It was a mad rush to the station on Diwali eve. We were taking the Rajdhani express from Kolkata to Kanpur- husbands home town. The traffic was over whelming and inspite of my mother’s self proclaimed expertise on kolkata traffic guiding the driver, we were in a whirlpool of traffic which even she found difficult to breakthrough. Only after I took charge, arguing vehemently and passing the baton of charge to the driver we made it to Howrah Station just five minutes before the scheduled departure at 5 Pm.

Luckily the Howrah station car parking, is alongside the Radhani Express platform so it was a brisk walk to the 1^st class compartment at the very beginning of the platform to find our names on the reservation chart pasted on the train walls. Locating our names we rushed into the train but not before giving mother a big hug to make peace for the arguments in the car, knowing all along that she had, had the best of intentions.

In the four berth coupe in the train, we found our berth’s alongside that of an elderly couple who were comfortably seated facing each other adjacent to the window. The look the lady gave me was one that said - she had expected to have a peaceful journey with her husband and was not thrilled at having a young couple barge in on their privacy.

Sharp at 5 Pm the train started rolling out gradually like someone had just given it a light nudge and I rushed out to the door to wave goodbye to mother who still stood there with the  saddest of looks I had ever seen on her and with a heavy heart at leaving her for Diwali( Kali Puja in Bengal) walked back to our coupe. We settled our baggage under and around the seats and made our-selves comfortable but had not even exchanged greetings or introductions with our co-passengers when a waiter came around with a tray of beautiful single rosebuds attached to single fern leaves and gave one to each of us with a bow and a smile. After that he also announced that tea/ coffe would be served shortly.

Tea/ Coffee was brought in, accompanied by cheese sandwitches, packeted bhujia, sweet packets, and Five star(chocolate). The Gentleman in front struggled to open the milk sachet to add to his coffee, when husband extended his hand to allow him to open it and instantly the couple smiled at us.

Having stirred his coffee, with the first sip the man asked us where we were going and I said - Kanpur   

“Are you students of IIT  Kanpur” asked the lady promptly

“ No” I said exchanging an amused but nonetheless thrilled smile with husband for being thought of as so young.

“Then you must be IT professionals” said the lady.

I paused for a moment and said “ No he is a journalist and editor while I am a Senior HR consultant with an Executive Search firm and we have about 14 years experience in our respective fields I added just to emphasize that we were not as young as she had made us out to be and I had a hint of pride as I said it, at still being identified as college students.

She gave me a look of new found respect and admiration.

“Oh really where do you live’ she asked. “Chennai – I replied”

What about Kolkata and Kanpur’ asked the lady “ any connections there”.

Kolkata is my hometown and Kanpur is husbands so we divide festival time between the two places .

Where  do you live - Kolkata or Delhi? I asked.

Well Neither . We live in the US now, New Jersey.

Oh! That’s nice.

“ We live most part of the year in New Jersey where our daughter lives and for the rest in Kolkata-Jodhpurpark”

“So are you going on a holiday to somewhere near Delhi”

"Yes we are visiting few relatives in Chandigarh so we will be driving down from New Delhi".

The waiter came in with the menu thereafter and we ordered dinner. The ticket checker followed him, and I retrieved the ticket from my bag and showed it to him.

“Yours is the next coupe” said the ticket checker. This coupe is for Mr and Mrs Sen Verma

I looked at husband accusingly- “How did this happen”  

He shrugged, sheepishly “I think the hurry we were in caused this over looking of names.

“Anyways lets move our things” I said.

I looked at Mrs Sen Verma, she had the look of someone who was on one hand relieved to have the privacy of the coupe to them-selves as well as the disappointment of losing a just made friend and chance at a hearty conversation.

“ It was really nice meeting you, however short the time together” I said.

Mr Sen Verma promptly added “ Why don’t you keep your baggage in your coupe and join us for a drink before dinner and since you have ordered dinner here, we could have dinner together".

“Sure- that would be nice” I replied accepting his invitation and returned in the next 10 minutes after settling down.

Mr and Mrs Sen Verma welcomed us with a broad, warm smile and we settled down in our old positions.

“Our son in law is with Price Waterhouse in New Jersey – so our daughter too is settled there” Mrs Sen Verma said bringing us back to where we were interrupted in our conversation.

“So you have only one daughter” I enquired.

“Yes – Just like you” they both said almost in unison and looked at me lovingly like I was actually their daughter and their face lit up as if in gratitude towards God for giving them a chance to do this trip with a daughter just like they would love to.

Mr Sen Verma poured the scotch whisky and soda into two IRCTC glasses with a slight frown but quickly moving to a grin while handing over one glass to my husband said “ what does a glass matter- the whisky and the good company is what counts doesn’t it and anyways we will be safer with the IRCTC glasses which will go undetected, what with alcohol consumption not being allowed on trains.

“Oh yes” husband and me added

“I have some Red Wine for you ladies”  – Mr SenVerma announced.

Mrs Verma hesistantly and me enthusiastically beamed and nodded consent as Mr Sen Verma in the exaggerated mannerisms of the perfect host, with a wink poured us both some red wine in another two of the four IRCTC glasses.

We all clinked our glasses to good health and family.

“Our daughter is the loveliest, liveliest, person that ever existed, so full of life and love – just like you”. Mr Sen Verma said looking straight into my eyes tenderly.

I do not know what it was – the wine, the soothing movement of the train, the warmth and coziness in the coupe or the fact that I had just left home in Kolkta. Tears welled up in my eyes and I had to fight to control them from spilling over.

I looked down, took a deep breath, took a big gulp of my wine and with the strength of the heat rushing through my throat I composed my-self and smiled back warmly at him.

The Sen Verma’s went on to describe their life in New Jersey and told us all about their daughter, son-in-law and grand daughter.

They even showed us a picture of the family and it brought all their imagery into larger than life form. One look at their daughter and I knew why they had related to me instantly. Something about her eyes and expressions were so much like my own.

I told them all about my life in Kolkata and about my parents, how loving and protective my father was and how he lived with a passion for life like no one else and I had inherited only just a quarter of it. I told them about my father’s dreams and aspirations for his eldest daughter - me.

Mrs Sen Verma suddenly took my face in her palms and looked at me like she were looking into the core of my soul to see whether it was the same as her daughter’s and I smiled back warmly, letting her find her answers in the depth of my eyes and my being. I was so touched to hear the love pouring out of them for their daughter and her family that I could not help having the urge to tape it and someday play it to their daughter as it is rare that one talks openly about one’s feelings in front of the loved ones. It is so much easier to talk to strangers. But if they could hear it, it would make their day and life as well.

The waiter knocked and announced dinner at 9 Pm and thereafter brought in the trays of soup, toast and butter with soup sticks. On completion, the waiter cleared up and brought the 1^st course of fish orly, baked potato and sauted vegetables for non vegetarian and stuffed capsicum and baked beans with vegetables for vegetarians .This was followed by the main coarse of roast chicken, pasta and boiled vegetables. By the time the dessert(kesar pista ice creams) were brought in we were like one happy family and felt completely at ease knowing so much from our exchanges of what made our lives tick.

After the waiters cleared up the trays, husband and I stood up to leave and retire for the night.  

 “We had a wonderfull time” husband said.

“ On our visit to New Jersey sometime I would love to meet your daughter and I’m certain we will hit it off instantly” I added.

The Sen verma’s looked at me in total silence, right into my eyes and after what seemed like an eternity Mr Verma said –“ Our daughter and her family are no more, they died in a car crash 6 years back”.

I felt like someone had physically struck a blow on my face and I kept glaring at them like I had seen a ghost and with tears welling up in my eyes I hugged them both one at a time and replied “ I would have loved you to meet my Dad too, but he passed away two years back” Slowly we strolled back to our coupe and retired for the night. We reached Kanpur at 5 Am.