My stranger Family..!! :)

 I love travelling by train... Its the journey that always is ready to teach me something or the other.
So let me begin by saying, I am back in India, studying in a different state from my own and living in a hostel. As everyone knows, living in a hostel entails travelling home every chance you get, and this story was the one of the best times I have ever had travelling alone.

 My first time travelling alone to my hostel, it was on Diwali day. I had to leave on an amazing festival day just cause my college doesn't like to give more holidays..!! (Boooo).. So moving on, my train was starting at 11.00 am!!! I mean who actually goes on a train at 11 in the morning on an festival day???? Just me and some very kind hearted people that I met on the journey. So I get into my coach and I see there are only about 20 or so people on a coach for 72.!! First sign of awesomeness is an empty train with your compartment consisting of the only passenger, i.e.. YOU..!! Free space to move around everywhere.! So, I tell my parents how happy I am of this, and suddenly pops an uncle who says don't worry we will keep bothering you.! And that's when I met my fellow passengers.! A family of 13, a grandad and his wife, with their 3 kids and their wivesand their grand kids.! I felt right at home when I knew they were such a big group. Knowing that all my family were gathered back at home (Its Diwali..!! So everyone get together with their families) and that I am missing maybe the best family get together of the year was a tad bit depressing, but still here was another family as big as ours, ready to take care of me, cause I was alone. So my dad being the social butterfly, started talking to them telling about me and where I was going and so on and the other family gets to the talking. My dad, happy because the other family said they would take care of me all through the journey was ready to say goodbye to me so easily. And as the train departed, I waved goodbye to my parents, and got settled into my coach...

 Not 5 minutes had passed, when the people from the other family started making conversations with me and I was offered Diwali sweets and savories. I ate so much that day that I dont think I would have had that much even if I had stayed home. Such was the kind-hearted nature of the family that not 1 hour would pass without another sweet coming my way or another savoury dish or someone sitting with me and asking about my life.! I enjoyed it so much that I felt at home and missed none of the silly talks and quabbles we usually have at home. I was offered lunch and dinner and I ate it too cause you can't deny such a thing as food (Hostel life ka impact - DONT DENY FOOD)! And I was so happy to see that even the food they had would have been the same thing my family would have prepared if we were travelling together. I shared many a laughs and silly moments tracking a small mice that was trapped between our compartments, moving our luggages from the ground to a higher place and seeing how the kids were jumping from seat to seat, as if the floor was lava, afraid of the mice. I remember that I got off the train at a station to buy some water, and how I was reprimanded for doing such a thing as getting out alone, and not taking their help.! How do strangers show such good will and sweetness to others? I can never know that.. I must say I was lucky to be in such a company as that family, that made my Diwali (Celebrated as awesome as christmas) turn into such sweetness that can never be found in the sweets we make for Diwali..Such was that lovely day with complete strangers who just felt like home to me. I wish all my journey from henceforth were like this and my special thanks to a lovely family that made me aspire to be like them when we travel again....... <3