Thailambazh clutched her bag tightly and waited with bated breath. And as if on cue, a shrill whistle sounded. And the train turned on its wheels, grinding its way through the busy platform, slowly, painfully carrying its huge weight.

As it picked up speed, it suddenly groaned and lurched forward, making Thaila slightly move forward. Her heart beat loudly and the adrenaline danced on her tongue. Hugging her bag, she let out a tiny squeal of excitement. She always waited for this. Even as a young child, she used to wait patiently for the long vacations. As they could afford only one long journey in a year, it would inevitably be the summer holidays that would see them traveling to their native village. She could still feel the impatient pacing she used to do waiting for her Appa to return from the railway station. And when he was back, she would rush to him, running and grabbing the ticket he would be brandishing at her.

The smell of the freshly minted ticket was so heavenly. Nothing, not even the dubbas of tasty food that Appa and Amma prepared for their journey, could come close to it. The waiting time was torturous while she helped her parents pack their stuff and it was finally time to board the train.

She would rush to the window seat and clutching her small bag, wait for the train to speed up and then lurch forward, creating a dip in her stomach. And as always, she would let out a squeal of delight, cracking her Appa up, "Silly girl! How can you find this exciting every time!"

O those days! How fast they flew. Smiling, she dialed her father's number. But the call went to a voice-mail.

Sighing, she left a message, "Appa, I have started the journey by God's grace. And yes, I squealed this time too, even though, according to you, I am a grown woman!"

She sat with her note pad resting on her bent knee and chewing the back of her pen, intently staring out of her window. 

As if a woman on a mission, she never took off her eyes as the train zoomed through tunnels and greens and browns and blues. And at regular intervals, she jotted down something in her notepad. And then immediately dialed either her Amma or Appa, but her call always went to the voice mail.

While she was busy observing, her head craned outside the window, she hadn't realized she was being keenly observed by an old couple sharing her compartment.

At the sunset of their lives, they had decided to dedicate their remaining years spending time with each other in a unique way. They would visit every temple they had always wanted to. Though they could afford to fly, they wanted to honor the way they had begun. They chose journeying by train and laughed through their arthritis and diabetes, reliving and making new memories.

Ever since they had climbed atop this train, they had been captured by this young girl, who seemed to live and enjoy every bit of the journey. They were also intrigued by her strange behavior, " Doesn't she remind you of me, when I was her age?"

" Yes, my dear! Of course, you still look as young as you were then. Even younger, actually!!"

She giggled like a merry little girl," And you are as cheesy as ever!"

"What do you think she is doing? What is she noting down?" They whispered among themselves, while reminiscing their happy past.

As night pilfered in, the old couple took out their packed dinner. His eyes sparkled as his wife served him puri bhaji and halwa on leaf plates.  " Do you remember our first train journey, Rajam? It was our college trip, for sightseeing birds..."

"But al you did was Rajam-seeing!” 

"Hahaha..."

She then nudged him and nodding, hesitatingly he ventured to offer a plate to the girl sitting opposite them, "Beta, would you like to share dinner with us?"

The girl looked at them bewildered, as if they had plucked her from another world. She blinked twice and then grabbed the plate," Thank you dadaji! I didn't realize I was so hungry."

And then she immediately called her father," Appa you can't believe this sweet old couple.with me ..."

After her conversation, they asked her, "Why don't your parents ever pick up?

“O, they died years back in a train accident....”