Near death on the tracks

This incident took place a few years ago, but it keeps coming back to my mind.

It was a time when I used to visit quite frequently on Saturday mornings a shrine on the banks of the Banganga tank at Walkeshwar. The usual routine was to reach the shrine at about 9 a.m., and return to Grant Road station by 10 a.m. to catch a local train elsewhere.

One such morning as I was waiting on platform 3 to catch a fast local from Grant Road to Dadar, an old lady suddenly started crossing the tracks from platform 4 towards platform 3. As she reached platform 3, it was obvious that she could not jump and get on to platform 3 (since the platform is a good 4 feet high from the track level). She seemed to be a regular since she came quite close to platform 3 confidently. When she reached the platform 3 side, she did what many do in Mumbai...held out her hand...anyone on the platform then usually obliges and hoists / pulls up the person onto the platform. The idea is that the person on the track level usually just needs a hoist - an initial pull - the person, of course, needs to put his / her own efforts to push themselves up. That way, even if a heavy person is asking for help, it not too much of an effort for the person on the platform to hoist the guy.

When she held out her a hand, I was closest to her on platform 3. As a result, I offered my hand to her to pull her up. It was not the first time I was doing such a thing. However, for some strange reason, as I started pulling the old lady up, she just started dangling in mid-air. To my horror, the fast local had just entered the far end of the platform 3, and in a few seconds would be directly where the old lady was struggling to get onto the platform. For a split-second, my heart skipped a few beats. My mind was puzzled with decisions. Should I let her go? Should I jump onto the tracks and take her to the place in between tracks of platforms 3 and 4?

Fortunately, another man on platform 3 who had noticed this, approached quickly, and helped grasp her other hand, and we both managed to pull her up seconds before the train came to the spot where she stood.

I was relieved, but shaken. It was then that I decided that thenceforth I would not help anyone else to clamber onto the platforms. If a tragedy had occurred, obviously it would have played heavily on my mind, and it would be one decision that I would always have come to regret for the rest of my life.

Random notes...

There's nothing particular to write about...just a collection of happenings over the last few weeks.

Navratri:
I make it a point to visit the local "Sitladevi" temple during one of the nights of Navratri, the 9-night festival. Its not that I go every year, but these past few years, I have had the opportunity to visit it. This year, I went last night to the temple. The temple was surprisingly not crowded, inspite of it being a Friday (believed to be an auspicious day to worship the Devis). Usually, I would have had to stand in a longish queue, but not many were to be seen. Maybe I was late (it was about 20:30).

Usually, I do not visit the pandals. This year I decided to visit one local pandal where the idol of the Goddess was kept. I met one classmate there - it seemed to me that he was suffering from some anxiety...his eyes were all puffed up, as if due to lack of sleep. Then, I saw his elder brother whom I failed to recognize. My classmate told me that his brother, in his early 40s, had suffered from a paralytic stroke a little more than a year ago. His brother could hardly stand erect. Some other guys known to him were advising him to go to a particular doctor, etc. I slipped in my advice too...

The point is that everyone has some "story" to tell about how a particular doctor / treatment is the best one for any disease. Someone would recommend allopathy, others ayurveda, still others homeopathy, etc. At such a time, the person suffering usually feels that he / she has tried it all, and still nothing works...so I decided to keep mum.

It is quite surprising how a man so capable, so active, until just a few years ago in his prime should suffer so much so suddenly. Actually, this is a very much known phenomena...nothing surprising about it. Though people get surprised about it, they are ignorant. I was reminded of the famous Bhaja Govindam verse:

maa kuru jana dhana
yovana garvam
harati nimeshaat
kaalat sarvam

Meaning that one should not be proud of one's wealth, youth (strength / health), position, etc. Time can take it all away in a moment's notice.

So there it is in plain truth...that is knowledge.

I smiled not knowing what to do next (I am never good at such things as sympathy, etc.). I bade him goodbye and returned home.