The bustling excursion troop of around twenty extremely chatty girls boarded the train excitedly ignoring the disapproving scorns from Sister Jane. College was different from GOING on a college trip! You should have seen the giggling girls of today in stark contrast to the quiet and docile girls of St. Anne's. Sister Jane counted heads with a no nonsence air and was almost pleading with the girls to take their seats quietly.

A sweet couple made their way through the busy bedlam of the railway station, the man tenderly holding the hands of his expecting wife while they tried keeping up with the pace of the burly porter ahead of them.

As they boarded the train delicately, they realised the company they would be in for the next fourteen hours. The wife smiled to herself and gave longing glances at the chirpy girls who had just embarked on a game of antakshari.

The whistle blew and the train started choo chooing adding to the rhythm of the excited girls. While the man felt uncomfortable with only girls as co passengers, the wife was enjoying herself. No one could tell what was going inside Sister Jane's head as she brought out her newspaper and disappeared behind it.

The game of antakshari was followed by a game of 'dumb charades'. One girl would enact animatedly without uttering a word, while the others shouted out guesses on what she meant. Even Sister Jane volunteered to participate in guessing and the girls were flattered at this kind gesture of the nun.'Jane did the kindest act today' whispered a naughty girl. The others giggled and the 'expecting lady' who was quite nearby gave a loud laugh. The husband could not help smiling at the merry vibes of their journey.

She was still laughing at some joke when the women suddenly started feeling uncomfortable. She got up to go to the washroom. It felt like an usual visit to the husband but as she walked down the aisle she knew it might be an emergency. However, not wanting to raise a panic she did not utter a word.  When she wasn't back for more than  ten minutes the husband got worried and got up to check on her.

Even before reaching the washroom, he could hear sniffles and groans. Panic stricken he tapped at the door asking 'Everything fine honey? She moaned 'Baby on the way'. The door was locked and despite several trials, the husband could not unlock it. The wife was writhing in pain on the washroom floor and all her tries to get her hands on the door lock were futile. On either side of the metal sheet they struggled to reach out to each other.

'Run to the girls' the wife groaned and the husband unable to think of anything rushed to the bubbling bunch. He stood in front of them unable to speak a word. It was Sister Jane who first noticed the helpless man and cried, 'The child must be in trouble! Where is she?'. The husband pointed at the washroom door without uttering a word and the sister rushed there with a few girls following. The others were asked to stay back. The nun stood at the door, pulled out her cross and started muttering prayers under her breath while the girls tried to unlock the door. Thanks to the hair clips, the door was finally unlocked. The door was pushed open and before them laid an exhausted mother in a pool of blood and mucus, with the baby still inside the amniotic sack and  turning almost blue! The cord ran out from the baby's naval to the mother's womb and while everyone was gaping at the scene, an immediate action was required! Nobody was trained for any emergency of this sort! Suddenly one of the girls sat down and tore open the sac. The little one gasped and the sound of the first cry reverberated the atmosphere. Sister Jane and the others did not know what to do with the cord. How to cut it! The baby was staring at the crowd still attached. Sister Jane took out her chain and tied it tightly around the cord. One of the girls ran for scissors. Everyones eyes closed as the cord was cut with one quick snap. The sister held the baby in her arms and pressed it at her breast. Tears of joy streamed out! 

What a trip it was!!