The Fate

Rahul sat on the cold slab of platform number two staring at the train in front of him. He had narrated the plan like a million times in his head and wanted to go through it once again. He glanced at the last wagon which bore the inscription “Ladies compartment.” He took a deep breath and left his mind to reel into the events he was about to go through. The plan he had crafted over this whole week was near perfect; of course, it had its part of risk, but which plan didn’t?

He would board the ladies compartment in the last minute when the train is travelling slowly and apologize himself, promising to get down in the next station which was 25 minutes away. All the time he would need to threaten those women and loot their belongings. He touched his recently acquired .45 caliber revolver holstered safely in his waist. Exactly after 20 minutes the train would travel through an unmanned crossing intersection where it would slow down to a speed enough to leap off without getting severely injured.

He knew this was wrong, but had no option. This was the only way he could save his son suffering from heart disease.

An announcement from the over-head speakers jolted him back reminding the reality of the situation. The train after whistling three times started to move slowly. Rahul got up and moved towards the end of the train as his life’s events passed before his eyes; the last vision of his son coughing, trying desperately to breathe solidified his reason to do this.

The next day local newspapers carried the news.

“Burglar dies in an unusual train accident”

A thief boarded the ladies compartment of the Rajdhani Express and threatened the women with a revolver to drop all their jewels, money and precious belongings into his bag, before jumping off the moving train near the Highway 12 unmanned junction. It would have been a fail-safe plan except for the fact that Fate had its play. The thief who was later identified by his wife as Rahul Singh, a second degree clerk at Glowlight Corporation, jumped from the Rajdhani Express directly into the oncoming Tippu Fast Passenger in the parallel track resulting in instant death. It should also be noted that, the Tippu express was delayed 20 minutes because a passenger pulled the emergency stop chain as her son had a fatal heart attack. The boy was admitted at the Railway hospital and is fast recovering.