Today, I felt a rush of excitement as I was gearing up for my trip to Teknaf, my hometown, to celebrate Eid-ul-Adha. I planned to catch the 10:30pm train, however, memories of my last Eid train journey lingered.
Last Eid, I arrived at Kamalapur Railway Station at 10pm for a train that was supposed to leave at 10:30pm, but it didn't depart until 12pm, nearly one and a half hours late.
The station was packed with travellers going home, and there was no place to sit. The heat and the crowd made me feel very lonely.
The song "Shopno Jabe Bari" played over the platform speakers but did nothing to lift my spirits.
Since it was during Ramadan, I needed to find a meal for Seheri. I made my way through the crowded station to a restaurant outside. To my surprise and delight, I saw my university friend Tausif. He was waiting for his order.
I was so happy to see him that I hugged him, and I found out we were on the same train.
We shared snacks and talked about our frustrations with the delayed schedule. His company made the wait much easier.
So, today, as I awaited another journey, I posted on Facebook, "Anyone travelling to Cox’s Bazar on the Cox’s Bazar Express at 10:30 pm from Kamalapur Railway Station? Let’s share some coffee and snacks while we wait!",
Most of my friends found it funny and left "haha" with their pun-intended comments.
Jahangir joked, “Being single for 24/25 years doesn’t feel boring. What is the problem with sitting alone on the platform for half an hour?” His comment got more "haha" reactions.
Zia Chowdhury wrote, “I hope you find a girl next to you!”
Safwan, Rafij and Arnab said, “Tope [Trick],” suggesting my post was a way to find a female companion for the journey.
Reading these I was laughing with my office colleagues, and that is when my phone rang — 45 minutes after I posted.
It was my cousin Abdullah.
He told me that he and two other cousins would be on the same train. And all of a sudden, my anxiety disappeared, and the song "Shopno Jabe Bari" started playing in my heart.
Now, I’ll travel the 346 kilometres to Cox’s Bazar, followed by another 70 kilometres to Teknaf by CNG-run autorickshaw, with my cousins.
I feel like sending Zuckerberg, the inventor of Facebook, a thanks. Though his invention often takes up a lot of my time—time I could use to do something creative.
