By Koushik Das
When I woke up, it was dawn on an autumn morning. I was traveling by train, but when I looked around , I realized that no one knew me. Then, I checked my wallet but it was empty. I also checked my pockets, but there was no money and ticket for the journey. I felt anxious and started to wonder where I was headed.
The train slowed down and stopped for traffic clearance. I got off the train in the middle of a forest and train tracks. Then, I started walking through the forest and saw a beach,
I ran toward the beach and sat down to watch the sunrise.
A gentle woman approached me and asked, "how did you get here so early?"
From her, I learned that place was on the outskirts of Odisha.
Then, she invited me to visit her home and rest for the day. Initially, I hesitated, but I had no other option, so I gently walked with her and took a seat in her garden.
At first, I felt embarrassed, but then she made tea for us, and we chatted. She had a master's degree in physics and ran a coaching center in town. She also helped her father with household activities after her mother's death due to a terminal illness. Her father owned a liquor shop at the market.
After our conversation and tea, I felt comfortable.
Then, her father arrived and welcomed me warmly. He asked me why I had chosen to visit this remote place. I was ashamed to share the train story, so I made an answer.
I told him I loved quiet places and enjoyed the serenity of peace. I explained that it helped me focus on my thoughts and imagination, as I was an occasional writer. The sounds of every creature of mother nature helped me connect my writing echo with them.
They smiled and told me to ask if I needed anything. They left the garden, telling me to rest in the balcony room for the day. I enjoyed the sun's warmth until 12 pm in the garden, and they sent lunch for me. I ate happily and went to my room for some rest.
Meanwhile, she went for coaching and told me she would return home the next day. She planned to stay at her friend's house that night. In the afternoon, her father came again and gave me two bottles of beer, a notebook and a pen. He told me to enjoy my evening. I thanked and hugged him, telling him it had been a blissful day for me.
I enjoyed the mesmerizing evening at the beach and returned to their shelter around 8 pm. After that, I felt uneasy and thought I was overthinking. I had also had a bit too much beer.
Then, I sat down beside the window and looked out at the moon and the sea. Suddenly,I heard something that blew my mind like a blast. Some of his friends had come to kidnap me.
I got anxious again, and this time it was huge. My blood rushed to my face, and my hands and feet got cold and tingly. Again, I jumped through the window and ran through the beach. The beach seemed endless, and I felt my feet get frozen, causing me to fall.
I woke up again, this time at 9 am in my hostel bed. I had to get ready for my viva examination at 12 pm. I went for a shower, freshened up, and found no signs of my fall on the beach. I was fine physically.
Then, I went to the canteen and had breakfast. After taking a bite of my sandwich, I realized that I had learned valuable life lessons from my dream. I smiled at my sandwich.
During the stressful moments in my dream, I jumped up and ran straight without thinking twice. I had never thought to turn my path. If I had taken a moment to think, I would have reached the road beside the beach and avoided falling on the wet sand, which had drained my energy.
Then, I made a promise to myself to always think twice and remember to take a turn in life's rushing lane, no matter how straightforward it may seem.
By Koushik Das
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