Through a field of dissonance and harmony, with the waves, I travel, just like everything else in this universe. An eternal journey, this is. Oh, and the undiscovered depths of it all, I too shall see it someday. But to pause, take a breath, and to look through the cacophonies for harmonies, all the while embracing the tunes and battling discordances around me is an adventure I tread on.
A month ago, I hopped on the brand new Vande Bharat Express, train number 20644, onward to Chennai. With excitement and amusement pulsing through me, at a staggering speed, at least for the Indian broad gauge speed limits, the machine and I soared, breaking the morning mist in style. Away from all the burning quandaries, towards a safe haven of a sort.
As I eased back into the comfort of my seat, against the window, admiring the hospitality in the C5 coach, there appeared a good old friend running along the tracks. Nostalgia!
She waved at me, running and dodging the obstacles. I waved back. She was a particular variance, a gestalt of all my childhood memories about trains. Hiding into a lush mountain, she pulled me into a vista with all the clickety-clack rhythms from all the trains that preceded this one. The tides got stronger with the recollection of the smell of tar, the brakes, the hot sun, and the sunless dawns.
At 124 beats per minute, the bogies and I slid on the rails. My destination, well that was unknown. But I sunk in the spark of it all, the anticipation of a vision, something new, the trove of happiness that was awaiting. I strolled from one end to the other, smiling at all the faces that smiled back, tipping my imaginary hat to the happy horn from the locomotive, all the while listening and feeling the train’s rhythm through my feet.
Mind the volume. This one’s a bit loud.
It was a dance. My thoughts, the bogies, and the rails.
Click, I saw faces. I heard voices. Smiles. Laughter. And Puzzles.
Clack, I saw myself. A leaf on the wind always, now on guided rails for a brief time.
Click, memories of fun lingering in the air. Tastes of chocolates, brownies, and joy.
Clack, the weight of it all, like a microburst.
Right there I knew that these moments, and the moments to come throughout the trip, trivial or momentous, all must be defined with a language I adore.
Music!
With what I know and what I experienced throughout this journey, I put together some electronic instruments to mimic the horn with the click-clacks and express everything I remember. And composed a variant stream of these emotions to life.
I call it, Escapade at 5!
A million imaginary kittens will be happy if you listen to this on headphones.
A journey for me to remember. A score to the moments that would go into the pages of one of the happy chapters.