A RAILWAY JOURNEY
I, with some of my friends, made a long journey once from Hyderabad to Lahore. I was going there with a marriage party. Our train was due at Hyderabad railway station at 6:30 am. We had booked our seats in a second class compartment a day earlier than we started. We came to platform No. 5 from where we had to board. Tezgam after some time the guard waved a green flag. The engine whistled and the train began to travel little by little. When the train was in motion, I had an opportunity of taking note of the other passengers in the compartment. One of them was an old man and an evidently pious man. He was telling a young man the benefits of religion had conferred upon mankind. There were people from different corners of the country in our compartment. Some Pakhtoons were talking in Pashto, while some villagers with their companions in chaste Sindhi.
The important station where we stopped for a few minutes was Khair Pur Mirs. Here we purchased sweet lemons and a few packets of potato chips. Almost at every main station, our train stopped. There came thee hawkers with various articles of food. Besides the hawkers, there came an endless number of beggars, cripples, blind men and many more others. There was a terrible noise made by the coolies and venders. I saw women quarreling and men trying to pacify them.
I had a good opportunity of enjoying the whole thing out. Now we passed by green fields, canals, rivers, and beautiful scenery. It was at about 8:00 pm. When we reached our destination. Reaching our destination, we took a bath and changed our dress. However, I enjoyed the journey very much.
