This is how I fell…

I am writing this blog to give people the first hand information about how I fell from the train. Sorry, I am not here trying to glorify my accident or trying to attract undue attention. I am rather sick of giving details about how I fell and how did I feel. So with this blog I am just trying to simplify my job.

Its very detailed and intricately written story so read it when you have all the time in the world.

The man who inspired me to write this blog is my room mate SAMEER (you are great myaan).

The date was 6th of August, 2007. I was coming back from hubli to chickamagalur. I am not so much of a traveler by train. I usually prefer bus to travel any place how much ever far that place might be. But I decided to take a train to go back home, the reason which I have not uncovered yet. I boarded the inter city train at hubli station at 6.30 in the morning. I had one large kit bag and sholder bag. I was wearing a Levis jeans which I had bought just the day before, a t shirt, pullover and a thick jerkin and a shoe (you may be wondering why details about my overalls, you will know don’t worry just read on). I selected a bogie in the mid section of the train and I took a seat in the compartment which was right next to the door. As it was a Monday there was not much crowd in the train.

I bought my ticket till birur. Birur is a junction where I had to get down and take a bus to chikamagalur as does not have railroad connectivity. I didn’t eat much on the train also. I thought anyway I am going to go home. Let me have a proper mom made lunch at home itself (I didn’t know then that it will be another two weeks for me to go home).

I started reading a book. I was getting call now and then and I was chatting with one of my friend through the sms. As I told you that I am not the one who travels much by train I didn’t have an idea what time will the train reach the birur station. My stomach was hungry and while reading I dozed off.

I woke up from my sleep and looked around. The train had stopped in a station. I checked my watch, it was 10.15. I don’t know why but I didn’t bother to trouble myself to check which station it was. I convinced myself that birur cannot be reached this fast. The train started. I was still looking out of the window sleepily and the train started moving slowly. As the train moved I saw the boards showing the name of the station appearing.

To my utter shock the name plate bore the the name BIRUR. I cursed myself for being such a stupid. My mind started to race. My immediate reflex was to stand up.My mind was trying to come out with a logical decision. . My mind was still under the spell of sleep goddess. But my body proved faster than that. It already seemed to have taken a decision. Out of practice as if entire body has become involuntary, my hands reached for the bags kept on the top rack. The book was shoved in to side pocket of the bag. My body moved and my mind was still thinking. In no time I was standing at the door. I could feel the train swaying, picking up pace. With every passing millisecond my mind was forced to come with a decision but it hadn’t booted up yet. My entire body was shouting,” you need to get down, you need to get down”. And I jumped and that very moment all hell broke loose.

In a split second so many things happened. There was a lot of commotion around me. I thought that I felt the platform of the station next my mind registered was that I was being dragged by some force(probably the inertial force). I was still clutching the bag tightly and somewhere in the midst of all those movements I had let go of it. Next when I opened my eyes there was bigger shock awaiting me. I could see the under belly of the moving train.

The very moment I opened my eyes my brain came into action (it realised my body had done a blunder). I could hear the rattling of the train wheels moving close to my ears. To my right seemed to be a concrete wall. I understood where I was, in the fucking gap between the train and the platform and it was just about enough to house me. I asked three questions to myself.
1) Am I dead. The answer was negative.
2) Is anything under pain (my brain meant, was there any part of my body dismantled?)
The answer was no.
3) Should I move?
HELL NO, YOU GOD DAMN IT.
I held my body tight, concentrating on not moving even a millimeter. I thought to myself is this really happening? or is it just bad dream I am having while sleeping in the train. I told myself let the train pass. Once it is gone I can get up.

In the meantime, someone on the train or someone standing on the platform might have seen a boy with a bag on his shoulder going under the train trying to detrain. They got the train stopped. The train came to a halt while I was still under it. Once the train came to complete halt I mustered all the energy left in me and got up but I wanted to put body onto the platform but my legs gave away. I could hear hurried foot steps and shouts of people coming towards me. I just gave them my hands and they pulled me up and laid me flat on my back on the platform.

There were about 50 people I believe. Half of them were shouting at me for jumping outta of the moving train and the other half shouting at them, the rest half for pestering me. They asked me whether I could sit. I told I can’t. I told them I need to see the doctor. By then the stretcher was brought. I was put on that and taken to the nearest hospital. Once I was in the hospital I called my mom and asked them to come over and as they say the rest is history.

And about my overalls, I was fully covered from neck to toe. And because of layers of clothing the bodily scratches and injuries was reduced to minimum.

Some people may be inquisitive about what happened to my luggage. I got them back, thank you. My kit was torn underside as I had dragged it on the platform surface.

You may think it as very foolish. You may ask me could I not have got down in the next station or had pulled the chain in train to stop instead of jumping outta of the train or why was I so lazy that I didn’t go to check what time will the train reach birur. I know, buddy that’s why it is called an accident isn’t it??

I thank the almighty for letting me live so that I could narrate this story and I thank my parents for having taken care of me for over three months after the accident like they did when I was a toddler. I can never forgive myself for the agony they had to go through. I am just happy to have a second chance to live my life again.