Train Journey

Ananya was done with her packing, she was checking every bit in detail but at her own pace, the reason being she was on severe medication due to a brain stroke she had in the earlier part of the year.she had to travel back to her home and join her husband. Her children were in their respective hostels and busy with their work. The reason she stayed back as they had bought a house and she had to get some pending work done. of course, her mother and brother were assisting her .she was feeling jittery thinking about the journey next day morning. The surprising fact was the journey was hardly 12 hours one.she had to board the train the next day mostly she used to travel by flight but this time since she was not in a hurry she preferred to travel by train.so far ok. The next day morning she boarded the train, her brother dropped her at the station and went.it was a second ac compartment. she noticed very few passengers in the compartment.but she was ok with the window seat she got and thought she would not bother about anything else.so far ok. After the train crossed few stations and stopped at the junction where it halts for some time, a family of 5 members boarded the compartment, no arrogance but Ananya felt weird looking at their appearance and wondered how they were traveling in ac compartment after all. The family included 2 young kids, an elderly lady, and a young couple. They settled beside Ananya. After some time the train started moving. Ananya was engaged with her mobile.suddenly one of the children who was about 3 years or so started crying and the young lady whom Ananya presumed as the child's mother tried to console her but in vain. Then she requests Ananya to scold the child so that the child gets scared and stops crying and surprisingly it happens too. Now slowly the lady starts speaking to Ananya politely enquiring where she is going to and says that they too were traveling to the same place as hers. Ananya felt nice to hear this as she would have the company of a family during the journey. But she still felt weird looking at the family. she noticed the other child who was a year-old was continuously asleep and the mother did not bother to even feed the child. The man who seemed to be her husband was talking to her as if he had met them after a long time. she felt something very strange .she thought let me not bother about anything.suddenly the lady picks up a laddoo from her bag and offers it to Ananya saying it is the prasad of a very famous temple of that place. Ananya who was very religious could not say no and accepts it. But she did not eat it. Now the lady along with the old lady, the young man started pestering Ananya to eat the offering and sleep for some time. They even offered to look after the luggage she was carrying. Now, this was the last straw. Ananya felt something very fishy.picks up her luggage and moves to another place in the same compartment and felt relieved .imagine what could have happened!!!