Believe in Miracles

Dear Readers,

I would like to share with you about an interesting incident that happened in my life, about 15years ago. The incident, I am about to share with you, may be too hard for you to believe to be true, but honestly, it a real life incident.

Me, my wife, my son along with my father in-law and mother in law, had gone to Chennai for a holiday.  As usual, we had made an advanced booking of the tickets. As I had to spend few extra days at Chennai, for my official work, I had booked my tickets for a different date and for all my family members on an earlier date.

After the end of the holiday, it was time for my family members to start back to Madurai.  I decided to go with them to the railway station and send them off. So, we all left to the Egmore railway station. They were to leave by Pandyan Express. We checked the Platform number, and as we reached the platform, I got the train ticket which my father in law was having, to check for the coach number and seat number. Once I saw it, I located the coach, got the luggage’s loaded and stowed them under the seats. Having got them comfortably settled, without a second thought, I kept their train ticket inside my shirt pocket.

In a short while from then, the train started and my family members happily waved their hands to me, bidding good bye. Having seen them off, I returned to my apartment at Nungambakkam, to unwind for the day. As I emptied my shirt pocket, I noticed that I had the train ticket and there they have already waved their hands and left.

It was a shock! What a blunder, I told to myself and was thinking about what could be done. Those were the days, when there was no mobile phone. I could not even communicate, to my family members, that the tickets were with me.  I was worried that, they may be de-boarded from the train, somewhere en route, for not having the tickets.

My mind started running quickly. I was thinking of options, of how I could set this right. The first thought that came to my mind, was to hire a cab and rush to Tambaram and catch them there. If I miss out there, I can still go and give it at Chengalpet. But, with the road traffic, will I be able to make it. It was already 30 minutes since the train had left. I was puzzled.

Anyway, I thought let me call up the railway station and find out the time “Pandyan express” will reach the different succeeding stations.  So, I called up the Egmore railway station, got connected to the station master and explained to him what happened.

Here is where, something mysterious happened. The station master asked again, which train did you say?  I repeated, “Pandyan Express”. What he told me was something unbelievable, He said, “there was a problem with that train engine and that train is returning back to egmore station, for changing over to a new engine.” I was sure that the station master was not kidding, with me. 

I rushed to the station.  In a few minutes of my arrival, I could see the train returning to the platform. I could see my father in law and son, waiting at the compartment door, trying to see if I was still there. I waved my hands, and I could see a big sigh of relief, in their face.  I went and gave them the ticket.

Then I listened to their side of the story. My father in law said, that when the TTR came for checking he explained the situation to the TTR. The TTR could understand the situation, as the name appeared in the passenger’s chart. But the TTR could not help them in any other way, except by issuing them a new ticket with some extra fine. Left with no other option, my father in law was about to pay, just then they heard the announcement that the train will return back to Egmore.  So, the TTR himself told, “Let us wait and see, till we get back to Egmore.” Luckily, I had come back and they did not have to pay again. They took the ticket and in another few minutes, the train was ready with a new engine, and they set off again.

This time, making doubly sure that the ticket was not in my shirt pocket, I came back home for my night rest. As I went to bed, I could not believe what had just happened. It was something unbelievable. I just signed off to bed, with a thought, well it is true. “Miracles do happen”.

Happy Reading

D. Senthil Kannan

Article date Feb 2007