There is an incident that happened quite a while ago. I have thought of it often.
It happened 62 years back, when I was 18 years old. I was living in Bombay, India.
It was my first year of college. I was at the Railway Station of Santa Cruz to go to my college at Churchgate. Those days, there was only one station, with platforms on each side. On one side was a train going South, and on the other side was a train going in the Northern direction. I was waiting for my train going South. In the meantime, the train going North arrived at the station. I was seeing passengers loading in the train. When the train started leaving the station, I saw a young school-going kid (9 to 10 years old) trying to get into the moving train, and then he suddenly slipped and fell off the platform, into the space between the train and platform. I saw him fall between the moving train and platform, and his hands were trying to grab onto the platform to prevent himself from falling under the train.
I just instinctively jumped and pinned his hands to the platform to prevent him from slipping and going under the train.
So basically he was hanging between the platform and the moving train. I was trying my best to prevent him from getting hurt. I was holding his hands tight and telling him to keep his body close to the platform, so the train wouldn't hit him. We were both very scared. Fortunately, there was a gap between the moving train and the platform when he was hanging.
I was constantly telling him to keep his body tight towards the platform. I was watching the train moving away. I suddenly noticed that, at the back of the train, there was a ladder hanging down from the train guard's door (protruding from the side of the train). It was coming closer.
I told the kid urgently, "Get as close to the platform as you can!" And he did. It was very scary. I know I was almost frozen with fear. I just did not want the train to hit him, when I was holding his hands.
The train passed. The kid was fine and saved. I just pulled him up. I was in a daze. I did not realize it but lots of people had gathered around us and were watching us. I just moved away and walked off in a daze.
It happened 62 years back, when I was 18 years old. I was living in Bombay, India.
It was my first year of college. I was at the Railway Station of Santa Cruz to go to my college at Churchgate. Those days, there was only one station, with platforms on each side. On one side was a train going South, and on the other side was a train going in the Northern direction. I was waiting for my train going South. In the meantime, the train going North arrived at the station. I was seeing passengers loading in the train. When the train started leaving the station, I saw a young school-going kid (9 to 10 years old) trying to get into the moving train, and then he suddenly slipped and fell off the platform, into the space between the train and platform. I saw him fall between the moving train and platform, and his hands were trying to grab onto the platform to prevent himself from falling under the train.
I just instinctively jumped and pinned his hands to the platform to prevent him from slipping and going under the train.
So basically he was hanging between the platform and the moving train. I was trying my best to prevent him from getting hurt. I was holding his hands tight and telling him to keep his body close to the platform, so the train wouldn't hit him. We were both very scared. Fortunately, there was a gap between the moving train and the platform when he was hanging.
I was constantly telling him to keep his body tight towards the platform. I was watching the train moving away. I suddenly noticed that, at the back of the train, there was a ladder hanging down from the train guard's door (protruding from the side of the train). It was coming closer.
I told the kid urgently, "Get as close to the platform as you can!" And he did. It was very scary. I know I was almost frozen with fear. I just did not want the train to hit him, when I was holding his hands.
The train passed. The kid was fine and saved. I just pulled him up. I was in a daze. I did not realize it but lots of people had gathered around us and were watching us. I just moved away and walked off in a daze.
