Kuttush goes to Varanasi (A Baby Novel) Chapter 2

          

CHAPTER TWO
On the Way to the Railway Station

           Shillong did not have a railway station of its own, being situated atop a hill. The nearest railway station was the one at Guwahati, the capital of the state of Assam, about 150 km away, . Though everyone (adults that is) felt that this was a disadvantage, Teesta and Kuttush considered it the ideal situation. Imagine how boring it would be if the station was just a few minutes away from your home…. You would miss all the fun that one had driving down winding hilly roads in Dads’ big car, with Kuttush’s head hanging out from the rear window and tongue lolling like a great, big, pink handkerchief. They would miss the all the stops that Dads took on the way, when they had little picnic lunches and hot tea. It was here that Kuttush would usually disappear into the jungle lining the road, in pursuit of some interesting smells. You did not really have to worry about him disappearing, for he would promptly reappear with one call from any of them, the expression on his face saying “Awwww, come on kids, you don’t have to fret about me!”

            So this time too they would be travelling in Dads big, white car on a Sunday morning. They expected to reach Guwahati by afternoon and that was perfect, for their train to Varanasi was to leave in the evening on the same day. Soon the car hold was packed with their luggage, a big red suitcase with Dads and Moms clothes, a small red bag with Teesta’s things and the brown canvas bag that held Kuttush’s stuff. The moment the front door of the car was opened, Kuttush was inside in one long jump. He loved the rear seat because it was big and comfortable and Moms had placed a plump cushion on which he could plonk himself when he got tired of hanging out of the window. Teesta soon joined him and both of them waited impatiently for Moms to finish locking up and Dads to attend to the last moment anxious telephone calls from his patients, who knew that he would be away on vacation for many days and wanted some final medical advice. However everything was soon tied up and finally Dads and Moms boarded the car. Dads revved up the engine and with a loud purr from the car, they were off!

            The traffic jams even on this lazy Sunday morning were pretty long and the only person who did not mind these long waits was Kuttush, who hung halfway outside the car window barking at every stray dog or goat that they encountered on the way. Most of the goats did not care much, some of the dogs did bark back and the occasional ones even chased the car, barking furiously. While others on the road thought Kuttush was barking at the animals , Teesta knew better. Kuttush was only saying hello to them. But there was something that even Teesta did not know. All the strays on the road were Kuttush’s very old and very close friends. Not the goats of course, because they were not on the ‘CanNET’’; but all the stray dogs were!
           Now you must be wondering what this ‘CanNET’ is? Well, the ‘CanNET’ is a kind of special wave, similar to electromagnetic waves in some ways but very different in others; and a wave form that human beings had not yet discovered. The canines of this world use the CanNET to connect to each other. We humans cannot sense this wave even with our most advanced machines and hence you can call the CanNET ‘extra-sensory’. It is highly efficient and all canines (that is wolves and dogs) are connected on it. So when some of the dogs chased behind the car barking furiously, while humans thought that they were showing aggression, the truth was actually the opposite. They were really good friend’s of Kuttush’s and were simply showing their pleasure and excitement at seeing him again.

Like before, they stopped to have some late breakfast at the view point above the breathtakingly beautiful Umiam Lake. It was just after the long monsoons and the lake was full of water. The hills all around the lake were laden with trees and vegetation and were a deep, dark green in colour. Moms and Dads kept exclaiming about how beautiful it was. Moms also kept muttering something about de-forestation and “Hope it remained like this forever...!” But Teesta and Kuttush were not paying attention. Kuttush was busy gobbling up an aloo paratha that Teesta had quietly passed onto him behind Mom’s' back. Two stray dogs had also gathered there, wagging their tails at Kuttush who though secretly a little reluctant, had shared some portions of the paratha with them (.....after all, how could you deny friends a little tasty titbit...!)

And then breakfast over, Teesta helped Dads and Moms quickly clean up any mess they might have made, picking up plastics wrappers and used napkins and dumping them into a jute bag that Moms had kept in the car, calling it their 'carbin' i.e. a dustbin for the car. Then Dads announcing heartily, “Okkk Bhai!”, revved up the engine once more and they were off again, down that gently curving road ringed by the beautiful pine covered hills.

It became warmer as they descended the hills and soon Moms had to roll up all the windows and switch on the airconditioner as Kuttush’s tongue had begun hanging out and he was breathing in rapid, shallow breaths, which meant that it was too hot for him. Teesta now took out some ice cubes from the flask and put them in his water bowl. Kuttush was in love with ice cubes. He loved them just like we love icecream; but while we tend to lick the ice cream cone, Kuttush would crunch on the ice cubes like they were chicken bones. And how he loved them. He could eat one whole tray of ice cubes at one go!

The scenery too changed from the pine trees and hills to flat plains, rice fields, coconut trees and banana groves which become more and more common. They were now in Assam. Yet it was as green as Shillong, a beautiful fluorescent green that Moms said reminded her green fairy lights. Of course it was more humid and much warmer but still very beautiful. They soon reached the railway station which was crowded with people, porters, auto-rickshaws and of course tons and tons of luggage. Dads parked their car in one of those long term parking booths and they entered the station.

Though they had reached early, their train, the Guwahati Rajdhani was already parked on platform No 1. It was a smart looking bright red coloured train and they were booked in coach HA-1. But they waited for a bit on the platform for Dads had gone to book a ticket for Kuttush and had taken him along for the weigh in. But now 30 minutes had passed and since they had not yet returned, Teesta began to get impatient. So Moms had to call up Dads on his cellphone to find out why they were delayed. But they needn’t have worried for soon Dads and Kuttush were spotted returning from the direction of the Booking Rooms. And guess what: Mister Kuttush was carrying a large Brittania Strawberry Cream Biscuit packet in his jaws. Moms, exasperated and a tad annoyed, questioned him, “Kuttush, what’s this? Where did you get this?” but Dads interjected laughingly, “Dew, it was from the booking clerk. It seems he had never seen a Labrador before but he has two stray dogs of his own and was totally enamoured of Kuttush!”

Of course what Dads didn’t know was that Kuttush was already aware of that nice booking clerk as both the stray pets of his were on the ‘CanNet’. They had told Kuttush at Shillong itself about him and also helpfully tipped him off that if he played his cards right, that is, if he was able to charm this gentleman, it was highly possible that he might be gifted a pack or two of Brittania Strawberry Cream biscuit. And so Kuttush had been his charming best and sure enough, that nice gentleman had given him not one but two Brittania Strawberry Cream biscuit packs. Kuttush was delighted. One pack, of course he held in his jaws and the other was in the safe custody of Dads rucksack. Moms gave an exasperated sigh but one could never be annoyed with Kuttush too much especially when he looked at you through one eye open and one eye closed; so she had had to give him a special hug, even as the biscuit packet crunched between them as she cuddled him.

Now the train doors were being opened and soon their luggage had been hauled up inside. The moment Kuttush boarded the train, which he did so in one smooth jump, one of the attendants came rushing out,
 “Kuttush! Arrey Kuttush, kaise ho?” the young man exclaimed happily. Kuttush recognised him immediately. The man smelt of chicken cutlets and Cadbury’s chocolates and Kuttush never forgot people who smelt like that. Such people were invariably very, very nice, nice and kind and jolly and Kuttush never ever forgot them. He was upon Rashid, for that was his name, in one big jump and with his tail wagging furiously gave him big, slurpy kisses on his face. Rashid fell back on the train floor with Kuttush’s weight but he didn’t seem to mind one bit. They both rolled on the floor looking for all the world like two dogs and it was only when Moms intervened with a sharp, “Kuttush, behave yourself!!!!” that both got off the floor, Kuttush still wagging his tail furiously and Rashid sheepishly dusting his clothes! 
Moms too remembered the young man as this helpful pantry car attendant from their last trip to Jaipur and remarked quietly to Dads, “Kuttush, it seems will not have to worry about his supply of chicken cutlets this time too.” Dads guffawed heartily in response as he put his arm around her and settled down comfortably on the lower berth. Teesta who loved bunk beds, had already claimed the upper berth by clambering up all on her own and once comfortable, had opened her favourite Adventure series book by Enid Blyton. Today it was the River of Adventure and soon she was gallivanting off with Philip, Jack, Dinah, Lucy-Ann and not to forget Kiki, the talking parrot, in their latest adventure on a river trip somewhere in the Middle East. Kuttush too had settled down at his favourite perch in the little niche between the seat and the coupe wall. He was now fast asleep in his favourite position, lying comfortably on his back with all four limbs raised roof-wards, lush otter tail flat on the floor. And as the train slowly chugged its way out of Guwahati station, if you listened very carefully above all the din of the running train, you could actually hear him snore.....!