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It was my second year at boarding school, and I was sitting on platform no. 8 at Ambala station waiting for the northern bound train. I think I was about twelve at the time. My parents considered me old enough to travel alone and I had arrived by bus at Ambala early in the evening. Now there was a wait till midnight before my train arrived. Most of the time I had been pacing up and down the platform, browsing at the bookstall, or feeding broken biscuits to stray dogs: trains came and went, and the platform would be quiet for a while and then, when a train arrived it would be an inferno of heaving, shouting, agitated human bodies. As the carriage doors opened, a tide of people would sweep down upon the nervous little ticket-collector at the gate and every time this happened I would be caught in the rush and swept outside the station. Now tired of this game and of ambling about the platform, I sat down on my suitcase and gazed dismally across the railway tracks.
Explanation:
The story "The Woman on Platform 8" is about a schoolboy, and he is the protagonist of the story. The boy was probably twelve-year-old.
A boy
The boy was a boarding school student, and his second year of schooling had begun. It was time for him to return to school after his holidays. As a result, he boarded a bus and arrived at the Ambala station in the evening. Ambala station is one of the busiest railway stations in India. It is located in the Indian state of Haryana.
Ambala railway station
The boy's parents believed that he was old enough to travel alone on a train. The boy had to wait in the station because the train was scheduled to arrive in Ambala at midnight. He spent his time by walking up and down the platform, looking for books at the bookstall, or feeding broken biscuits to the street dogs.
Many trains will arrive and depart as he sat in the vast railway station. The boy sat and watched the trains go by. The railway station is silent for a while, but as the train arrived, people started to rush about with their luggage, making loud noise and shouting like crazy.
When the carriage doors opened, a crowd of people rushed down on the nervous little ticket collector at the entrance. Every time the boy was caught in the rush, and the people pushed him outside the station. The boy felt tired of getting into the rush and moved slowly to the platform. The boy sat down on his luggage, and he looked sadly across the railway tracks.
Many trains will arrive and depart as he sat in the vast railway station. The boy sat and watched the trains go by. The railway station is silent for a while, but as the train arrived, people started to rush about with their luggage, making loud noise and shouting like crazy.
When the carriage doors opened, a crowd of people rushed down on the nervous little ticket collector at the entrance. Every time the boy was caught in the rush, and the people pushed him outside the station. The boy felt tired of getting into the rush and moved slowly to the platform. The boy sat down on his luggage, and he looked sadly across the railway tracks.
A crowd of people inside the train
Meanings of the difficult words:
| S.No | Words | Meanings |
1 | Pacing | Walk at a steady speed, especially without a particular destination and as an expression of anxiety or annoyance |
2 | Inferno | Region that resembles hell |
3 | Heaving | To raise or lift with force |
4 | Agitated | Feeling or appearing troubled or nervous |
5 | Ambling | Walk or move at a slow, relaxed pace |
6 | Dismally | In a gloomy or depressed manner |
7 | Gazed | Look steadily and intently, especially in admiration, surprise, or thought |
8 | Boarding school | A school which provides accommodation and meals for the pupils during term time |
Reference:
State Council of Educational Research and Training (2019). Term-3 English Standard-8. The Woman on Platform 8 - Ruskin Bond (pp. 107-114). Published by the Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation.
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