Eventhough I dont travel frequently, i simply love to have my journey in a train. Infact, I am a fan of Indian Railways. These serpentine locomotives have a strange charisma attached to it thats.. very indian. You know, there's so much to talk about trains and the very nature of a journey in it, that i have difficulty in putting it down in a concise format. So how shall i begin? Should i talk about my experiences in a train? Or should i throw some light on the organisation which is one of the largest employers in the world with an unmatched breadth and span? Or should i glorify this humble vehicle which abstracts economics and diversity? Well, A journey in a train is a pleasure in itself. The countryside it cuts through, the chaos inside these wagons, the rhytmic chug-chug, the train horns, the pantry-wallahs.. these are sewn into the fabric of this joy ride.On a rainy day,when you wrestle your hand out of the window, when you feel those droplets on your palms, you begin to love nature even more. Ah, how delightful it is, to stand near the door and feel the wind on your face, to bend over and watch the train glide over the curves, to wave back to those sweet innocent children who wave at you and expect just a wave in return, to romance the rustling grass and the glimmering lakes.. My heart always skips a beat when the train crosses a river... when there occurs a sudden shift in the rhythm to a monstrous boom. It is perhaps a signal for everyone in the train to shake off from their monotonous thoughts and take a look outside, to see how wonderful it is, to watch the water-bodies basking in full glory.The dawn and the dusk, the rain and the sun, the people and the cattle, the clouds, hills all seem more beautiful than ever. All that you see, all that you feel slips into a metaphor. One moment its there, the next moment, its gone. Nevertheless, to watch these sketched images skip by, over a cup of hot coffee, on one rainy day, by the window-seat, there's not a better moment to match it. No wonder these eminent writers and filmmakers adore these trains , so much that they use it as a leitmotif in their works. The shades of green that embraces my eyes rejuvenates my self, a self which has taken a beating in this dog eat dog world, a self that uncharacteristically keeps looking for greener pastures. The flock of birds that fly overhead makes you think, for once, that they are racing against you and you are not racing against them. Unmindful of the destination, you enjoy the journey, a journey that caress the hamlets and towns alike. Cacophony is sweet music. The hustle-bustle that the train brings into a station is all but the din of your routine life. The mellifluous sound of chai-chai has got only one accent, the Indian accent. The aroma of the samosas tickles your taste buds and lingers in your senses. People flutter like bees from one place to another. For some, its end of a journey, for some it’s the beginning. When I travel in a train, I get over-awed by witnessing the diaspora of Indian culture. A stroll from one end to another is a multiethnic experience. Its always a gentle reminder for me to acknowledge that India is a great nation. So much diversity, so much differences, yet we share this common thread of feeling, a feeling so intense that it keeps us together. The sights and sounds that comes along with the journey transports me into an utopian world. It makes me feel so powerful like thy shadow that crosses the bridges, rivers and fields with equal ease. When dark sets in, I squint my eyes to see the farthest distance, but it could only take notice of few earthen lamps below and the flickering stars above. The distance has been covered and the destination is reached. One more footprint in the sands of time has been made. But the pleasure of the journey always remains and the eagerness to jump onboard the moment I get a chance stays..