The powerful machinery behind me was growling like a caged lion and the steady growl was getting hypnotic. To add to it was the all-pervading darkness around sliced by one powerful beam of light. It gave an impression of a tunnel in outer space. It also reminded me of the tunnels we had to go through on the way to our village in the hills. Yes, it had been many years since I went home with my family. My wife had been insisting that we take our kids to the village. “They must not forget their roots”, she said.
My mind drifted back home. I would be meeting my family after nearly 6 days. I could hear the wind whistle outside the small window of my workplace but it was drowned by the relentless sound behind me. I had grown up in the hills but had always been enamored by the hustle bustle of city life in the plains. I had visited the city just twice with my father when I was a young boy but the two short visits had left a lasting impression in me. I wanted to move to the city in spite of pleadings of my family and so when I finished my graduation, I left for the city. Life was not easy at all. I took up a small job that I got after lots of struggle. Everyone in my village was excited and very happy on hearing about this, but only I knew the pressures and responsibilities.
I was willing to work hard and soon I got promoted. Many of my colleagues were surprised that a village lad like me could rise so fast in life. I just enjoyed my job. However, the job had its own challenges. It involved constant travelling and late night work mostly. I hardly stayed in the tiny room I had been allotted. The job was respectable enough and my parents could find a suitable bride for me from a village close to mine. Life sped through, I got married and I was blessed with two kids. Initially they stayed in the village. My wife could not understand why I had to go back to the city and come back only once in 3-4 months. Why couldn’t I find a similar job in the hills itself where I could return home like all other husbands every evening, she wondered. Her friends even made fun of her saying that probably I had another pretty girl hidden somewhere in the city. I told her not to worry on that aspect and explained that the job I was doing could not be done in the hills. I continued to work hard and then I finally got promoted to the present role. My Regional Manager had complimented me when I had got this latest promotion. “No one as young as you has ever managed this position before”, he said.
I then brought my family to the city. The children always wanted to come and see my workplace but my job never allowed that. Today was going to be the first time that my wife and kids would get to see me doing my job. Just a couple of hours more!! I looked around and saw my co-worker checking a few dials and in the darkness of my cabin I could see his thumbs-up signaling everything was fine. He was a young man and this was his first day with me and he was nervous. I could see a glint of sweat just over his brows.
I looked out of the window and saw some pinpricks of lights far away. Maybe others who were making a living on a night shift like me. It was extremely tiring to stay up through the night but there was no way I could even think of sleeping. To the left corner of the screen in from of me, I saw three green lights. Everything was fine!! I seriously had a very important job managing this operation. It was not a very high paying job but people seemed to respect my work – or did they? I never asked. My job was just to do what was to be done.
I continued to take any shift given to me and worked hard on it with pride. My cabin with its dials, knobs, levers and buttons required to operate the giant machinery was squeaky clean. I had to be on a constant vigil not only to the sound of the machinery but also what this machine was to deliver as its output. During the day I could watch and ensure unknowingly no one was harmed as they moved around the area around. My work was boundary-less and sometimes even stray animals would be seen near my place of work but I had suitable methods to ensure their safety too. Night was different! I stretched my tired limbs, rubbed my eyes and shifted on my feet. Today was especially a stressful night for me. A few blinking red lights on my right. No worries!!
While others slept, I had to continue without blinking. So many lives depended on how well I did my job. I thought of my wife and children who would be waiting for me today eagerly. She had not wanted the kids to stay up waiting for me to finish the job but they kept insisting. I relented since I wanted to give them the joy of understanding the importance of my job. How even what is considered a s just another job could impact hundreds of people every time. I sighed and gazed at the moon low over the horizon that I could see clearly through my window. Today the sky was clear too, whatever I could see of it. I wished I could put my head out of the window and feel the clean air but that would not be a good idea, I decided. My mind drifted for a few seconds and I went blank.
Suddenly my screen filled with a bright white light and there was a loud cacophonic sound. I was brought to reality. I should have seen it coming, I should have seen it coming, I thought. No I should have been a bit more alert. I quickly toggled a switch up and down rapidly a few times and pressed the red lever down. A trumpeting sound, which could be heard for miles around, emanated from my machine, which then started shuddering as an earth shaking sound was felt on my right for a few seconds. It was okay; I should have seen it coming.
The screen in front of me lit up with three amber lights and I immediately pulled the lever on my left down. The growl of the machinery turned to a deep rumble. I looked at my co-worker toggling a few switches, reading a few dials and then he gave another thumbs up sign. As I pulled the red lever back, the floor started shuddering and the vibrations tickled the soles of my shining black leather shoes. A set of lights some blinking steadily while others blinking in a pattern started filling up my screen. Myriad colours, both on my left and right. Everything was going as per plan. Then, as expected, the three red lights I was expecting, came up on my screen and kept growing in size. I pulled the red lever further back. The machine protested a bit, there was some screeching noise, the rumble changed to a comfortable hum, the shuddering under my feet settled, all sounds which brought comfort to me. Then I saw a row of white lights filling my screen. My shift was getting over, as I pulled the red lever back with finality. Some more screeching and shuddering ensued but that was expected. The row of lights became bigger and bigger and they filled my windscreen totally. I looked out with anticipation and then I saw my wife and kids waving at me with total glee on their face.
I slowly brought the fastest train in India to a slow and comfortable halt on the platform designated for it. My job for the day was well done!!!
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