Yama's Buffet

Somewhere in the nether world

Lord Yama told his assistant that he needed to arrange for a special buffet in such a way that people should remember Yama for some time to come. With all that age defying creams and prolonging life technology people have either forgotten him or relegated to a non-priority entity. That needs changing. The aide said “dunzo! My Lord.” Just give me a day or two to fix it.

3rd June, Somewhere in Balasore, in Orissa. Time 18:55 hrs

Coromandel super-fast train erroneously enters a loop line at high speed of over 130 kms. A phantom disappears from the scene satisfied that his job has been done and results will soon follow to the satisfaction of the Lord of Death. 

Within seconds the super-fast train collides against a parked goods train with such impact that it climbs over the goods train causing 22 compartments to derail. 

A minute later another super-fast express Bangalore-Howrah on the opposite direction passes the stretch when the derailed coaches collide with its tail end bogies causing two of them to derail.

Lord Yama got the news and said to his assistant a job very well done. Congratulations!!

**

A day before at Krishnarajapuram station, Bangalore. Time: Half past eight in the night. 

Three brothers Ahmed, Yousuf and Riyaz were waiting eagerly for the Howrah bound train to arrive. They looked totally fatigued. Yet their eyes gleamed as in in anticipation. They were migrant labourers from north-Bengal who had come down south like many lakhs like them in search of a livelihood. They found jobs as construction laborers. Pay was something they could not dream in their native state. They shared a flat with many other laborers. There were two toilets and bath room to share. Since about a dozen people were sharing the flat, they engaged a cook to make break-fast and dinner and shared the expenses equally. They set out at about 8 am and returned by the same time in the evening exhausted. They would eat dinner, have a bath and go to sleep. Sundays was the only day free. They were able to save 60% of their salary in their sojourn for the past nine months and were taking their first break on account of their only sister’s marriage. They were carrying cash in their back-packs and hopped on to a sleeper coach for the night. They found a corner near the exit door and greased the palm of the ticket checker for travelling in a reserved coach. They were not alone in doing so. Somehow, they managed to spend the night in their corner. 

Just a week before their parents had spoken to Ahmed and informed them that Niloofa’s marriage had got fixed and they were required to come. The contractor refused to give them leave but they continued to plead and cajole. It was only that day during lunch the contractor had relented and gave them cash due as some pay but held back some so that they would come back as promised. They were good workers and the contractor didn’t want to lose them. All the three brothers had bank accounts and ATM cards. Once they reach their destination, they would withdraw additional cash and help with the marriage. All along the journey they were reminiscing about Niloofa, time spent with her, the mis-chief she used to do. But all in all, she was everyone’s favourite. They had missed her badly in the past nine months at Bangalore not withstanding weekly phone calls with her and parents. When they were not chatting about Niloofa and the wedding they would catch a wink. Their train was to reach Balasore soon. Time was about 18:55 hours. The train got delayed and was running some two hours late. It didn’t matter so much to the brothers. But Yama’s aide smiled knowingly from the nether world. It was his design that the train was running late.

The brothers did not know what hit their bogey. The exit door flung open and they were tossed out on to the tract and fell head long and their skulls smashed upon beyond recognition. They were unreserved passengers and they were no claimants to their body. Railways had no record of their travel in the train except that three express tickets were issued from Krishnarajapuram to Howrah at 19 hrs the previous day. 

**

A little girl wanted a window seat and pestered her dad for one. She and her dad had boarded the Coromandel train at Kharagpur and were travelling to Berhampur, a few hours away. Two fellows over heard the conversation and said they could exchange their seats from the adjoining coach where one of them had a seat by the window. The little girl or her father or the two guys didn’t know they had not traded seats but their life. When the train entered the loop and collided the little girl and her father found themselves in one of the coaches that had the least damage. The coach they had left for the two guys was one mangled metallic box. 

**

4th June Bangalore

An old man opened his news-paper and called out to God. His grand-daughter Kavitha got alarmed and came running asking “what happened thatha?” Thatha showed her the newspaper and said “so many have died. My best friend too died in 1962 on a train accident.” He wiped his tears and said the then railway minister resigned owning moral responsibility. “Thatha,” said Kavitha, “please don’t worry. I am sorry to hear about your friend. But today is 2023, times have changed. There is only greed for power but no moral or ethical compulsions” and hugged him.

**

Sandhya’s boss Mr Banerjee was in for surprise on the morning of 5th June at office in Kolkatta. Sandhya had entered his chamber with a garland and sweet box in her hand. She garlanded him and fell on his feet and said with tears in her eyes “you saved my life. Had you sanctioned my leave I would have been one among the dead, perhaps. Sandhya’s gesture had created a spectacle in the office and soon her colleagues gathered her and partook the sweets along with jokes and laughter.

At the same time in the nether land Yama and his aide invited 280 odd guests for the grand buffet. Once they saw of their guests after a grand affair, they were talking about what was happening in the land of the mythology. 

Yama’s aide gave him an elaborate report. PM air dashed as usual and announced ex-gratia payment to soften the blow of death to those bereaved families. Lot of speculations going around as to what caused the accident. Some say it was human error. PM had declared that culprits would not go unpunished. Nobody said anything about a foreign hand especially that of a Paki or a Chini. CBI is likely to probe the accidents. Some say that too much focus on Vande Bharat at the cost of rail safety was the root cause. Differing opinions on Kavach, a safety equipment in the engine is going on. Some say it was the Sengol effect in the wrong hands. 

Yama declared “now people will remember me. You trash safety I will come around. I am never too far behind. Anyway, probe will never see the light of the day.” 

As if the guru over heard he was telling his herd of followers that accident was an outcome of Yama’s design and man cannot act against it. The herd dispersed and later in their leisure they would masticate what their guru dished out.