The parking line at the station seemed to stretch endlessly. There he sat fidgeting impatiently and checking his watch. She was coming home today with the babies. The smoke, dust and sweat blurred his thoughts of them. Yet he couldn’t stop thinking.

He could almost feel her hair against his cheek when he would hug her, the soft skin of the babies, he could imagine her smile. He felt somehow that when she would return, everything would magically be alright.

The loud car horn burst through his thoughts. He felt irritation creeping in, then a longing for her. He wished that he could at least call her once but the transmission lines were too weak. He tried not to think about it, it caused a lot of worry.

After locking the car and checking the doors, he tried to orient himself in order to locate the platform.

His heart leaped when the phone rang. He scrambled in his pocket and hurriedly put it to his ears.

“Hi sweetie!”

The voice flooded him with relief, the station seemed to melt away before that voice, “Hi, how are you?”

“I’m fine, I’m almost there. Are you there yet?”

“Yes”, he replied, making his way through entwining lines of people. 

A laugh came through the phone, making him weak with emotion; almost pulling him, hypnotized, to her.

“Did you have your food? How are the babies?”

“Yes, yes to all your questions, I’m a good girl. And yes, the babies are bouncing uncontrollably, can’t wait to see you. I’ve never heard so much of ‘daddy, daddy’ in my life!”

He was straining his ears to hear her over the deafening noise of the stations. “Babies, you will see me shortly, be good and listen to Mommy. Be close to her.”

“Chotto babies, see what daddy is saying. Sweetie, I think we just entered the platform.”

“Yes, I’m nearly there.”

He moved impatiently through the crowded platform, excitement flooding him. How will she manage with all the bags and the babies? He felt worried, “Take care while getting down, and take care of the babies”.

“I will. Listen, I’m leaving the phone now, just wait for a moment.”

He waited, heart throbbing uncontrollably. His look pierced the crowd. Hoards of people passed by, pushing from all sides.

A small face appeared at the carriage door, a small boy holding a fistful of cloth, the cloth of her dress. He tried to make his way to the carriage but the crowd prevented him.

She appeared next, a bag slung across her shoulder; two little girls beside her, holding on to her dress, looking lost and scared and a small baby wrapped in a pink cloth lay asleep in her arms.

His heart leapt as he was moving with increased urgency towards them, joy filling every inch of his body.

Finally he reached the carriage door, they spotted him. The little boy stretched out his small hands towards him and he lifted him and put him down on the ground. The two girls stretched out their hands towards him. He lifted the younger one and put her down. She scrambled towards him and threw her tiny arms around his legs.

When she came down and smiled at him, the whole place disappeared in a flash of light. She took his arm and guided him forward.