Short Story - The Train That Left the Rails

There was a train, which plied between the districts of Hailakandi and Karimganj. It was the only train on that route.

Every morning it would start its journey from Hailakandi and reach Karimganj on the forty-five mile long meter-gauze track, and in the evening, it would return once more to Hailakandi.

The train was bored by the track and the same journey it made on that meter-gauze track daily.

And one night at the Hailakandi Junction when the station was completely deserted, the train decided to get down from the rails and leave the station forever. But as it got down from the rails, it could move no more. There started a terrific pain in its wheels and it started crying and shouting but nobody heard it. The train became senseless after a while.

In the morning when the officials at the junction arrived, they saw the crippled train and were very angry. However, they ordered a new train for the junction.

And still today after the passing of so many years, the crippled train lies where it was – now a box of rust.

Short story written by Parvez Ahmed on October 4, 2008.