Juhi's World

The digital clock of the railway station displayed the time, 4:30 in the morning. The announcement for the arrival of the mail train started at the same instance. Juhi opened her eyes and looked around. Her friends are already up to board the train. They collect plastic water bottles from the compartments left by passengers. The busiest hour will start the moment the train comes to a halt. Trains from different parts of the country will come in one after another. This is one of the biggest junctions in the country. Juhi ran to the water tap nearby, washed her face and drank some water as well. Someone came running to the next tap in search of water. Juhi turned to see who it was. Apu, a new arrival; in the railway platform arena. He looks like her lost brother Sahil. So she has acknowledged him as her brother. He looked at her shyly and asked “Ju I’m feeling hungry”

She answered sadly “But there isn’t any food left. We have to work first to earn some money then we will be able to buy food”

“What are you going to do now?”

“We are going to collect plastic water bottles for resale. So come along with me”

“How will we collect them?”

“I’ll show you” Both of them picked the rags and entered in the last compartment of the halted train. Most of the passengers have left so they started picking up the bottles left anywhere and everywhere in the compartments. They moved from one to another and the collection filled up their bags. Then they get off from the moving train. The train is moving to the yards. Juhi and Apu moved with their bags to the storehouse behind the rail yard office. Ellahi will take the bottles and pay them some amount.

Both ran back to food shops on the platform and bought roti sabji. Then they sat in one corner of the platform and started eating. After finishing their breakfast and lunch in one single meal they went back to their work.

When they went to sleep at their place at night they found an old woman sleeping at their place. Juhi saw her face very minutely but couldn’t identify the face with other female beggars living on the platform. “This woman seems to be new” she thought. Apu said “Ju where are we going to sleep now?”

“Beside her. Come lets us arrange our sacks beside her and lie on them” Apu did as told by Juhi. On the next morning when they woke the woman was still asleep. They began their day as usual but often ran back to find whether the woman was up or not. But till late morning she didn’t wake up. Juhi was worried and so she went to check her forehead. She wasn’t suffering from fever but then what was the reason of her not getting up. Juhi felt something was wrong. She ran to the GRP office and called a official “Sir will you please come with me, its urgent” The railway force are very much aware of these vagabonds living in the railway platform and that they often engaged in fights among themselves. This official thought it may be something like that. She explained everything to him and asked him to come with her. The official did not show any interest at first but Juhi kept on insisting that it was really a serious reason and he should go with her. At last when he came the woman was still sleeping. The official bent down to check her then called her but when she did not respond he called someone over phone to carry her to the railway hospital.

Juhi and Apu ran behind the stretcher to find where they are carrying the old lady. The woman was hospitalized. Doctors said she was very weak due to starvation. They couldn’t understand for how many days she had been starving. After a week or so the woman’s health got a little better and doctors said now she could be discharged. Juhi and Apu both went to visit her once in a day with some fruits they could buy with their saved earnings. The woman didn't wish to eat and asked them to have them. At last the trio shared the fruits and ate. The woman was fond of them and eagerly waited for the afternoons to meet them.

So when doctors thought of giving her discharge they asked the woman “What is your name? Where is your home? Where are your relatives? Please say something then we will inform them about you. They will take you back to your home”

But the woman just looked at them without a word. Juhi came in the afternoon as usual to visit her new Dadi. When she heard what doctors had asked and what Dadi’s reaction was; she said “We (I and Apu) are the only relatives of Dadi and we will take her back with us”

At this word smile appeared on her Dadi’s face. Juhi and Apu held Dadi’s arms on either side and left the hospital smiling and talking.