It was my third semester exam time. I was standing frustrated in the Avadi railway station after writing the toughest exam and kicking myself hard, wondering how to respond to my dad's enquires.
Unnerving
A train came to a halt in the opposite platform. A few commuters alighted from the train and walked towards the footpath. I could feel the vibration of the distant train. An express train was nearing the platform in the unused EMU track.
I could see a man walking in the middle of the track. He was about 100 metres from the platform. He was carrying a big consignment on his shoulder. I expected him to move out of the track on hearing the train horn, but still he continued with his unhurried walk. There was complete buzz among the commuters on seeing the person.
The train driver started to blow the horn hard. Still, the guy continued walking in the middle of the track. By default, I started to yell loud. I knew that it was not enough to alert him because of the distance from the platform. All the commuters started to shout out to him too.
Despite the train's constant horn, and the shout out from the other commuters, he still continued walking in the middle of the track. He seemed deaf. Suddenly, I stopped screaming and forgot to breathe too. “I know, He is going to die. But what can I do?” I wished I had some super power.
Painful sight
Then the whole scene played out in slow motion. I kept my eyes wide open hoping he would avoid getting run over in the last minute. No such luck! The train hit him from the back. I could hear a deafening crack. He was pulled out from under the train.
I forced my eyes shut. Tears started to trickle down. There was a total stillness. All the commuters stood frozen. Heavy puff of dust started to swirl in that place. I couldn't believe what I had just witnessed.
Soon, my train arrived. I moved toward the other side of the train to try to look for him. When I spotted his remains, I muttered a silent 'Sorry'. I felt helpless at not being able to do anything to avoid it.
Acceptance of what has happened is the first step to overcoming the consequences of any misfortune.
THANGAVELU K., 25 years, Working in TCS, Siruseri
