The train
was still some time away.
Groups of
passengers were moving around, trampling the heavy chest of the platform. Fruit
carts were floating silently on rubber-tire wheels. Hundreds of electric sparks
were watching each other with their unblinking eyes. Electric fans were
scattering their air in the form of cold sighs into the humid atmosphere of the
platform. A lamp on the side of the distant railway track was carefully
observing the movement of passengers with its red eyes… The atmosphere of the
platform was enveloped in the thick smoke of cigarettes and the noise of
passengers.
Everyone on
the platform was absorbed in his own tune. Sitting on three or four benches,
they were talking about their upcoming journey. Under a clock, God knows what
thoughts were humming under his breath. In the far corner, a newly married
couple was laughing and talking. The husband was asking his wife to eat
something. She would smile shyly, while at the other end of the platform a
young man was staggering with the porters, who were carrying her sister’s coffin.
Five or six soldiers, white with sticks in their hands and whistling, were
leaving the refreshment room after drinking. At the book stall, a few
passengers were busy browsing through books to while away the time. Many
porters, dressed in red uniforms, were waiting with hopeful eyes for the light
of the carriage. Inside the refreshment room, a gentleman dressed in English
clothes was trying to pass the time by blowing cigar smoke.
“The
life of porters is worse than that of donkeys.”
“But
what should Mian do? Where will he get his food?”
“How
much does a porter earn in a day?”
“This
is eight to ten annas…”
“That
is, just a means of survival…and if I have any money left, I will cut my own
stomach and feed them. Whenever the thought of the dark life of these people
comes to my mind even once, I keep thinking whether their plight is not a stain
on our so-called civilization?”
Two friends
were walking on the platform and talking to each other.
Khalid was a
little surprised to hear his friend’s conversation and smiled and said.
“Why, Mian, when did you become this Lenin?…What kind of evil is
civilization…Rust on the cold iron of humanity…Let such things go, you know
I have already lost my senses.”
“Khalid,
you are telling the truth. These things really mess up the mind. Two days ago,
I read a news in the newspaper that fifteen workers were reduced to ashes like
burnt paper due to a fire in the factory. The factory was insured, the owner
got the money. But fifteen women became widows and God knows how many children
became orphans. Yesterday, a sweeper died while working on platform number
three when he was hit by a train. No one shed a tear… Ever since I saw this
incident, I have been very sad. Believe me, I can’t swallow a morsel of bread
when I see the bloodied body of this sweeper staring at me with his eyes wide
open… I must go to his house, maybe I can help his children.”
Khalid
smiled and squeezed his friend’s hand and said. “Go…help the twenty-two
wives of the fifteen laborers, this is a noble and blessed sentiment, but at
the same time, some people live at a distance from the city, who do not even
have half a piece of dry bread for a while. There are children in the streets
who have no one to love them, there are hundreds of women whose beauty is
rotting in the mud of poverty…tell me who will you help? Which of these
outstretched hands will you fill with a fist?…how many of the thousands of
naked bodies will you cover?”
“Ah,
you are right, Khalid…you are right, but tell me how this dark storm can be
stopped? Seeing people of our own sex living a life of humiliation, seeing
shiny boots tripping over bare chests…is a terrible nightmare.”
“Wait
to see the result of the speed of events, these people do not stop this storm
despite their strength. Self-confidence has taught them to endure… It is easy
to turn sparks into flames but it is very difficult to create a spark…
However, you should have hope, maybe these clouds of suffering will go away in
your life.”
“I am
ready to sacrifice the remaining years of my life to see this beautiful
time.”
“I wish
this idea was also present in the hearts of other people… But my friend, the
train seems to be coming a little late today. Look, there is not even a sign of
light on the track.”
Khalid’s
companion was immersed in some deep thought. Therefore, he did not hear his
friend’s last words at all. And if he did, he thought of something else and
said. “You really should create this idea and if…”
“Leave
this philosophy now, Mian… Do you know anything, when is the train going to
arrive?” Khalid said, holding his friend by the arm.
“The
train…” and then he looked up at the clock in front of him and said.
“It’s twenty-five minutes past nine, the bus will arrive in ten minutes…
That means our friend will be with us in ten minutes… Just think, I had
completely forgotten about Waheed’s arrival because of this painful
conversation.”
Saying this,
Khalid’s friend took a cigarette out of his pocket and started lighting it.
The crowd of
people on the platform was growing rapidly. Passengers were running here and
there at great speed. The porters were waiting for the train, standing silently
by the piles of luggage, so that they could finish their work soon and get a
drink. The porters were gathering from other platforms and raising their own
distinctive voices… The atmosphere, the rumble of the trains, the chaos It
was filled with the hum of engines, the voices of waiters, the noise of
passengers talking to each other, and the harsh sounds of porters… The
electric fans were still making cold sighs.
The
passenger sitting inside the refreshment room, who was still chewing on his
cigar, looked at the watch tied to his wrist in a very indifferent manner, and,
shaking his arm and supporting it on the marble table, said loudly.
“Boy.”
After
waiting for the servant for a while, he shouted again.
“Boy…Boy.”
And then, muttering softly, “Salt is forbidden.”
“Yes,
sir.” Someone’s voice came from the other room, and at the same time, a
servant dressed in white ran and stood politely near the passenger.
“Sir.”
“We
called you twice. You guys are probably sleeping.”
“I
didn’t hear, sir, otherwise how could the slave not have been present?”
Hearing the
slave’s words, the passenger’s anger subsided.
“Look,
this indifference to first-class passengers is not good, we can even pull the
ears of your elder brother, understand?”
“Yes.”
“The
agent, he is our friend… Well, look, you go to the waiting room and tell our
coolie to take all the things of the master to the platform. There are only
five minutes left for the train to arrive.”
“Very
good, sir.”
“And
yes, send our bill to another man.”
“Very
good, sir.”
“Look,
add the price of a pack of cigarettes worth five hundred and fifty-five marks
to the bill… Let’s take care of the pack of five hundred and fifty-five
marks.”
“I will
be present with the bill and the box in the train, time is short.”
“Do
whatever you want, but now you go and quickly tell our coolie to take out the
things.”
Saying this,
the passenger took a sip and finished the last sip from the glass of wine on
the table in one gulp. After wiping his wet lips with a spotless silk
handkerchief, he got up and slowly moved towards the door.
Seeing the
gentleman moving towards the door, a servant quickly opened the door, the
passenger strolled gracefully and disappeared into the crowd of the platform.
A spot of
dazzling light was visible between the iron tracks of the distant railway,
which was slowly growing, tearing apart the surrounding darkness.
After a
while, this spot turned into a long stream of light and suddenly the dazzling
light of the engine melted away, blinding the platform lights for a moment. At
the same time, for some time, the noise of the platform was drowned out by the
heavy rumble of the engine’s iron wheels… With a scream, the vehicle stopped
next to the serious platform of the station.
The muffled
noise of the platform, freed from the rumble of the engine, rose with a new
freshness. The rush of passengers, the cries of children, the running of
porters, the noise of unloading luggage, the rattling of carts, the loud voices
of the porters, the heartbreaking screams of the engine shunting and the roar
of steam escaping, were floating in the air under the iron roof of the platform,
colliding with each other.
“Khalid…
did you see Waheed in some compartment?”
“No,
then”
“God
knows whether he came from this car or not.”
“The
telegram mentioned this same car… Hey, who is that in the compartment…
Waheed?”
“Yes,
yes, Waheed.”
The two
friends ran towards the compartment from which Waheed was unloading his
luggage.
The
passenger with the refreshment room quickly moved towards the first-class
compartment. After glancing at the paper stuck outside the door, he opened the
door and entered the box and, holding the brass rod, began to wait for the
porter and his belongings.
The porter,
loaded with belongings, was running towards the boxes of the vehicle, looking
around. The passenger waved him over and called out loudly.
“You
blind man, come this way!”
The porter
recognized the passenger’s voice and looked around, but could not see the
passenger himself in the crowd. He was still in that state of anxiety when
another voice came.
“Why?
Can’t you see? This way, this way…right in line with your nose.”
The porter
saw the passenger and went to his box with his belongings and stood.
“Sir,
move aside so I can put the belongings inside.”
“Yes,
put them on,” he said, sitting on a cushioned seat near the door.
“But you were sleeping for so long? Didn’t the chef tell you to pick up
the luggage of the Sahib and put it in the compartment as soon as the train
arrived?”
“I
didn’t know which compartment you would be boarding in,” the porter said,
picking up a heavy trunk and placing it on the upper seat.
“This
compartment has been reserved for us, and the name is also written on the
outside.”
“If you
had said so earlier, it wouldn’t have been this late.”… One, two,
three… Eight… and ten, the porter started counting the various items of
luggage.
After
carefully placing the luggage, the porter glanced at the items he had placed
once for his own satisfaction and stepped down from the compartment to the
platform.
“Sahib,
pack your luggage.”
The
passenger carelessly took out a fancy wallet from his pocket and was just about
to open it and pay the fare when he remembered something.
“Where
is our stick?”
“The
stick? You had the stick with you.”
“I have
it, what’s the matter? You must have left it there.”
“The
stick was with you. But sir, it’s not right to speak so harshly when I haven’t
done anything wrong.”
Hearing such
words from the porter, the traveler became furious and got up from his seat and
stood near the door and started shouting.
“It’s
not right to speak so harshly. You are the son of a Nawab. The stick you have
is not even worth that much. Does he bring the stick or not? The thief is from
somewhere.”
The word
thief created a storm in the porter’s heart. He thought that this Grab the
porter by the leg and pull him down and let him taste the taste of these slurs.
But after controlling his temper, he became silent and said softly.
“You
must have misunderstood, you must have kept the stick somewhere, tell me so I
can get it from there.”
“As if
I were an idiot… I’m saying, bring the stick or I’ll ruin all your
bragging.”
The porter
was about to reply when he saw the Khansaman walking a few steps away with a
cigarette box and a stick in his hand.
“The
Khansaman is coming with the stick and you are attacking me at will.”
“Don’t
be silent now… you are being chased like a dog.”
Hearing
this, the porter moved towards the passenger full of anger. The passenger hit
his swollen chest with his pointed boot with all his might. As soon as he
stumbled, the porter fell dizzy on the concrete floor and fainted.
Seeing the
porter fall, many people gathered around him.
“The
poor man has been badly injured.”
“These
people are making excuses.”
“He is
probably bleeding from his mouth.”
“What
is the matter?”
“This
man has tripped him with his boot.”
“The
poor man must not die.”
“Someone
run and bring a glass of water.”
“Brother,
stand aside, let the wind blow.”
People were
talking to each other while gathering around the porter. After a while, Khalid
and his friend rushed to the fallen laborer. Khalid lifted his head on his
knees and started fanning him with a newspaper. Then, addressing his friend, he
said.
“Masood,
tell Waheed that we will be able to meet him at home now….And yes, just look
at this tyrant, where is he…The car is about to move, lest he get lost.”
Hearing
this, people gathered around the passenger’s compartment who was sitting by the
window, trying in vain to read the newspaper with trembling hands.
Masood took
leave of his friend Waheed and went towards the passenger, approached the
window and said very politely.
“You
are busy reading the newspaper here and that poor fellow is lying unconscious.”
“Then
what should I do?”
“Come
and at least check on his condition.”
“The
poor fellow has ruined all the fun of my journey.” And then, walking out
of the door, “Come on, sir… I had to see this trouble too.”
Khalid was
holding the head of the unconscious porter and trying to give him water. People
were looking intently at the faces of Khalid and the porter, who were bent
over.
“Khalid,
you have come.” Masood asked the passenger to move forward.
“Yes,
sir… he is the victim of your cruelty… you should have called a
doctor?” Masood asked the passenger.
The
passenger was very scared to see the porter’s yellow face and the group of
people and nervously took out his wallet from his pocket.
The
passenger was just taking out his wallet when the porter’s body became active
and he opened his eyes and started looking at the crowd with worried eyes.
“You
will give him this note on my behalf… I am leaving. It is time for the
car.” The passenger said in English while holding a ten rupee note in
Masood’s hand, and then seeing the porter regaining consciousness, he addressed
him. “We have paid the price for this mistake.”
The porter
was in agony on hearing this, a stream of blood flowed from his mouth, with
great effort he forced these few words out by pressing them against his wounded
chest.
“I also
know English…. Ten rupees… The price of a human life… I also have
something… Which… “
The rest of
the words remained as bubbles in his bloody mouth. Seeing the porter’s
condition, the passenger sat down on his knees next to him and pressed his hand
and said.
“I can
give more.”
The porter
turned to the passenger with great pain and, blowing bubbles of blood from his
mouth, said.
“I
have…also…something…take this…”
Saying this,
he spat in the passenger’s face, writhed and looked at the iron roof of the
platform with oppressed eyes, and went cold in Khalid’s lap…the passenger’s
face was stained with bloody saliva.
Khalid and
Masood handed over the body to other men, caught the passenger and handed him
over to the police.
The
passenger’s case continued in court for two months.
Finally, the
verdict was pronounced, the judge acquitted the accused after imposing a small
fine. The verdict stated that the porter’s death had occurred due to a sudden
rupture of the spleen.
Khalid and
Masood were also present when the verdict was pronounced. The accused smiled at
them and left the room.
“The
lock of the law can only be opened with a golden key.”
“But
such a key also breaks.”
Khalid and
his friend were talking outside on the veranda.
