The Woman on Platform No. 8
Summary
‘The Woman’ on Platform No.8’ is a realistic story in which the author builds up a picture of a caring mother and gives a message that a mother figure is much more than the biological mother.
Arun, a 12 year- old boy is a narrator of the story. He studies in a boarding school. One day he is waiting all alone for his train on platform No.8 of Ambala station. It is his second year at boarding school. He is going back to school after vacation. His parents consider that he is old enough to travel alone. His train is to come at midnight.
It is a long wait. So he passes his time watching whatever goes on at the platform. He spends his time pacing up and down the platform, reading books or throwing biscuits to stray dogs. Soon he happens to lose interest in his surroundings.
Then, he hears a woman’s soft voice behind him. She is a woman of over 30 with pale face and dark kind eyes, in a white sari. She wears no jewels. She asks him if he is alone. He tells her that he is alone and his train will come around midnight. She invites him to go with her to the station dining- room and have something to eat. He does not refuse the invitation as he feels it could be too impolite to deny it. She tells a coolie to look after his suitcase and leads him down the platform.
The woman orders tea, samosas and jalebies. Arun starts taking interest in her. Then he becomes friendly with the kind woman. She listens to what he says about himself. She seems happy in watching him eat and talk. While returning from the dining- room, they see a boy jumping across a rail track beside which an engine is coming. The woman is frightened and pained. She dugs her fingers into his flesh. She calms down only when the boy reaches the other side. Arun tries to comfort her. The woman smiles and presses his hand gratefully. Then both comes to the place where Arun’s suitcase is placed.
Arun's schoolmate, Satish accompanying his mother, appears on the platform. His mother inquires Arun if the lady is his mother. Before he speaks a word, the woman comes to his rescue and says that she is his mother. Satish’s mother warns him that one should be very careful of strangers. He dislikes her tone and her bossing over him. He contradicts her saying he likes strangers. As she repeats her warning Arun looks angrily at her and moves closer to the woman.
When the train comes, Satish and Arun get into a compartment. Satish’s mother gives him some fruits, a chocolate, and a cricket bat. She is again full of advice and asks them to be careful about strangers. Arun lets the woman take his hand in hers. He can think of nothing. Arun at last kisses her cheeks. When the train moves slowly out of the station, Satish bids good bye to his mother. Arun also does the same. He addresses the woman as ‘mother’. He continues gazing at her until she disappears in the crowd.
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