1993. I was traveling with a group of 6 from Rourkela, to Whitefield, Bangalore for Darshan of Swami. We traveled by the Tata – Allepy exp till Jolarpettai and took a passenger train to Whitefield. We understood that the passenger train reached Whitefield station around 6 in the evening. As with any passenger train this too stopped at all the stations en route. Around 5 the group decided to do bhajans in the train and we did for nearly 30mins. Suddenly to our utter surprise we realized that the train had entered the Whitefield station. I asked all others to get down as I passed the luggage. They were all first time travelers. The train had a schedule stop for a min. The time elapsed in getting the members and luggage down albeit me and two pieces of luggage. The train picked up enough speed as I was tried to jump out. Two persons stopped me. I ran to the chain and pulled with all my strength (literally hung to them) but all my effort went in vain. One person consoled me that the train would stop after 2km and I could get down there. He added that after 10mins another train would pass the other way and I could take that train to return to Whitefield station. It was not a regular station but a spot in between with no structure to prove that any train would stop there. Believing him I got down at that spot as the train halted. It was quite a nondescript spot with no habitation around. Only a small house was seen around 100mts away and the other side of the track was covered with teak plantation. As the dusk set in I felt lost in that place, with no soul around, looking for the expected train. Probably it would have been wiser on my part to go to the K R Puram station ( it was another 3 odd KMs) to take the return train. Feeling lonely on the track I remembered my physics lesson that one could hear the sound of the arriving train on the rail as sound traveled faster in solids. I put my ear to the rail but heard nothing. It was cloudy and looked like it could rain anytime. As the day light faded the trepidation within me only grew with time. After waiting for 15-20mins and not finding any sign of any approaching train or any other living being I decided to take matter to my hands!! Took the two pieces of luggage i.e. a suitcase and a bedding and started walking on the track in the direction of the Whitefield station. The suitcase was a 36 inch one loaded for a 15day trip and the bedding made of green canvass cloth held our bed sheets. After covering 50mtrs I realized that the luggage was too heavy for me to carry so decided to do it one at a time. I carried the suitcase for some distance dropped it and then came back for the bedding. The bedding was reasonably heavy hence I found it convenient to carry on my shoulder. As I carried them alternatively I had to cover double the distance. After having done so for nearly 200mtrs or so I could see the train, as mentioned by the co-passenger, arrive at the scheduled spot and then leave without me; for I was far too away to get near it with my luggage. Resigning to my destiny I continued to walk, walk and walk. In a while the clouds decided to lighten themselves and the wind was in great hurry. I got wet to the core as I continued my sojourn on the lonely track. When its dark and visibility is so low its safer to walk on the track then otherwise. It took me nearly 1 hr to reach the level crossing near the station. The rain had just stopped and two members of the group had set out of the station to search for me little knowing where to go or what to do. Those days Kadugodi was not what its today. To their pleasant surprise we met on the road and they had a sigh of relief. We then went to the village and looked for a room. And I realized that the green colour of the bedding had come on to my shirt making me Green!!!
