beamed white

It was about 2 in the morning. Only the faint sounds of snores and the rythemic 'tadak tadak' of the train's journey on the tracks reached my ears. I slipped into my blanked and lied down on my back on the seat. Uncomfortable I must say! And besides, i was in no mood to sleep on a journey like this. I never sleep in trains.. the entire journey enthralls me and excites me to no end. The speed of the train, having lived in the snail-paced traffic of Mumbai, just spikes my mind with enthusiasm. The green belts surrounding the tracks, fields stretching beyond horizon, grasslands swaying in the gush of the wind, everything seems just so magical.So similar to the moors and grasslands that enid blyton used to describe in his novels! perfect, green, clean and mystifying!

That early morning, as i tossed about trying to sleep, my eyes fell on the silvery white mass out side the window, embedded into the dark black sky. And somehow the sight of the moon in the unpolluted skies after a long long time kept me glued to the window, as the train sped on its usual route to Mumbai. It was fascinating. The moon was this silent silvery globe in the sky, and I've never seen anything radiate light as simply and as gently as the moon. It was a light, that despite of being bright, respected the night for its dark. Yes. It was a light that respected the dark. The moonlight, unlike the sun's strong beams, did not cut across a path for itself. Infact, it camouflaged itself with the night to throw a silvery blanket of calm light on all the sleepy beings on the planet. So gentle. and yet so present and powerful. The moon to me, appeared like silence. Speaking volumes without actually speaking anything at all. As the train proceeded on its mechanical journey, I could hear the engine roar a few metres away. The sound was carried cleanly by the wind on a crisp night. And even as I looked up, the moon seemed to have loved my company. Yes, it was travelling with me. With the same pace as the train. So that for I wondered if I was static, had it not been for the tree tops and railway overheads cutting across the view between me and the moon. The varying shapes of tree tops, and constant juggling of overheads convinced me that we were in motion. And the moom truly ran with me. As if it wanted me to keep talking to it all night.

And I did just that. I was just asking the quiet little moon how it survives in the lonely penetrating darkness of the sky. And I was asking it if god resided within it too??? I sort of felt it nodded, and hence my conversation drifted to god. I thought i was seeing god in the moon. What I said to god, I dont remember much. May be I thanked him for my wonderful trip back in Ahmedabad, prayed for my upcoming results and my sister's results.. Sheesh. A selfish talk I must say. But i kept staring. And i felt the moon was answering me too. What?? I dint know. I dint want to find out. After sometime, I dosed off due to fatigue. And finally after an hour or two was woken up by a unpleasant stomach ache. I drank water and got up. I couldnt sleep with that. So I pushed myself to the window, thought of talking a bit more with my good ol friend! But as I stole a glance at the sky, it dint take me seconds to make out that the moon was no longer with me now. Perhaps it went running after another girl or boy like me who wanted company in this lonely night. I was disappointed. How could it go away. But then something caught my eye. something like a diamond.. in the sky?? :) yes, the moon did go away, but not before it brightened the sky with a collection of lil twinkling stars. And again my face pressed itself to the glass window of the train trying to figure out which constilation was I looking at? One of the stars there shined the brightest white. while the rest glittered and flickered. And I guess they told me to go to sleep. They were there to keep me company. I wasnt alone. Slowly my eyes drooped again. And as i was preparing for a next round of sleep, the sun, still hidden out of the horizon threw shades of light across the sky, and indicated it was well above 5 am.. time for a beautiful sunrise. I glanced once more at the sky, as the stars grew dim and gradually faded away to make way for the mighty sun god. But still this night will be etched in my memory, as a night where the moon chose to run with me.