A Journey Back in Time-The Night Train to Chennai

 A Journey Back in Time-The Night Train to Chennai

I was travelling back to Chennai after completing a training assignment, aboard a night train. I arrived around 3:30 A.M. I woke early and stood near the door, hoping to catch some fresh morning air.

The train began to slow down at a station that holds a special place in my heart—Hindu College Railway Station. It was one of the oldest stations dedicated to a college, and few institutions could boast their own railway stop.

As the train crawled through that station, something magical happened. I was transported from 2026 back to the 1990s. In the dim light, I could almost see my younger self walking along the platform with friends, laughing, joking, and living life without a care. I remembered the fun we had—the silly pranks, the shared lunches, the endless conversations.

Once the signal cleared and the train picked up speed, my mind continued its journey down memory lane. I found myself reliving my college days—a bittersweet mix of happiness, difficulties, exam pressures, and, of course, wondering where life had taken those girls I once knew.

These memories carried a healing power. I completely forgot the discomfort of improper sleep and the dread of morning deadlines. For nearly an hour, my mind and heart remained suspended between 1990 and 1993.

A Lesson Worth Sharing

I'm not writing this just to express nostalgia. There's an important life lesson here.

Revisit your younger days—not just in your mind, but physically. Go back to your school or college. Like a scene from an Indian movie, once you stand before your educational institution, you can almost hear those familiar voices, the laughter, and see the joy of running and jumping.

This exercise is a powerful healer of mental stress.

I've experienced this many times when I returned to my campus. Spending time with school and college friends helps me forget who I am in the present—whether I carry pain or laurels. In those moments, I am simply a kid again, or a young dreamer. The healing is profound.

An Invitation

For those who haven't experienced this in a while: take the time to go back to your school or college. It doesn't matter where you are—do it at least once in a while.

Some of your institutions may have been demolished or replaced by new structures. Even so, just go and stand there for a while. You'll find yourself visualising the old buildings, the playgrounds, the canteen.

Does This Really Help?

Some of you might ask: Does this really solve our problems or wipe out stress?

The honest answer is no.

But such a journey will soothe you for a while. It will rekindle the child within you—and that same child might just trigger a solution to the problem you're facing now.

To put it simply: Let the adult in us face the world, while the child and youth in us strengthen our mind.

A Simple Invitation

There is no harm in going back to your school with a toffee in your hand. There is no harm in visiting your old college canteen to sip a hot cup of coffee with the present generation.

Every such act is an experience—and every experience adds to your memories.

So go ahead. Take that trip. Stand where you once stood. And let the memories heal you.

 

M.L. Narendra Kumar