Sayan looked back at the space where she was standing so long. The space was vacant

Now, only a ballpoint pen was lying on the floor. He picked it up and found that there

was nothing special about it. If the head was pressed the tip emerged from inside the

cavity. A brown tube with a transparent mid section formed the main body of the pen.

Sayan kept the unclaimed pen in his pocket and forgot about it.

Though Sayan was only thirteen and the Santiniketan girl might have been eighteen or so,

he felt a strong sense of attachment towards her. He didn't know why. So long the girl

was there, he felt okay. With her departure, suddenly many things appeared meaningless

to him. He was very fond of girls of that age group and felt that his mother had deprived

him of the chance to talk to the girl in the last one hour of the journey by denying her to

sit next to him.

The girl must have been a higher secondary student studying in the prestigious institution

at Santiniketan. Sayan could have learnt so many things related to his studies from her.

But the reality was that he couldn't even know her name. Mothers were sometimes very

cruel and possessive, thought Sayan. His mother had started snoring once the train left

Burdwan. It might be that the girl's father was after all right in terming Sayan's mother

selfish. Shyamal would have definitely offered his own seat to her and talked to her

nicely. Sayan again felt the absence of his father. He was concerned for his father's well

being.

Grandpa, on the other hand, appeared not much concerned. He was talking to the elderly

woman sitting by her side. Grandpa was explaining to her the problems he had

encountered while building a new house for his family at Uttarpara. Sayan could not

follow what was the point in discussing such personal matters with some outsider? His

mother was still dozing and hitting against him as the train changed track causing lateral

vibrations occasionally. 

Everyone was at ease forgetting that his father was still missing. The last two TTE's had

advised them to inform the ASM (Assistant Station Master) at Rampurhat as soon as they

reached there. The railways had their own communication channel. That could be utilized

to locate his father then.

The train stopped at Ahmadpur station. Grandpa spoke to him now after a long time.

"Can you see the narrow gauge line on the eastern side? That extends up to Katwa you

know. You must have heard about Tarashankar, the litterateur. His ancestral home is at

Labpur, which is on that route. Do you know that Gandevta, the famous novel, was

written by him?"

"I do grandpa. Tarashankar was awarded the first Gnanpeeth award for that novel way

back in 1967.  This train has been named Gandevta express because it runs through the

area described in that novel. We have quite a number of important trains named after

famous literary works such as Geetanjali, Agni Veena and Hatey Bazare. Will the famous

river bend Hansuli be visible as we travel further north? I want to see that if possible."

"What is that bend? Whenever I try to tell you something, I find that it is not only known

to you but you know much beyond that. How do you know so much, Sayan?"

"I participate in quiz competitions in school. Therefore I have to gather a lot of

information. The story of Hansuli bend is another famous novel by Tarashankar.  A few

days back there was a news item that the bend of the river at Hansuli was being destroyed

because of unauthorized brick kilns excavating the virgin earth from that place. You will

find that human beings will completely destroy his environment in a few years from

now."

"Oh God! A small boy knows so much these days!" Grandpa called it quits and resumed

his chattering to the woman next to him, who listened intently, without uttering even a

word. Sayan was not at all interested to know what the subject of his grandpa's

monologue was. His mother was now wide-awake. She wanted to sit by the window side.

The train was not crowded any more. Most of the passengers had alighted at Santiniketan

and Ahmadpur. The commotion of the last few hours had changed into a relaxed

atmosphere. Sayan switched his seat with his mother now.

The woman beside his grandpa wore a white sari with red border and sported a large

vermilion mark on her forehead. Sayan did not like such a large red insignia on

anybody's forehead. It reminded him of blood. A thick and solid amalgamated tuft of

hair, typical of an ascetic hung from her head. It was said that formation of such a band

was because of culmination of certain spiritual configuration in that person. It inspired

awe and respect. She, therefore, looked deeply religious.

She appeared to read Sayan's mind and said: "My name is Sadhika. I know that you are

scared of me because of my exterior. But don't be afraid of me. I am going to a place on

the distant horizon. There is a small station just after Rampurhat. One has to trek quite a

distance to the west of that station, through the open wilderness to reach that place."

"What is the name of that station, madam?" Sayan asked her.

"If you go there you will know that also. A narrow path meanders through the rice fields

as you leave the station. The path is covered with red laterite soil. A number of hills

beckon you as you proceed. My ashram (hermitage) is in that place. Will you like to visit

that place?"

"We are bound for Tarapith, madam. My father will also go there. We have to wait for

him at Rampurhat station."

"What will you do if he doesn't turn up there?"

"I don't know that. My mother and grandpa will decide that. Isn't it grandpa?"

"Better ask your mother." His grandfather replied.

Sayan looked up at his mother to know if there could be an answer to this vexed question.




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Sefali said: "Let us reach Rampurhat first. Then only we can decide. We will first offer

puja at the temple and then put up in some guest house there for the night. Tarapith is not

a big place. Your father will be able to locate us there easily."

"If you don't mind, can I ask you a personal question?" Sadhika asked Sefali.

"Okay. You can do that. I won't mind anything."  Sefali said expecting some good

suggestion from the ascetic now. What else could she do? She knew that her father in law

would neither take any initiative in resolving the matter nor object to anything she

decided.

"Does your husband behave erratically sometimes? Is he not as attentive to household

matters as he should be?" Sadhika wanted to know.

"I did not find him like that earlier. But of late he has been telling me that it would be

difficult for him to reach Tarapith. That's why he asked his father to accompany us."

"I get a queer feeling about your husband. I don't know whether it is true or not. But

don't mistake me for a tantric or follower of some such occult schools of meditation. I

don't want to acquire any supernatural power. Finding peace is my only objective. I am

Sadhika (meditator) in name only."

"Then why have you renounced normal life and chosen the path of an ascetic locating

your ashram in such a remote corner of the Earth?" Sefali asked her.

"I selected that place only because it is serene and suitable for concentrating one's mind."

"Now, please tell me what do you feel about my husband exactly?"

"I can't tell you that till I am sure of it."

It appeared that Sadhika was more interested in Sayan for she asked him again.

"Sayantan, will you accompany me to my ashram? It is a Saturday as well as new moon

night today. The Goddess may show us some way out of the predicament this night."

"Why do you call me Sayantan, madam?"

"It is simple logic. I deduced it from your face, which explicitly carries the meaning of

your name. Do you know the meaning?"

"No, I don't know that. It never struck me that I should know the meaning of my name.

Please tell me the meaning."

"Sayantan is the adjective of evening. You must have been born in the evening."

"It is true. It is also true that his name is Sayan." Sefali confirmed.

Sadhika said in a matter of fact manner: "It is well and good if you happen to reunite with

your husband at Rampurhat. Otherwise you can pay a visit to my hermitage preferably

before the evening prayers. You have to get down from the train at Sadinpur, which is

next to Rampurhat. My place is several miles to the west of that small railway station."

"The name of that station is ringing some bells in me. I heard that name recently although

I can't recollect it now." Sayan was immersed in deep thought.

Gandevta express reached Rampurhat at 10.20 a.m. Most of the passengers got down

there. They hailed from the city carrying fat bags containing various items of

consumerism including the exotic ones and were bound for Tarapith to spend a nice week

end there. Those were moneyed people who went there to wash off a part of their sin

accumulated over a period of time. They offered puja to the Mother Goddess and

bolstered the local economy by inducting fresh capital every week.

It was not known whether the Goddess was pleased at their vagrant display of coarse

money power. Even when they went back there was no sense of remorse that could be

ascribed to a change of heart triggered by induction of sublime reverence in the presence

of the Mother Goddess. They remained largely unaffected by any spiritual influence and

returned repeatedly to the Mother Goddess in search of some magic touch that would heal

them of their maladies.

The train had a scheduled stop of almost one hour at this place. A change of guard took

place here. Sayan, his mother and grandpa prepared to get down. Sadhika remained

seated because she would get down at the next station. She told grandpa: "If your son has

sent any message for you, it will be available with the ASM on duty. Otherwise you can

come back and accompany me to my ashram. I can conveniently accommodate all of you

there. That place is not as congested as Tarapith. Mother Goddess graces the temple there

also with equal benevolence. It is difficult to know Her intention. Let us see!" Thereafter

she closed her eyes in deep circumspection.

Sayan and others disembarked.

There was no message at the ASM office for them. They kept on standing at platform

number one for some time. There was no vacant bench there either. So they were

compelled to enter the canteen. Sayan was hungry but unwilling to eat now because of

the uncertainty that engulfed them. His grandpa bought three bottles of cold drinks for

them.

Grandpa said: "Shall I inform Sadhika that even the ASM office is not ware of anything

regarding Shyamal?" Sefali stopped him. She did not like Sadhika from the very

beginning. She said: "We are bound for Tarapith only. Why should we change our plan

based on some unknown woman's advice?"

The TTE's of Khana junction were in the canteen. They were worried when Sayan told

them that till then there was no news of his father. The fellows behaved so nicely now

that Sayan was surprised. They told him: "Write down your father's name and

designation on this piece of paper. We will get the name announced over the public

address systems of all stations between Howrah and Rampurhat."

Sayan most willingly agreed to their request.