Hari and his parents were going to visit Hari’s cousins, Rani and Meera. Meera was Hari’s favourite cousin. She was also four years old, the same age as Hari.

“Come on!” called Hari’s father. “The taxi is here! Hurry up, or we’ll miss our train!” Baba had called a taxi to take them to the station. “We have too much luggage,” he grumbled as he and the taxi driver piled the luggage onto the carrier on the roof of the taxi. Hari climbed in with Mummy. Baba sat in the front beside the driver.

Hari was very excited. He loved train journeys, but hardly ever had the chance to go on one. Mummy had told him this was going to be a long journey. They would have to sleep on the train at night.

Soon they were at the station. The station was very noisy and very crowded. Mummy asked Hari to hold her hand tight. “Do not let go of my hand,” she said. “You can get lost here.”

Baba called a coolie to help him with the luggage.

The coolie balanced their two heavy suitcases on his head. He tucked in Hari’s small case under one arm. He also carried Mummy’s food basket.

Hari was amazed. He had never seen one person carry so many things before.

Suddenly, a loud voice came on over the speakers.

“That’s our train being announced,” said Baba. “We’d better hurry.”

Baba and the coolie set off over the bridge to Platform 4. Hari and Mummy followed as quickly as Hari could run. Hari was very hot by the time they reached the platform. But he forgot everything as the train came in, pulled slowly by a large blue engine.

It was an electric engine. Baba had explained how the train tracks had electric cables running overhead for electric trains. Electric engines could go much faster than steam engines, Baba had said. Hari could hardly wait to get on the train.

Baba settled Mummy and Hari in their seats. He then made sure their things were put away neatly and safely under the long berths.

Suddenly the train gave a loud whistle, and a jolt. “We’re off,” said Baba.

Hari knelt by the window. He watched the station platform pass slowly by. They left behind the bookshop and the stall selling cold drinks.  The people standing on the platform kept waving goodbye till Hari could no longer see them. Now there were only steel tracks and other trains passing in and out of the station.

Hari’s train began to move faster and faster. Soon they had left the city far behind.

There were green fields everywhere. “That’s rice growing,” said Mummy. Hari saw some white birds flying across the fields. “Those are egrets,” said Mummy.

Once the train stopped in the middle of the fields. It was waiting for a signal, explained Baba. From his window, Hari could see a cluster of thatched huts beside a little pond. Women were washing clothes at one end of the pond. Some boys were diving and swimming at the other end. “They are having a lot of fun!” thought Hari.

“Dinner time!” said Mummy after a while.  She spread a towel on the berth between them. They ate cold puris and potatoes, followed by sweet, juicy mangoes. Hari had never eaten such a delicious meal. “Does food taste better on a train?” he asked.

Mummy laughed. “Perhaps,” said Baba, smiling. Hari laughed too and happily ate another puri.

Very soon it became dark outside. Lights came on inside the train. Hari still stared out of the open window. The air was cool now. It felt pleasant as it rushed passed and ruffled his hair. 

It was very dark outside. There were no lights as there are in towns and cities. The only light came from the train windows. They made bright yellow squares on the ground. Dark shadows during the day, bright squares at night, thought Hari.

Soon Hari began to feel sleepy. Mummy asked Hari to get off the seat. ‘Let’s make our beds’, she said.

Hari watched in surprise as Baba lifted the back of their berth. It turned into another long berth. Baba fixed it with chains that hung from the berth above. So now they had three beds! Baba climbed into the topmost berth. Hari scrambled into the middle one. Mummy slept on the lower one.

Soon the lights inside the carriage dimmed. The bright yellow lights went off. Dim blue night-lights came on instead. The train rocked Hari gently. It seemed to be singing a song as it rattled over the tracks. Hari fell fast asleep.

“Wake up, Hari,” called Baba, shaking him. “It’s morning!” Hari sat up in surprise. For a moment he had forgotten they were on a train.

Mummy and Baba had pulled the suitcases out from under the berths, and were busy packing whatever they had opened on the train.

Mummy washed Hari’s face and combed his hair. She asked him to put on his shoes. “Are we almost there?” asked Hari in surprise.

“Yes,” answered Baba, as he stuffed his newspaper into a bag.

The train slowed down. They entered a station yard. Once again, Hari could see train tracks, criss-crossing.

A platform came slowly into view. There were Meera and Rani with their mother, Hari’s Auntie Roma. Meera saw Hari waving excitedly from the train window. She waved back, jumping up and down with happiness.

Hari’s train journey was over. It had been fun. He had another long journey to look forward to when he went back. But before that he was going to have a wonderful holiday with his cousins.

The End.