A Journey by Train

A Journey by Train

Last summer, I decided to spend my summer vacation with my uncle at Karachi. After a good deal of persuasion [1] my father agreed to give me sufficient [2] money for the journey. I had fears that he might reconsider his decision. So the moment he agreed, I packed my clothes and few text books and went to the station.

The train had arrived. I bought a lower class ticket and ran to the platform. A porter [3] was king enough to push me into a compartment through a window. The door had been besieged [4] by a crowd of passengers who were pushing each other all over the platform.

After paying the porter, I looked around the compartment. It was full to capacity. Some people were standing. Among them I found an old friend of mine. In the school he was well known for picking a quarrel [5] with everyone who happened to be near him. While we were greeting each other, the train whistled and began to move.

           Once again I searched the compartment to find a vacant seat. On one berth there were only three men. They had piled [6] their luggage on it, too. I asked my friend that if the luggage was removed, we could comfortably sit there. He said that he would not ask them to remove their things because they had helped him to enter the compartment.

            I took out a magazine and tried to read it. But I could not read it. I was tired. My clothes were with perspiration [7]. There were four fans in the compartment but no breath [8] of air reached me. I put my head out of a window and a gust [9] of burning air slapped [10] my face. I withdrew my head. The prospect [11] of a long uncomfortable journey depressed [12] me. I cursed [13] the time when I had thought of going to Karachi.

             By now I was desperate [14] and ready to pick a quarrel with the devil [15] himself. I walked up to the berth with only three men on it. Without saying anything, I picked up their suit cases and thrust them under the seat. “What are you doing?” one of them shouted. “It is not your luggage.” But by that time I was sitting on that berth, so I replied calmly, “You are right, that is not my luggage.” I beckoned [16] my friend, and he came and sat down beside me. The three gentlemen did not ask me another question.

             The sun had set, and the train had reached Rohri. I opened my tiffin box and invited my friend and the three gentlemen to share my dinner. They readily accepted and unpacked their own dinner baskets, too. All of us enjoyed the meal. I was feeling sorry, so I put my head on the back of the berth, and stretched [17] my legs. Before long, I was fast asleep.

              It was broad daylight when my friend shook me roughly and said that we were reaching Karachi in a few minutes.

Words	Meanings
[1] persuasion	ترغیب
[2] sufficient	کافی
[3] porter	قلی
[4] besieged	گھیرے میـں لینا
[5] quarrel	منہ ماری
[6] piled	ڈھیر لگانا
[7] perspiration	پسینہ
[8] breath	سانس
[9] gust	تیزجھونکا
[10] slapped	تھپڑ
[11] prospect	خیال
[12] depressed	اداس
[13] cursed	لعنت بھیجنا
[14] desperate	مایوس
[15] devil	شیطان
[16] beckoned	اشارہ کرنا
[17] stretched	پھیلانا

Words	Meanings
[1] persuasion	convince someone
[2] sufficient	enough
[3] porter	a person who carries luggage
[4] besieged	surrounded
[5] quarrel	an angry argument
[6] piled	place (things) one on top of the other
[7] perspiration	sweat
[8] breath	to exhale
[9] gust	a sudden strong blow of wind
[10] slapped	hit on face
[11] prospect	possibility
[12] depressed	sad
[13] cursed	express annoyance
[14] desperate	hopeless
[15] devil	a fiend or Satan
[16] beckoned	to signal with hand, head or arm
[17] stretched	extend body to its full length