Early to Sangat

As soon as I reached the train station, I came to know that the  trains were running late and the 8:20 AM train that I was supposed to board would not be at the station until 9:00 AM. Well, it was no less than a disappointment because I had purchased the tickets for 8:20 AM train especially to reach bhawan before 11 AM, just in time for the start of the Sunday Sangat. 

I already had the tickets for 8:45 AM train but I would have reached bhawan a little later had I taken that train. So I had very courageously spent another 20 or so pounds to purchase tickets for an earlier train and reach bhawan on time. But with the news of trains running late, it almost felt that the money I spent was wasted. Since nothing was in my hands, I just waited with all these unsettling thoughts going in mind.

The 8:20 AM train arrived around 9  AM, and all those waiting at the platform boarded the train. We were just 15 mins into the ride that the train halted. The driver made announcement that the train would halt for another 30 mins due to some problem on the tracks. 

To be honest that just added to the frustration because it meant more delays in getting to the bhawan. And I believe everyone else was frustrated too, because I could hear noises all around and clear voice of one elderly gentleman shouting; cursing the railways for this nuisance. We all could hear what he was speaking but only I could hear what was going inside my mind. My state of mind didn't seem to be different at all from his'. 

After 15 mins of the halt time, driver made another announcement that there are more delays likely as the track was under major repairs so they have decided to take a longer route instead. The news brought more frustration because this would have meant adding 1 hour more to the journey time. As train picked up some speed, so did voice of the gentleman who was shouting earlier. I too had thoughts running in mind at greater speeds because with these delays I would have missed almost complete Sangat.

The train kept running, I kept thinking about the delays, missed Sangat and the wasted money. And the gentleman kept shouting, "Railways is so mismanaged, trains don't run on time, tracks go faulty anytime..what else could have gone wrong?" As soon as he completed this statement, a female voice intervened "Track going faulty when our train was on it."  

I couldn't find out who this lady was, his wife or any co-passenger, but her intervention didn't seem any less than divine. It calmed the angry gentleman and my mind at the same moment. All this time I was frustrated because of the delays, but with her intervention that frustration transformed into thankfulness. Thanks that atleast our train is not on the faulty track.

I looked at my watch and it was still not 11. I had been worrying all this time that I would get late in attending Sangat but what had just happened made me feel as if my Sangat had already started. The feeling of gratitude just settled everything that had been going in my mind for all this long. 

I don't remember what time I reached bhawan that day, I am sure I was late in reaching bhawan but definitely was early to Sangat with His Grace. 

(Sometime in 2014)