Friday, June 21, 2013

Moving, Yet Again (Take 2) -Featuring: Marvin.

*Puts away her books for Medical College Entry Test for a while*

I wonder what would it be like for a passerby to witness an oh-so-random family like mines.
Aaaaah.. This time I won't be the narrator, I'll write the second part of the story of shifting from Karachi to Kamra from the perspective of a person who saw us the entire time. Observed us. Noted down our actions. Ok, this is getting creepy. But, I guess I've made my point.

So, here it is. 'Moving Yet, Again (Take 2)' from the eyes of Marvin :D

Note for the wise: This story is very real. Apart from the introduction of 'Marvin'.

I'm sitting in the corner of the Business Express Waiting Lounge in Karachi. It'll be my first trip in this train, the one train that will 'bring in a new era in Pakistan Railways'. I guess I am looking forward to the trip but I'll be travelling alone, so I'm not so sure. Even though I chose to go my train rather than an airplane myself. 'For the Spirit of Adventure!'. A 17-hour journey all by myself, well it's good I brought along Inferno. Nothing better than Robert Langdon for company :)

That's when I spot them. Two little children racing to get the spot in the lounge right in front of the Air Conditioner. I mean, isn't the entire room cold? Wait, what? Now their dad is giving them money so that they go and get snacks as he gets the seat in front of the Air Conditioner. This wasn't entirely it. The mom then stepped in and sat with the dad, following her were a dozen bags! There was a girl keeping watch on the bags, their daughter I suppose. Ok, so three kids and two parents, but what's with all the bags?! I keep my cellphone in hand in case they start threatening the people that there are explosives in the bags. But, that doesn't happen. Three other people, two guys and a girl who looks the same age as the elder daughter enter the lounge in a while, they're here to see off the family. To be honest, I thought they were a part of the family, which would've explained the gazillion bags but they didn't get on the train. So, yeah.

You know I wouldn't have been surprised if their bags
were strapped to the roof just so that their compartment
would have room to sit in.

Ok, before you get any second thoughts. I know who got on the train and that no bags were left behind not because I'm a stalker or anything, but because I got the compartment right next to this ummmm... 'different' family. No sooner were we all boarded and the train took off, there is a loud banging sound from the compartment next door. 'BANG!' I ignore, Langdon's in Italy after all. 'BANG BANG DUM THUSH' I ignore. I can't possibly leave Robert with partial amnesia alone. 'DUM DUM DHA DHA DHAAAAA!' Ok. This is creepy now. I open the door to my compartment realising that the noises are from the compartment of the 'different family' and the train's guard and the conductor are trying their best to open the door. Yes, the lock of the compartment wasn't unlocking. Well, the guard managed to pry the door open and the family decided to keep it open for the entire journey. I came out of my compartment and sat by the window in the hall way of the train, i guess that's what it's called. Only to find both the little kids stumble out of the compartment saying 'We want chocolate frogs? Where's the trolley guy with Bertie Bott's every flavored jelly beans and Chocolate frogs?' Oh, so they are Harry Potter fans too is what crosses my mind just as the 'trolley guy' turns up. Them both end up getting loads of board games, while the mom, dad and elder daughter are snuggled up reading books.

I bet the entire train heard the noises!

The dad closes his book and as if knowing that he's hungry the mom closes her book too and takes out the food bag. Ok, don't judge me. But, this was one family I couldn't help but notice. No sooner are they done with their lunch, the little two climb up on the upper bunk of the compartment, but they  look down every other second and tell their mom about what's happening on the upper bunk. 'Mamaaaa, Abdullah just drew a tree on his sketch pad' 'Maamaaaaa, I beat her in Checkers'.. and it continues. In the meanwhile, the dad starts on with his stories of the 'young days' when he used to travel by train all the time. Well, the little kids get bored with their board games and the mom and the elder daughter start their 'duels' of board game. Now, it's a duel because the entire family seemed in a state of war. The little brother had sided with the elder daughter while the little daughter had sided with the mom. The dad was the judge. Their compartment rang with battle cries! It was a LUDO match. 'KILL THE YELLOW ONE IN FRONT OF YOUUU!' 'LUBAINAAAAA! DIE! DIE! DIE' 'NOOOOOOO' 'Calm down, calm down, it's just a game' 'I WILL NOT GIVE UP WITHOUT A FIGHT'.. Oh well, the mom won at the end. Very soon, they were sleepy only to find out the there were no blankets left for their compartment. But, yeah. They had a bed sheet in one of their gaziilion bags and the dad got off at the next station and bought chaddar too. The elder daughter came out in the halfway, engrossed in her book again while the rest of them slept. But, the lights were only turned off only after the little brother got done with his 'Sock Puppet Show'..

World War III? Probably.


And, they closed the compartment's door. Where was I? Oh yeah, Langdon. He kept me company during the night while the elder daughter was lost in Cecelia Ahern's words. Oh, and know what? We reached Lahore two hours early the next day!
And, I thought I'll get bored. 
Note from Lubaina: We're two brothers and two sisters in reality. But, one of my brother's was already in Lahore. This story would have been more dramatic with him and his theatrical antics though :P

Next stop: Kamra. Finally :D

Note for the wise: the doodles above have been doodled by me. I'd like it if these are not plagiarized :)



7 comments:

MS said...

Hahaha, Benna, good one :D

Ifrah Ishfaq said...

You must have enjoyed your
journey!!! :D :D .Interesting account.

Aqsa Faisal said...

Haha! Well about the dozen bags, I must say we've atleast two dozen of them even though we're just visiting our grandparents in Faisalabad! My mom even brings plants for my grandfather from Karachi!

Unknown said...

A different perspective does make it interesting :D

Stay Blessed ^_^

Lubaina E. said...

@MS. Thank you ^__^

@ifoo. Oh, I sure did :)

@Aqsa. Whoa :o I'm pretty sure Marvin would've become unconscious seeing all those bags.

@Roll no 53. Sure does, thank you :)

Ph_ said...

Exciting :D
Well good luck with Kamra, Stay blessed :)

Nadal Hadi said...

BUhahahahaha... couldn't stop laughing after reading this! especially the comic with the caption 'world war 3? Probably' it goes so perfectly with the story. XD