No. This movie has nothing to do with the famous emotional movie “A walk to remember“. This post is totally about my own experiences during a journey to Mumbai from Jalna.
So I was traveling back to Mumbai on 28th Dec, 08 which was a Sunday night after just finished Christmas holidays of many people working / studying in Mumbai and home in Marathwada. And the scenes happened during the journey. Te period, as very obvious, was a high on rail traffic. People were returning back from their homes after enjoying the holidays and very few of them managed to get a confirmed reservation.
Incident 1: Jalna Station. The train is 40 minutes late. And as it arrives, I go to my sleeper coach compartment and shocked to see people hanging out from it. No space to enter. Somehow manage to get in and it takes me 14 minutes to reach my seat. And whoaa… 4 people already sitting in my seat. I ask them to get up as it is my seat. They say, “we will get up in few minutes. We’ve to get down at next station only”. Ok.. Agreed cause they were marwaris and they knew one of my best friend’s dad {as found out by the references they provided}. Then they start inquiring about me. What I do, where i study, previous qualification, dad’s business, place of stay, birth date.
Well, birth date? What is that to do with anything? Well, you didn’t get the ping here. They were looking at me as future groom for some bride hiding somewhere in the corner of the world. Not interested.. So all that happens, I am standing there for 20 minute when one of the four people realises this and offers me a seat. Thank you sir. I’m highly honored that you finally realised..!!!
After few minutes, I get to my mobile tweeting. And no one of us really talks. At next station, they all get up and start walking to door. No one even bothering to say Thanks or even sorry for the trouble. And as I was thinking how people don’t have the decency to thanks or oppologise, a lady from the group comes to me and asks “Does the full berth belong to you?” Yes ma’m. I’ve paid 374 fucking rupees for this. I’m not here without reservation sitting on others’ berths..
Incident 2: As soon as the four people get down, one fat {the word fat appears very small for her but its ok} lady comes and sits on the berth saying that she wants to sit there just 2 minutes. I wait as the trains tarts moving, but the lady doesn’t get up. And its midnight already so I’m sleepy. I show the signs that I’m uncomfortable. She says “You can spread your legs if you want”. Where ma’m? You are so fat that I don’t have any place to spread legs. But I tell this politely and she gives me an angry look and says “I was sitting only for a minute” Ya right. Last 10 minute contribute to only a minute.
Incident 3: As the fatso gets off from m seat, one old {and apparently well educated} uncle comes to me and requests for some space till next station. I give flat refusal. He requests very politely and I could not refuse. But this time, I’m lucky that the man is understanding. Gives me proper scope for stretching my legs. And sits in whatever smaller space remains.
And once third station is passed, I swear not to give any space for anyone now.
Here is track one of the story. Track two to follow..
Oh, as I was reading this, I remembered the incidents that happened when I was on a trip of north india with my friends Pranav and Sujata this summer. I had been tweeting the whole thing.
We had three seats reserved and we couldn’t get any place because there were COPS in the train who were occupying other people’s seats. And I was actually more scared and uncomfortable because of the cops around me or the first time ever, even though I had done nothing wrong. come 11 pm, us weary travelers were getting really uncomfortable but nobody had enough courage to go up to the policemen and tell them to get off our seats! we only got to sleep once they finally got off. which was way past midnight.
Thanks for the comment Yash..
Train journey is indeed full of good and bad incidents. And that’s the best thing about the journeys..