KARACHI: Eleven rail-road cars, 814 passengers and a total earning of Rs777,807 is how the story of the first special Eid train that left the Cantonment Railway Station on Friday morning at 11am sharp can be summed up.

But looking more closely one saw and heard the various people embarking on the journey to reach their hometowns to celebrate Eidul Azha. There were also a few among them not specifically travelling for that purpose but grateful to have got a seat at this time.

“I came here from Gujranwala to be with my younger sister’s family after she passed away very suddenly due to a heart attack last week,” said Sultana Bibi.

“I came in a great rush but now have to rush back equally fast as I too have young children back home. This train is a blessing but still we had to buy tickets on the black to be able to board it,” she said.

Another one of her sisters, Asma, also on the same train with her but travelling further to Peshawar, said that she, too, bought her ticket on the black for Rs2,500 from a woman at the platform.

Still many others said that they were travelling on genuine tickets bought by them from the ticket counter. Abbas Khwaja, a labourer, was happy to be going home to Okara to be with his parents, brothers and sisters during Eid. “I work hard all the year but this is the time to rest and enjoy,” he said.

Riffat Yasmeen, who was travelling to Islamabad, said that she was going to stay there for 15 to 20 days at least. “I am from Islamabad but came to settle here in Karachi after marriage 16 years ago. My mother is still there and not well enough to travel. So I am going to spend Eid and some quality time with her now,” she said.

“The special Eid trains are a thoughtful gesture by the Pakistan Railways as at least I got a seat on it. Otherwise during this rush season I would have been travelling sitting on some train’s floor,” laughed Amanat Ali, who was going to Lahore.

Sheeza Komal, Anusha Muskan, their mother Shazia Farahnaz and grandmother Mumtaz Begum were also pretty excited to be going to Rawalpindi. “We’ll drop our grandmother there before returning to Karachi in a few days,” said the girls.

“All the regular trains had been booked a month back. Thank God, there are the special Eid trains. We booked seats on it after learning about them on TV two days ago,” said the mother.

Eleven-year-old madressah student Noor Rehman was also heading to the train’s last stop, Peshawar. “I was born in Peshawar but I study in Karachi where I will be returning after my weeklong Eid holiday, Insha Allah,” smiled the little sitting with his other madressah mates.

But one passenger, Safia Tariq, with her hands decorated with henna tried to put on a brave smile as she spoke. “I’m off to see my mother-in-law in Jhelum. This has got to be my biggest sacrifice,” she whispered.

The next Eid train, according to Scout Leader Mohammad Hanif at the Cantonment Railway Station, was for 8.30pm also on Friday. “There will also be another two special Eid trains leaving here at 9am for Sargodha and at 11am for Lahore on Saturday,” he said.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2014