A Journey To Jalpaiguri

“Jhalmuri, Jhalmuri, 10 rupees”; pitched the vendors in their distinct voices. Arousing from deep slumber, I felt like gulping down some food. Hurriedly digging out a ten rupee note from my jeans’ pocket, I snapped up a paper cone containing some fresh crispy ‘Jhalmuri’. Jhalmuri is a popular Bengali street snack, made of puffed rice and an assortment of spices, vegetables, chana chur and mustard oil. It is also an easy-to-prepare diet food for many. This cheap snack has numerous names; Bhel puri amongst the most liked!

I offered some of the spicy snacks to my Mum. Being lost in the enchanting view, outside, she didn’t notice my move. Train journeys are revitalizing. They take you to a state of mind you haven’t experienced in your lifetime! I felt tranquility in the vendors pitching, children running in the train corridors, people talking loudly and families unpacking their meals. Perhaps, this defines humans and their journeys.  

A sudden jerk bestirred my mother. By then, I was left with just a spoonful or two of the Bengali snacks. Grabbing the remaining ‘Jhalmuri’, mum straightened her legs. It had been a strenuous journey. We needed to travel a lot more to reach our final destination. The side corner berth of the train proved to be an added advantage. It offered a large side window to explore the magnificent beauty of the North East. Staying alert, I kept guarding the luggage we'd carried.

Getting bored of my not so happening duty, I silently stared outside the window. The train now crossed the holy river ‘Brahmaputra’. Witnessing the never-ending river was a sort of meditation. The lush green banks that surrounded the sacred river were a treat to the nature enthusiasts. Each river has its own beauty. The Brahmaputra being the fifteenth longest river in the world, quenched the thirst of the North East. I wanted the train to freeze by the river.

Beguiled by the voluminous river, I didn’t realise the train leaving the river turned the ocean behind.

It was slowing down its pace, before it came down to a sudden halt. This was the last station of the journey. The passengers had enough time to get off at this station. Lifting our bags, we carefully got off the train. We had finally reached Jalpaiguri, a city in West Bengal, known especially for its bamboo crafts. Jalpaiguri was not our final destination. We were heading towards Darjeeling, to spend our holidays!

Endless buses flocked between Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling. They were forty-four kilometres apart. Not much distance was left to cover. We were pretty close to our final destination. Climbing the last bus that carried passengers to the Darjeeling bus stand, we felt relieved.

Ruskin Bond, one of the greatest authors, has beautifully described train journeys in his books. His mind is influenced by the passengers, staring out of their windows. Where they are coming from, what it’d be like; where they are heading to, fascinates him a lot!

Train journeys are not just about travelling. They are a way of life! Adjusting my position in the window seat of the bus, I dozed off to sleep. My journey wasn’t yet over! There was a lot more to explore!!