As the train screeched to a halt, I had an apprehension. The station was approaching and I was ready with my back pack and suitcase. But what now? It was dark outside and an intolerable silence all over. Had heard of the frequent Naxal violence in this part of the country, but not now- atleast these guys sleep; they don't attack at this time of the night. "Kahaan rukha hain, boss!", I just asked the person standing near the door. He had been alternating between the doors on both sides for quite a long time, not caring for the people who lay in between, jumping over them time and again.
He turned back, a bit frustrated, "Tumko kahan utharna hain?". Not knowing the reason for his frustration, I didn't wish to strike a conversation. "Ambodala", I plainly replied, not even looking at him, trying to push myself outside through the available gap between the door and him, to have a look at the place. My back pack was already hindering the passage. A huge bag with all the stuff I could carry for a year was obviously not welcome on any Indian train. He looked at me sharply, and jumped out.
"Throw down the bag which you have blocked", he shouted from two feet below. I followed the order without any objection. He picked up the bag and looked up at me. "Ab tum kyuon rukhe ho?", he looked forward, probably at the signal post. "Jump down now!". I was astonished. Who the hell was he to order me! I thought. But as usual, I kept my tone down and in a surrendering voice replied calmly, "But I have to get down at Ambodala. I don't see anything here. Why should I get down?".
From the faint expressions I saw through the dim light falling on him from the train, I felt that he had got frustrated even further. "This is Ambodala. And if you don't wish to get down, it's your wish. But may be you will reach Ambodala tomorrow night, when this train passes here again". Then calming down, in a soft tone he stepped behind, "Arre yaar, there's seems to be some work going on. And I guess the train won't stop on the platform".
There was no thinking. I saw myself jumping out of the train with all the luggage with me and at the same moment the train honked. And within a few seconds, I was left with an unknown stranger in an unknown part of India in the darkest of the night.
I didn't wish to have anymore sleepless night, as the two day long travel from Mumbai had taken it's toll. Specially this night, since the time I boarded from Raipur. Unwillingly I had given up my lower berth (in exchange for an upper berth) to a family which had boarded along with me from Raipur, to be away from the continuous intolerable bak-bak that I had been hearing from the station. But since then, the constant cross checkings and cribbings of the Ticket checker had my sleep vanish. Never did I have such a bad experience in the train. And the summer rush in Indian trains need not be described. Sometime after the train started I just got down to get a breathe of fresh air and relieve myself of the internal pressure which was being built up since I had reached Raipur. And when I returned to my seat, I saw to my horror, my seat was being used by three elderly men. In no mood for a tussle and in the excitement of joining duty after nine months of forced break, I had occupied the guards seat near the door, though I had a valid, reserved ticket with me.
But now, I was neither in my home nor in the train that was supposed to carry me to Lanjigarh, the deep forest of Orissa, which was to be my home for next one year or so.
"Arre boss, where the hell are we?", now I was curious.
"Where in Ambodala? Kahaan jaoge?", he started walking without even looking if I was following.
I had no option, but to follow him. It was better to have a company in these famous jungles, I thought. But I was still unwilling to reveal anything about myself to this stranger. "Vedanta", the word unknowingly spilled from my mouth.
"Eeks", I thought. "Could I not utter anything else? Already in the middle of the jungle in the middle of the night with an unknown stranger, I had uttered a word that was taboo for the tribes in the area".
I had read somewhere that the Naxals were targeting Vedanta and the associate partners, in this part of the country.
"Vedanta!", the guy repeated the word. "Are you an engineer there?". Now we were walking in parallel. But still he didn't look at me. The question seemed to be just another introductory one.
I looked at him. He was not a Naxalite. He didn't look like one. But now I had never seen one before. "Actually, I am working for the sub-contractor of Vedanta"
"Which sub-contractor?", the question came back quick.
Now this guy knew much I thought. "Furnace Fabrica", again the word spilled before I thought.
"This he may not have heard", I thought. "I had never heard of the company before I joined, though I had been staying in Mumbai for 20 odd years.And he was in this corner of the country, sure he had not heard before".
"What is your posting as?", he looked at me now, a bit astonished.
"Planning Engineer", his look of astonishment was familiar to me. I felt a bit relaxed though my curiosity increased.
"What on the hell made you come here?" he shook his head in disbelief. "Didn't you have any other place to go?".
"But who are you? And how does it matter to you?", I was angered by the statement, but replied calmly.
The man stopped and dropped the bag he held in his right hand. "I am Rajendra Jambukar, QA Engineer, Furnace Fabrica, Lanjigarh"
Phew! Now all the tension I had eased out. "Since when are you here?" I smiled.
"Since the project began", he picked up his bag and started walking again.
Now I remembered. The voice was vague through the phone. It was with Mr. Ajith I had spoken to- as was instructed from my H.O. When I had told him that I had boarded the train from Raipur, all I could here through the phone was "Rajan! Rajan". Now I knew what he had told. Rajan or Rajendra- the person was standing before me.
I walked along with him to a cab near the tracks. "Oye Patnaik! Jhaag jaa. Oye Naresh!", he banged the top of the ambassdor. The door flung open and he seated himself. The luggage was kept into the boot area by the boy accompanying the driver. He looked at me. "Saab! Bag de do. Aap aaram se baitho!"
"Wow! They know Hindi!" my another question got an answer. I got inside. "How's the site?" I was impatient, I looked at Rajendra. He had spread his hand on the back of the seat and had already entered deep sleep".
"Don't worry! You will know it soon", he smiled. "If you are ready, you will know it in a year".
I looked out of the window. The car started off. The answer had much to think about. The lights near the street faded behind us. It was dark again.
"So jaa", Rajendra's finger tickled my head. "It's a long drive ahead. Welcome to Lanjigarh".
I didn't feel like saying anything. I took out my phone from my pocket to call home. And lo! The range was down. This was what I had been thinking of for a long time. A total blank out from few relations in life. But now I was out of touch from the world. With no idea of where I was, or no idea of where I was going to, I decided to go the way life was taking me this time. After all this was the choice I had made.
Far away, I could see light emanting from the horizon. It seemed quite away. I kept gazing at it. Past memories gushing down the spine. Some sweet, some sour and some so sweet which I intended to forget.
The journey in the east had begun. Lanjigarh had called me and I was here.
