.

No sooner the tickets were booked, we started imagining the beautiful place that we would be visiting soon. A list of the students to be taken of care individually was handed over and I was given the responsibility of 13 young, kids when I say kids there was a child of class 3 in that group,too.

The most awaited day came. The parents gathered and bid goodbye to their children and Happily we boarded the train.

How the time of 7 days spent we did not realise, beautiful place mighty mountains, crystal clear flowing water of rivers, streams, Hidamba Devi temple, Rohtang pass, Roomsu and China peak, wow,nature in abundance! Immemorable experience.

Now was the time to return. We packed our bags the night before. Next day we reached the station. The train arrived and I counted the children and lo and behold!could not find four among them. The other two teachers had boarded the train with their children and I saw the train leaving the platform. I was still frantically searching those four children!

I was so scared and nervous that I lost control of myself and was about to somehow I went to the enquiry but the train has already taken speed. Now,what to do?Four missing children plus I don't have ,tickets nor enough money to buy fresh tickets. To my relief I saw them coming. They told that the younger one had urge for nature's call,others accompanied him. I wished to give him sound scolding but controlled myself. I was so tense.

There was an announcement tha another train was due in 10 minutes and it halted there only for 2 minutes. I told the students to barge into any compartment because those days the compartments were interconnected. This is what the children did exactly. When finally I entered the compartment I saw that it was booked compartment for army persons.

I was so scared, I did not know what to do but they were so courteous and welcoming that not only they gave seats to all the children but made them sleep on their own births. They made me comfortable assuring not to worry at all. Though I did not sleep the whole night in the morning I do not know Ihad a wink and in that time ,they left.

 I could not thank them,the real heros who not only brave all the adverse conditions on the boarders but exhibit equal amount of bravery in serving the people in need,may it be floods,natural or man-made disasters. Indeed our real heroes!