Today is Thursday and Akash and his family is supposed to reach Khirwa village on Sunday.The second cousin brother of Akash who is 18 years old and is called Akshay, told Grandpa during breakfast "Grandpa! I checked the travel plan on the net and found that we can directly travel from Pune to Banaras by plane and then Banaras to Singrauli by rental cars. It will hardly take 7 to 8 hours total and we can reach the village within 10 hours."
Grandpa smiled and said "Don"t you wish to know how did your Grandpa travel from village to Pune? Don"t you wish to experience the journey by train to the village? Let me tell you, this journey will definitely show you a different aspect of our country if you wish to know and don"t have any prejudice toward my decision from start only."
"Yes, you kids were born and raised in the city and you really have not seen many things which are very interesting. Be prepared for an interesting journey." Grandma also joined and supported Grandpa"s decision.
No one spoke about travel plan again. If they will suggest otherwise, it will be considered that they are feeling grumpy due to Grandpa"s decision. Akash just kept eating quietly and did not input anything in the discussion.
Everyone was ready on Friday and they reached Pune railway station by 8 PM and their travel agent was already there with their travel tickets. Grandpa, Grandma, Akash and His mother, Youngest uncle and aunt, Ira, Akshay, and youngest uncle"s son and daughter total 10 people are going
Pune-Patna express which goes through Jabalpur is already on the platform. Every one of the Patel Family entered their compartment and placed their luggage below their seats. Their tickets are booked for AC coach. They will go up to Jabalpur by this train. Then they have their tickets for another train which will take them from Jabalpur to Singrauli.
The train left Pune at 9 PM and everyone prepared to go to sleep as they already have done their dinner before boarding the train. Everyone in the family has their seats in two consecutive compartments.
The train is moving and Everyone is trying to sleep and then suddenly a group of transgender people entered the coach and started waking people by clapping. They asked everyone to give 10 INR.
Akash felt like they got scammed by a group of transgender hoodlums. Grandpa laughed and gave 100 INR to a transgender and said to him while pointing toward Akash "Bless my grandson, we are going to meet the girl"s family for marriage."
About three transgenders came at the place and remarked toward him, some in appreciation and some in blessing.
"You are such a good looking boy, G.o.d will definitely make your life happy."
"Boy! Don"t worry, your wife will definitely be cultured and bring happiness in your life."
"G.o.d will give you a great family with obedient and intelligent children."
Akash listened quietly and sneered in his heart "Your blessings are a curse for me. Why don"t you bless me that this marriage will break off?"
After that group of transgenders collected money from others and gave their blessings to kids and others and moved to a different coach.
Cousin of Akash, Akshay said after some time "Grandpa! All these transgenders are just doing business and collecting money forcefully. People give them money because no one wishes to fall into an argument with them. Does their blessing even work?"
"They are neither man nor woman due to their body defect. They are totally different from us in their thinking. If we treat them kindly and help them, their blessing might work because they do not have any compet.i.tion with us in terms of social standing." Grandpa said. Few people who are sitting nearby also agreed and voiced their opinions. Youngsters could only sneer in the heart or endure the lecture silently.
On Sat.u.r.day, around 3 PM, the train reached Jabalpur. They stayed in a hotel in Jabalpur and in the night around 12 AM they took their train for Singrauli. Everyone slept in the overnight journey. They are supposed to reach Singrauli on Sunday morning by 9 AM.
Everyone woke up in the morning around 6 AM. Daylight is good because of summer and sun will rise around 6:30 itself. It feels great to see the moving hills, forests, and villages from the train.
Cousins of Akash are really happy and all the scenery feels great to them. They are talking about the new things they saw on the path.
"I saw a small river which was flowing very fast and a lot of rocks on its banks. It looked really beautiful." Akshay exclaimed.
Ira smirked "The forest just pa.s.sed have so high trees and was so broad that it took almost 30 minutes to pa.s.s. This was really beautiful. Especially the leaves were so colorful in green, orange, brown."
"See this track, it"s going around a mountain. High mountain with the dense forest at one side and a deep valley on another side. It is so beautiful." youngest cousin shouted and said.
They running from this window to the window of another side and shouting about whatever they are seeing. There is not too much rush and a lot of seats are empty. Many people are laughing to see the excited kids.
One elder traveler said "Kids! Next, you will see the villages and also farms. Looks like you are from the big city. Look and see the new things. Learn how the village people live. You will certainly enjoy new things."
Grandpa and youngest uncle also found few people who are also traveling to Singrauli and kept discussing the current affairs of the area.
Akash sat on a window and listened to the cheerful squeals of his brothers and sisters and also the discussions of elders.
Around 8:45 AM everyone started preparing their luggage as the train is approaching Singrauli railway station. Even their family members started packing their bedding and other items. The train started slowing. Akash saw from the window that there is only one platform for train and a lot of village people in their village style clothes are running toward their general compartments with their bags.
"Backward city and its backward villagers," Annoyed Akash thought in his heart.