The last train of the night was due at 11.04pm. It was already 11.20pm.
‘Where even is it?’, thought Nivin. He was 18, and just coming back home from a tour.
When he asked at the Information centre, the man said, “Are you sure that the time is right, kiddo? Because we don’t have a train to Jayanagar Station anytime soon. The next one is at… 3.02am.”
Nivin insisted, “No, sir, there is a train. I’ve travelled in it several times.”
“Nope. Now go away, I’ve got work.”
Nivin sat down dejectedly on one of the station chairs. He checked the railway app on his phone. It showed that the train he wanted was near the station before. Maybe it was waiting for a train crossing.
Nivin waited, and waited. After another half hour, Nivin decided to investigate. He caught a train to the opposite side of where he wanted to go, and got down at the previous station, Jeevan Station. Looking around, he couldn’t see the train. Nivin had no idea why the Information Centre had denied the existence of the train. It was certainly creepy.
He decided to walk down the station, towards the direction the train should have come from. He walked by the tracks. After a few hundred metres, his sharp eyes could discern a faint light that looked like a kerosene lamp.
Nivin jumped out of his skin when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He was roughly turned around. It was one of the security guards from the Jeevan Station. The guard asked, “Hey, kid! Where do you think you’re going?”
Nivin hesitated. He rarely lied, but he did this time. “Sorry, sir. But I’ve missed my last train home. One of my friends’ house is in this area. I’m just going there.”
The guard seemed satisfied, “Don’t you have a flashlight?”
Nivin shook his head. The guard patted at his pockets and produced use and throw torch, “Don’t walk around in the dark.”
Nivin thanked the guard and waited breathlessly until he was sure the guard was gone.
Then he started back towards the light. As he got closer he switched off his light. The train was there! Maybe the train broke down.
But something wasn’t right. No lights glowed from the windows. No passengers talked. He tried to peer inside without being seen. The sight he saw made him want to curl up and wait for sunrise. Nivin had to get the police! The young man moved out of earshot and dialed the emergency number on his phone, and whispered, “Is this the police?”
A deep voice answered, “Sub Inspector Sharma here.”
Nivin whispered urgently, “Sir, this is Nivin Kant from Jayanagar. I’m perhaps half a kilometre from the Jeevan station. A train has been stopped mid-track and is being robbed, passengers held at gunpoint.”
“Copy that. We’ll be there within five minutes.”
The call disconnected.
Nivin hid in the bushes and turned off his phone. Now all he could do was wait.
The police cars stopped a little afar. The police were silent on foot. Nivin was escorted to his home as soon as he revealed himself. He was quite glad. Enough excitement for a day! He told his story to the police taking him. His parents were very relieved to see Nivin.
The next day’s newspaper had a photo of Nivin. He had no idea how the police got that photo. Of course, it had to be a photo worse than his Aadhar card photo.
The report said that all the thieves had been caught, and the stolen belongings were returned to their rightful owners. No one had been harmed. It also said that there were people stationed at all nearby railway stations, to threaten the authorities not to tell anyone of the stopped train. Here again, no one was harmed. Nivin was going to get a reward.
Nivin had already decided not to accept it. Helping the people had been exciting, and it had brought him a satisfaction. Besides, he had done it out of curiosity and interest rather than compulsion towards duty and whatnot. Nivin had been unsure of his future, but that one night made him decide. He was going to be a detective police, and that was what he became.
October 2026
