A vexatious and hot evening, it is troublesome for everyone to stay here in this situation as the train has made late near about two hours already to leave the station. None can say the right time when the train will leave from Mumbai railway station. Getting down from the train, I see a lamp which is twinkling like a little star looking very amazing and unbelievable.
I have been smoking cigarettes since the last hour as I have no choice of passing these idle moments. As there is only one lamp in the station, none can see the other’s face clearly. Stationmaster informs us that the train will leave within ten minutes.
I get into the compartment and take my seat. It is the first-class compartment so there is no opportunity for a hawker to enter the compartment. For this reason, I have bought two pieces of loaves of bread and a pair of twin banana. In front of my seat, two young men are staying and another is on the left side of my same seat. My seat is near the window so it is very easy for me to enjoy the outside scenery.
All of them are educated and age is not less than twenty-five. I introduce with them warmly. One is Tapon Harinath, another is Kapil Deb and the person beside me is Sri MadhabKumar Chowdhury. Their destination is Calcutta. They are MA students of Calcutta University.
Suddenly, before leaving the station an old baldness man wearing white coloured Panjabi and Dhuti taking a long gunny-bag hanging from his shoulder enters into our compartment and starts to find out his seat quickly.
“This is the first-class compartment. Maybe you’re doing wrong,” Tapon says to the old person.
Without giving any answer the old person finds and takes his seat. His seat is at the left side from my position and the three persons along with me look on the person but we become unable to understand his gesture.
“Now-a-days the illiterate and unsocial persons also visit through the first-class compartment,” Tapon tells Kapil deb.
Then they start to laugh to see the old person. But the old person says nothing.
“The first-class compartment is not only fixed for the educated and rich person in the subcontinent,” Sri Madhab Kumar Chowdhury tries to remind them through this sentence.
“You’re wrong. Where is the difference between an illiterate and educated person? If there remains no difference, our status will lose very soon,” Tapon tells Madhab.
Suddenly, Tapon asks, “Where is your ticket?”
“This”, says the old person.
Then they start to gossip very much for a long period. After a while Kapil deb asks the old person, “Oh, an octogenarian, can you write your name?”
“Yes”.
“Did you go to school”?
“Yes.”
“How many classes did you pass?”
“Some classes.”
They become astonished to hear the term “some classes.” Tapon asks, “Did you pass class five?”
“Yeah, I passed more classes than this.”
“Did you pass class eight?”
“Yeah, I passed more classes than this.”
“Dis you pass Metric?”
“Yeah, I passed more classes than this.”
“Did you pass Intermediate?”
“Yeah, I passed more classes than this.”
Then they become astonished to hear it. Again Tapon asks, “Did you pass BA?”
“Yeah, I passed more classes than this.”
“Did you pass MA?”
“Yeah, I passed more classes than this.”
“Oh! My God”, Tapon and Kapil shout. Kapil thinks to ask more questions to the old person. Kapil asks, “Did you pass more than MA?”
“Yeah, I passed more classes than this.”
“What!” Tapon cried.
Again he asks, “Have you passed double MA degree, ironically?”
“No.”
“Where is wrong?”
“I obtained triple MA degrees in my life.”
After hearing this, they fall on the leg of the old person and pray forgiveness for their crime. They become ashamed of their activity.
After a while, they ask him, “Sir, what do you do?”
“I am Sri Maloy Kumar Chowdhury, the Deputy Commissioner of Darjeeling.”
“What! Where were we?”
They start crying. After a while Sri Maloy Kumar Chowdhury says, “Madhab, you have forgotten to take your glass. Now take it.” Madhab takes the glass. But none can understand the matter.
“How does Maloy Kumar know Madhab?”
“How do you know him, Madhab,” asks Tapon. Madhab says nothing.
Sri Maloy Kumar Chowdhury says, “Madhab is my only son.”
THE END
