Leave it to Him

I have had many a dreams about missing trains and flights and seen movies, about running to catch it. During those times too the fright really rose from within but when the actual sequel happened in real life, we were laughing.

            It happened last week, when my sister came to meet me. She had booked a train ticket for 2^nd A/C from Delhi – Hyderabad. It was a limited stop train and usually, tickets to these types of train has to be booked weeks ahead. Likewise, she booked and got an RAC ticket for Andhra Express, which here is well known as Rajdhani Express. Whenever she had taken train from Delhi, she had only taken it from Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway station in Delhi. So she concluded that this train too departs from there itself. Nobody felt to check the ticket, as she was a seasoned traveller and etiquette called for it that we accept her experience.

            We reached 45 minutes prior to departure and luck was with us, as there was nobody in the enquiry counter. We waited for 15 minutes and then we asked another railway personnel, which platform does our train arrive. He looked at our ticket and replied, “Sorry madam, this train has no stop here. It starts from New Delhi Railway station. And you will not get the train.” I was shocked to hear the last part. How callously he spoke the truth? Anyway I believed in God and took all our luggage and shoved it into the car and asked the driver to please go quickly to the next railway station which was 14 kms away. The driver was an old man, very matured. He gave all the vehicles even bicycles and the people an opportunity to pass before him and drove sedately. I told him,

“Brother, please, could you go a bit more faster? Otherwise, we will miss the train.” Then he replied,

“Don’t worry child, we’ll reach there. God has already planned everything for us. Don’t worry.” We reached as was predicted. The platform was 12^th . We had to run, literally run as in Home alone movie. It was so long a run, that I thought, this was exactly my dream coming true, because, we were not able to reach the platform. At last we reached and saw the white cross of the last compartment of our train leaving the station. I didn’t know what to do. I stood there, eyes closed, willing the train to stop but, it didn't. My sister came panting behind me, I looked at her and said, “We missed.” At that very moment a young man came and asked, “Has the Andhra Express arrived?” We looked at each other and couldn’t contain the mirth of our situation, "All in the same boat? Impossible!". We controlling our laughter, smiled and said sweetly, “Its gone”. Afterwards we couldn't control our laughter. We laughed. Now what? We really hadn’t a clue. We asked the Delhi Station enquiry whether there was any train to the same destination. None. So we returned to Nizamuddin railway station where there was a train at 10:30 pm. We asked for reservation. The official in that ticket counter said,

“Sorry madam, when there is no seat, how are we going to reserve?” 

“Don’t you have any seat, of employees quota or MP quota or MLA quota, like that?”

“Everything has been taken. You might get train for next day, but in that too reservation cannot be guaranteed.”

We stood there, not knowing what to do. We really prayed, “Why, God, why did you do this to us. What do you want us to show? Please, don’t strand us here. Pleaaaase” Seeing the situation, there was no chance of any miracles happening. We didn't know what really God had in store for us. At that moment, the reservation clerk, feeling that we were having some misgivings regarding his statement,  said,

“If you do not believe me the reservation supervisor, will tell you in detail. You can ask him directly.” But the real situation was we were literally lost as this was the first experience and it was night and only ladies. We went to the reservation supervisor and told our predicament. He immediately looked into his computer and said, “There are two seats in 2^nd A/C. Do you want it?” It was the most sweet sounded words which I had ever heard. Immediately we paid for it. 
Then he continued, "Please wait for 10 minutes, I’ll say whether its confirmed." After 10 minutes, he gave a confirmed ticket. And we returned to the ticket counter personnel, and showed him our ticket, “Sir, would you be kind enough to say which platform, does this train arrive?” He just looked at the ticket and sat dumb struck. He was asking, “How did you get this ticket?” To be frank I wasn’t aware, that it was next to impossible to get a ticket for Rajdhani Train just 2 hours before departure. But seeing the personnel’s expression, I looked at him quizzically with a sinking heart and in the mind saying "Oh! God! Not Again" I asked, “Is there any problem again for this ticket?” He just nodded in the negative and said, “It is a miracle, that you got a ticket at all. The train arrives on platform no. 7.”

            In the train too, everybody was surprised, as most of them had their tickets confirmed just that day. Only then we knew the gravity of the situation we were in and the gift that God had given.

            In short God proved once more in my life that He can make things happen that is next to impossible and He also showed me, I am not the driver of my life. There is a more powerful Supreme above us, who directs our life. The only thing is, we should have the courage to let our life into the hands of that Supreme and  loving God, who is always ready to give us the very best.

            Well, I got this feeling only after a day or two and the above experience which I received is no small one, to just dust off just like that. So once more I had to accept Him as my most loving God. And you might want to know, what all happened, after that. Well, why don’t you try it yourself, because your experience would be far better to feel  and live than mine. But anyway, the choice is yours. The first step should be yours. Best of luck.

 And one extra advice. You are free to have full faith in God, Good, but please check the ticket before you travel. That is one thing I learned from this incident.

Meena