Page 177 - FATE & DESTINY

FATE & DESTINY

lodge and discussed the journey with others. We went to a travel agent behind the lodge and reserved our
tickets.
The next morning, Chojey came to the lodge with her patient. “The surgeon discharged her. But she
must go for dressing.”
“How’s that possible?” I said, mouth wide open. “She was operated on just yesterday.”
“I don’t know,” she said. “But the surgeon discharged her.”
“Sorry, we bought our train tickets,” I said.
She lowered her eyes. “Really? I thought we would return home together.”
“Don’t worry,” said Choki. “You can come with others. Many Bhutanese return home every day.”
She nodded.
The reporting time was 5:00 am, IST. We had booked three rickshaws for Katpadi station. So, they
arrived at 3:00 am.
I woke all the travel mates. “Rickshaw! Rickshaw!”
Twenty minutes later, we moved to Katpadi Station. The train arrived after half an hour. We had to be
quick with our things. Two ace coolies helped us with our luggage. Soon after we settled in our seats, the
train pulled out of the station.
At the crack of the dawn, my stomach rumbled. “I am hungry,” I said.
The lady arthritis patient, opposite to our seat, opened her steel tiffin and said, “It’s fried beef. I cooked
it yesterday.”
It emitted a lip-smacking aroma. The smell of garlic and ginger watered my mouth. So, I ate them
ravenously.
One hour later, my tummy rumbled, and I felt light-headed. I groaned with gastritis soon. Recurrently, I
flinched and winced, pressing my tummy.
“What’s the matter?” asked Choki. “You look pale.”
“Food poisoning, I suppose.”
“How? You have taken nothing since last night.”
I winked at her and whispered, “I had beef, remember?”
She glared at me. “You’re a glutton.” She poured out hot water from the thermal flask she had brought
from the lodge. “Take it. It should subside your gastritis.”
Throughout the journey, I lay in my bunk. The train hooted and trotted along the track, day and night. I
ate less and slept more. I wished our journey could end, but it seemed to take forever.
It was 3:00 am when we alighted at Alipur Railway Station. The travel mates helped me get off the train.
We lay on the cement at the platform until the dawn broke.
And we booked a 9-seater Bolero taxi. I slumbered all along the way, but the pain often woke me.
Others chatted and laughed. A renal patient man from Bumthang talked about kidney problems. I was
eager to listen, but gastritis surpassed my eagerness.
“Get up, Apa,” said Choki. “We’ve arrived at Phuentsholing. How’s your gastritis?”
“Bit better,” I said.
The renal patient collected the fare and handed it over to the cabbie. Some checked into hotels and
some said they would go to their relatives’. Choki and I went to Phuntsho’s place. Seeing my condition,
Phuntsho said I should rest for a few days. So, we stayed there that day. Over breakfast the next morning,
my phone rang.
“I am Chojey,” she said. “We are at Phuentsholing.”
My jaw dropped. “Chojay? No way! How come?”
“We want to go with you. We’re at the gate.”
“Wait, I am coming.” I picked the car key from the table and said, “It’s Chojey. Get ready, Ama.”

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