It was the final day of my very first semester in college, and I recall the thrill welling up within me as I was going home at last. Having been away from the my family for the very first time in my life for so many months, all I could think about was that pleasant comfort.
But there was a small hitch. There was no train from my college town to my hometown directly. And if you've ever traveled by train in India, you'd understand that getting a confirmed ticket during the winter rush season is like winning a lottery. You have to book at least two months earlier. But how would I know that the semester would end on that date?
Still persevering, I managed to find a workaround. I found an alternate route with a changeover that was from the Pink City (Jaipur) to the city famous for sheltering the 8th wonder of the world, Agra. I did not think much about it then. I was thinking only about how to get home. But what I did not know was that this detour would turn out to be one of the most memorable segments of my trip.
By the time I arrived in Agra, I had a few hours to kill until my next train. So I did the only thing any inquisitive traveler would do, I went to go see it. The Taj Mahal.
Trust me, I had already seen a thousand photos, but none of them could prepare me for the way I felt when I stood before it. That creamy white marble, the symmetry, the crowd, it was not merely a monument but it was a tale cut into stone. A tale of love that ended in sorrow but left something that did not fade with time. I strolled slowly, walked through every nook, absorbed the beauty and pondered over the hands that crafted it centuries before.
Study History and everything about Taj Mahal
After all that walking, I was struck with hunger. I went back to the railway station and there was an IRCTC food court. I had my favourite aloo paratha with butter oozing on top. Perhaps it was the starvation or the chill or the homesickness setting in, but it was like home.
I got on the train several hours later that would eventually take me home. I recall wrapping myself against the window, headphones on, reliving the whole day in my mind.
I'm writing this today after finishing my 4th semester, and it's still like yesterday. Some of the memories disappear but some become who you are. This was one of those type which makes you realize how detours can take you to the most wonderful spots.
