"~ENZA~"

The life station

Its very hot and very sultry. The heat saps the energy out of every living creature. Even the flies on the hawkers carts seem dull. All around me scattered on the platform are languid human beings in various stages of wakefulness.

Families sit grouped together near their luggage, some sit on their luggage , others squat with theirs.

The heat has a muting effect on all creatures no one is interested in anything except the immediate need to bear this out. The station fans creak ineffectively & torturously . The sun beats down harsh and strong on the tracks. The glare contrasting with the relative cool and darkness of the station.

The stifling heat presides over a silent sleeping station. The only sounds, that of the creaking fans and sometimes the plaintive cry of a restless child.

The public announcement rings out. The prerecorded message system informs all in three different languages that the train number so and so from so and so to so and so is running late by an hour and that they regretted the inconvenience. If people are groaning or sighing it gets drowned out in her repeating the message all over again.

Everyone with infinite patience borne out of years of living with the system settle down more firmly into their niches and sleepiness.

An hour passes , the heat is lessening, some kids with water packets move from group to group. They don