The Girl at The Station

The New Delhi station was buzzing with people happily chattering & discussing their itinerary for their trip. Some of the kids were playing with their siblings; others wanted their parents to buy those toys from the hawkers. Their mothers were happy to finally get out of the kitchen and the routine household chores, happily thinking about a few relaxed moments. The evening sun was so bright, it seemed like it wanted to double the happiness in the air. Like every other summer vacation, the station had come to life with the happy faces all around.

The little girl was looking around at all the happiness surrounding her and all she wanted was to absorb all of it at once. She was wearing a new blue frock & her hair was tied nicely into two ponytails. It was her first time on a train, she had only heard about people travelling by trains to far off places and only the other day she saw a train on the TV. Her mother was holding her hand tightly, it was hurting her a bit but she was still smiling. Her father got her a frooti, she did not even ask for. She could not believe if it was all real.

Pinky does not remember her own parents, she had only heard from Priya Aunty & Amu Didi that her parents died in a car crash. She cannot remember any of it, neither her home nor her parents, nothing. She was just three when she came here; this has been her home since then. She had started believing this was her home & all the other kids were her siblings but soon she realized that no one is here to stay forever.

Two weeks back on the Friday, Pinky had just finished her homework and started watching Tom & Jerry when Priya Aunty came & shut down the TV and told all of them to get ready. Pinky was very bored of this ritual on every Friday, from last 3 years. She did not want to go but Amu Didi looked at her gesturing her to come fast. She loves Amu Didi and she knew that Amu Didi was right. All of them wore the best dress they had rather the only nice dress they had. Pinky did not like this at all, she knew that one of them will again go away with a new family. Over the last 3 years all her friends were gone, Ashi, Jia, Lata all went away and Akshay went with his family two weeks after coming here. Nobody liked her; the families who came to find their new sons and daughters always ignored her. Nobody ever liked Amu Didi too, everyone said that she was too old and it would be difficult to adjust with a teenager. Every Friday evening the both of them would sit in one corner & read a story from the storybook about the long lost princess who found her own palace when she grew up.

She got ready to avoid scolding from Priya Aunty & stood in the line & waited for the couple to pass by and ignore her. They did go ahead this time too but suddenly the woman rushed back to her. She sat down on the floor and started weeping Pinky did not know what she had done to make her cry. She got scared that she would get a scolding even though she did not do anything this time. Nevertheless, the woman would not stop crying, so she sat down in front of her & gently wiped her face. She looked up & smiled at Pinky, tears rolling down her face and hugged her. In some time, Pinky was also hugging her back. Pinky had not felt this warmth in a long time & did not what was happening. This was a new feeling to her; she did not know how exactly it felt. After some time the couple left, and while going they told her that they will come back soon to get her. Amu Didi came running to her & hugged her tightly and told her now she will also go with her new family. She will also be loved by her parents like the other children outside are loved. She was happy but also sad at the same time.

It was already two weeks since the day she met her parents and nothing could compare with the love she felt when she was with them. They cared for her like nobody ever did. They thought about everything even before she told them. They played & watched cartoons with her and did not even scold her once.

In the meanwhile, the train came to the platform & Pinky got into the train with her parents. They were going to Nainital to meet her family who were eagerly waiting to welcome their princess.