It’s a tale from the days when I
was young, enterprising & still very fearless. The word enterprising came from the fact that,
despite being ignorant about the uncanny ways of “great
Indian railways”, I played
a gamble & set on ventures on my toes.
One such venture was my trip from
Nagpur to
Nashik. Yes, for the first time in my life, I went to a railway
counter, booked 3 tickets for mom, one aunty accompanying her and yours truly.
We were going to meet my younger brother at his military college in Nashik and
as the norm goes my mom carried a carton full of eatables for him & his
fellow hostel-mates. Ah, all sorts of edibles including “
Gajar ka halwa” (carrots)!
In all the ignorance, we deferred booking the return tickets & went
completely oblivious to the fact that getting reservation in Indian railways is
big achievement in itself and travelling without reservation is definitely, not
a wonderful thing that an urban middle class family should ever try to
especially if it involves night journey. So as the word goes, we had an
experience of lifetime and a tale that I can munch on to my grand children.
The overall trip went well. We
met chotu dearest at his hostel, delivered all the box of cookies to him and
even went to
Shirdi for the divine Darshan. Why I said divine, is something you
may need to keep reading my blogs to find more.
And then the incredible trip
began from Nashik railway station, on our return to Nagpur.
As I told you, we didn’t have
reserved tickets for return. Albeit, we have to return as it deem not right for
us to stay back in an unknown city, with no purpose and with a “bad debt” aunty
who has not let loose a single penny from her pocket in the entire trip. Unknown
city, three women- two in late thirties and one, a an “enterprising” teenage girl
with an artificial leg, all made to be a perfect setting for a fiction screenplay
but didn’t make a good box office prospect. So we have to return back on the
same day oops evening.
Our taxi guy & coolie “abundantly”
advised us to get down at station and buy a normal ticket from the counter and then
request the ticket collector for reservations by paying extra bucks. Those were
the days of no mobile, no internet and on the spot decisions. Like a
Bollywood
loving true Indian, we parked all our hopes on good old TT uncle to come as
knight in shining armor & rescue the three damsels in distress.
Doable, agreed, we bought the
tickets and landed on platform. The clock ticked and the station was filled with
all kind of people from peanut seller to
vada pav vendor to lock & key
hawker to chaiwala but no TT was in sight. The train came but still no TT was
found. There were so many people in black & white but no TT.
Then we met three men in thirties
who claimed to be co passengers sailing in the same boat & assured us to
help with the TT. The bollywood goodwill rang a bell again and we got few more
knights in shining armor. It was about time we waited for the TT to come and
train was about to depart. The engine chug and my mom asked me to board the
train rather do a
DDLJ (Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge) for the TT. The bogies
were empty so chances of getting reservations became strong and we boarded the
train. We got in to a clean, empty non ac compartment which that day looked
like a heaven and with baited breath; we waited for the TT uncle to come. The three
men also parked themselves in the same compartment, sitting on the same berth and
started a conversation to make us shift away from the tension. As the time
passed, aunty & mummy dozed off on front berths and I was awake to
safeguard our luggage and meet the TT asap.
The rabbits we're gonna get and I, I get to tend
'em
The conversation moved from
Nashik city to railways to my leg. They started asking the same old question as
to what, why, when happened. With the evening turning to night & no show
from knight in shining armor (TT), almost empty bogie and over inquisitive
strangers, I began to get uncomfortable. It’s only when the strangers (Henceforth the rabbits) tried to
sit too close and one man put his hand on my knee asking about my leg, my heart
sent a strong signal to brain that something is not too right. There was a
chink in the armor and I must do something tactically to avoid any adverse
situation, peacefully. What can I do in the moving train to stop the
trespassers without blood & tears? Without much ado, I shifted the topic
and the conversations went like this-
Rabbit no 1:- Oh
so what is the level of amputation, is it full leg or half leg (Full half? Ordering a chicken in
restaurant??!!)
The cautious Me: It’s from knee,
uncle. (Moving myself a bit away to show
disapproval)
Rabbit no 2: (Kept his hand on my knee suddenly and said) This
portion? Oh that’s so bad TSch tsch.. How do you manage, it must be difficult
for you to walk…
The overcautious Me: (Removing his hand from the knee) Eh!
Well No UNCLE. It’s big deal. I am totally mobile and fast. (and then changing the topic & showing
concern ) Why this TT is not coming. Is the train running late? Will it
reach on right time?
Rabbit no 2: No problem,
this train is late by 1 hour but pick up in the night. Where exactly do you
have to go in Nagpur?
The overcautious Me: I have to go
to Tilaknagar. It’s expected to reach by 8:00am and I have planned my day
accordingly. If it doesn’t reach on time I will miss my class and students will
leave.
Rabbit no 2: It’s ok
don’t worry, it will cover in time. How does it matter if you get late one day.
So, when did this accident happen and …
The overcautious Me: No uncle. It
does matter and I don’t want to get late for my classes tomorrow. I have weekly
classes and “my” students will miss the class. There was the special emphasis on my students!
Rabbit no 3: This train
reaches on time. There is nothing to worry, we travel frequently. We have a
setting with TT. You want tea? We are there, we shall take care. You have
tuition classes? Which subject? It must be very difficult for you as a girl for
you are quite young and pretty girl and do not look like an accident victim at
all. It must be difficult for you to travel like this.
The cautious Me: I am very used
to it uncle and my life is quite normal. By the way, I don’t go for tuition
rather I take classes for karate & martial arts for college students who
are definitely not children
Rabbit no 2: Karrrrate
classes? How do you manage that?
The cautious Me: Yes, karate. I
am a black belt in karate. And that’s what give my parents confidence to let me
travel like this. So I want other girls to also learn the same thing if not for
offense atleast for defense, you see.
That last sentence did the trick
and the over friendly uncle(s) become suddenly formal and excused themselves
away gradually. In some time, I saw them getting down at Bhusawal station
without fanfare and cry. The train was soon filled with passengers like a rabbit
hole. And yes, the TT never came until midnight when an elderly co passenger advised
that we shouldn’t approach him as he can fine us for travelling without
reservation and make us get down at next station. One gentleman allowed me a
little space at the extreme end of his seat whilst my mom and aunty, spread the
bed sheet and parked themselves in the space available in middle of the two
berths at ground. I spent the entire night journey seating acrobatically in
midst of lower berth and middle berth of the 3tier sleeper car while, all other
passengers slept away in glory, maximizing the return for their ticket costs.
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25 Visitor's Comments:
Hi Folks,
You heard me...now its time for Bouquets and Brickbats!