I had taken an oath never to travel without ticket in a bus or train and I always adhered to my oath. Only yesterday, I had to violate the oath taken by me. It so happened that I received a telephonic call from my brother who lives in Kolkata. I was told that my mother was seriously ill.
I at once rushed out of my house and forgot to take any money with me. I reached the station and realized my own omission. There could be no going back now, as the Brahmaputra Express was just reaching the platform. I had no time to reflect or think of a way out. The worry about my mother’s condition had overweighed my mind.
I at once ran on the platform and boarded the first class compartment. As the train was almost moving, I could not shift to the second class compartment now. Hardly had the train covered a few kilometers when the Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) came.
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Finding me without ticket, he imposed a heavy fine on me. On my telling him that I had no money on me, he handed me over to the duty magistrate. All my pleadings failed to convince the duty magistrate that I was not a habitual traveler without ticket but were under the stress of circumstances.
I was sent behind the bars for a fortnight and as I came out, I learnt that my poor mother had expired in the meantime. What a tragedy I do not exactly know what I did was right or wrong but the loss of my mother to me will ever remain unforgettable and irreparable.