My Dreams Part II

"... I found himself standing near a water cooler, on a deserted railway platform. I looked around and found no one. I was alone."

"... I barely managed to lift the heavy suitcase as I moved along with my parents towards the platform on which the train that we were supposed to board, was to come. As we reached the platform, we saw the train leaving the platform... next thing I knew I was standing with my father who was asking me to catch the train. My mother and sister were in the train. I started running with all my strength, from one edge of the platform towards the train, and on reaching the other edge, I jumped. I was surprised at how high and how far I had come from the platform, while still in mid-air. I saw below me, the train moving and I felt like I was almost flying over it. Suddenly I started falling down towards the train and was about to land on it's last bogie, when the train suddenly moved with infinite acceleration and I fell flat on the ground. I thought that I had broken my nose and teeth, but in fact, nothing happened(I felt as though nothing happened to me). I didn't feel any pain."

I had reasons for the kind of dreams I was getting and I wrote about it in my last post titled "My Dreams Part I". But I am totally clueless as to why do I see myself on railway platforms and in railway trains in my dreams. There have been plenty of such dreams.

"I couldn't think twice this time. It was my sister who was inside the A.C. compartment and I had to find her. She was not supposed to be in there. The door of A.C. is about to close in a few minutes(this is what I thought. Though there is a door, one is free to open or close it anytime! :D). I simply entered the A.C. compartment. I started finding her desperately, disturbing some of the (sleeping) passengers in the process. I was feeling cold, but I had to find her. I couldn't leave without her. I was responsible for her. After searching for a few minutes, I realised that she was not there(my sister is supposed to be 10 years old in this dream!). I thought that I might have made a mistake. I quickly walked towards the door I had entered the compartment from. The door was locked and I was trapped in that A.C. bogie. I was really feeling cold now. Along with that, suffocation started setting in. I couldn't breathe. I started breathing heavily from my mouth and shivered vigorously. I collapsed and became unconscious. Next thing I knew, I was standing in front of that same A.C. compartment, and the train had stopped at some station. It was sunny outside, perhaps it was morning time. My sister came to me, and said, 'Mom is calling you, come fast'."

Now, the reasons can be anything. It can be excessive train travels(not much in my case), fear of being left behind, alone, in a journey or maybe fear of meeting with an accident or loosing someone. Or maybe something else.

"I barely managed to lift my suitcase as I reached the platform. I had a confirmed ticket. I checked the railway charts and my name was there. Unfortunately, I had forgotten to carefully check my watch. I was getting desperate and looked at my watch. It again showed 9:30 PM. I was stunned. My watch had stopped. I looked at the clock on the platform and it showed 10:30 PM. I was 20 minutes after the departure time of the train. The train had already left. I couldn't get another ticket that day, and I was cursing myself for such a foolish behaviour. My father was waiting for me on the station, the train I had missed was supposed to take me to. Yes, it was a local train and I had to make a short journey. I had no money to use other means of transportation. I simply walked out of the platform and out of the station. The next thing I saw, I was at my hostel, GHEB. I was surprised, since I was supposed to be in Pimpri, Pune. A few minutes ago, I was standing in Pimpri railway station and now I was standing in a corridor in my hostel in Hyderabad. It was perplexing. I opened my room and kept my luggage in it. I went to the water cooler to have water. I had no money and there was no one in the hostel, no security guard, no newspapers on his table, besides which he sits(sleeps). All the rooms were locked. In the dead silence of the night, I was feeling afraid. In a fraction of seconds, the spookiness was multiplied manifold, when I heard Rahul calling me. I turned myself around and looked towards his room. Yes, he was standing at the door. I did not yell or shout, though my heart was pumping very hard. I felt a sense of relief in a way, but due to my past experiences of watching horror T.V. series like "Aahat" and "Zee Horror Show", I started having second thoughts that Rahul might be a ghost in disguise!
"Hi Senu! Why didn't you go home?" he asked me. He looked and talked like real Rahul!
"I missed the train. I was 20 minutes late. It's past midnight and moreover now I'm in 'Hyderabad'."
"Don't worry Senu, you'll reach home. If I lend you some money now, when'll you return it to me? When'll you come back from home?"
"Exactly after 3 weeks."
I took the money from Rahul. It was 500 Rs. and started walking towards my room, thinking of booking a bus-ticket for the next day. While I was walking, the hostel corridor changed to the railway platform I was earlier on. I had 500 Rs. in my hand but it was still 10:35 PM. I walked to the reservation counter and bought a ticket for the next train going to Pashan, Pune."

Some things are better left unexplained. I thought a lot about why I was getting so many dreams on railways, but had no answers... still finding a satisfactory answer.