It was almost midnight when Anil sat in the empty railway waiting room at Begunkodor station. His train was delayed by two hours.
The only sound was the old wall clock ticking loudly. Strangely, it showed 11:45, though his watch said 12:30.
An old man entered, and sat beside him.
Old Man: “Train’s late, as always.”
Anil : “Yeah. Been waiting too long.”
Old Man (smiling faintly): “Time runs differently here.”
Anil frowned.
Anil: “What do you mean?”
Old Man: “That clock doesn’t move forward unless someone leaves.”
Before Anil could ask more, the loudspeaker crackled: “Train number 16347 arriving at Platform 2.”
Anil picked up his bag and turned to say goodbye — but the old man’s chair was empty.
He hurried to the platform. The train screeched in. Only one coach door opened, though the rest were sealed.
The guard leaned out.
Guard: “Hurry, you’re the last one.”
Confused but desperate, Anil boarded. As the train pulled away, he looked back at the waiting room.
Through the glass, he saw himself still sitting there — staring at the clock.
And the clock hand had just moved from 11:45 to 11:46.
The only sound was the old wall clock ticking loudly. Strangely, it showed 11:45, though his watch said 12:30.
An old man entered, and sat beside him.
Old Man: “Train’s late, as always.”
Anil : “Yeah. Been waiting too long.”
Old Man (smiling faintly): “Time runs differently here.”
Anil frowned.
Anil: “What do you mean?”
Old Man: “That clock doesn’t move forward unless someone leaves.”
Before Anil could ask more, the loudspeaker crackled: “Train number 16347 arriving at Platform 2.”
Anil picked up his bag and turned to say goodbye — but the old man’s chair was empty.
He hurried to the platform. The train screeched in. Only one coach door opened, though the rest were sealed.
The guard leaned out.
Guard: “Hurry, you’re the last one.”
Confused but desperate, Anil boarded. As the train pulled away, he looked back at the waiting room.
Through the glass, he saw himself still sitting there — staring at the clock.
And the clock hand had just moved from 11:45 to 11:46.
