Pick any old family photo album of yours and surely, you will find a few pictures of ‘the great Indian family train journey.’ Whether you are making your annual trip to your hometown or exploring a new state, Indian families take the Indian Railways like a fish takes to water. A train journey was an inseparable part of our childhood vacations, offering some of the most wholesome memories.
Paper Boat, a beverage company that aims to emulate childhood tastes and experiences in their drinks, has been capturing some of these beautiful memories in a series of colourful illustrations.
One among their many is a series on Indian childhood and train journeys. Sparing no detail, their illustrations bring back vivid memories of fighting with siblings for the window seat, the never-ending dilemma of what comic book to buy, the craning of necks to capture the name of the station, and many more.
Here, we present some of Paper Boat’s splendid illustrations, while attempting to look at railway stations with a nostalgic lens.
1.RED SHIRT FOR RED CAPE, BUT HIS SUPERHUMAN POWERS CONTINUED TO AMAZE
The beginning and ending of each trip was marked with perpetual amazement at coolie uncle’s hard work and brute strength. While as little children we could barely carry our backpacks, coolie uncle would deftly carry the whole family’s luggage by themselves.
2.A DILEMMA ONE WOULD LOVE TO RELIVE
What should be one’s travel read? Supandi’s mischief in Tinkle, Chacha Chaudhary’s tales, or the classic Champak comics. The comic book stand at the platform would be a treasure trove of fun reads.
First the fascination with the bright and colourful scale, followed by the curiosity of the ticket stub. ‘Weight’ing for the train would never be boring.
Not what it sounds; coupling is the connecting of the train engine with the bogie, and who can forget witnessing that miracle!
5. THE CAUSE OF ALL SIBLING RIVALRIES
WINDOW SEAT, need we say any more?
6. THE IRRESISTIBLE LURE OF THE RED CHAIN
The more one looked, the more one would be tempted to pull the red chain. Raise your hands if you imagined possible scenarios in your head that would make you pull the chain.
7. THE STRUGGLE WAS INDEED REAL
From craning one’s neck to squinting one’s eyes against the piercing wind, the struggle to catch the name of each fleeting station’s name was real, but having caught the name, the feeling of victory was equally sweet.
