Fill up the reservation form… look at the train numbers, plan your start and end or midway points and refill the form
Stand in line at the reservation counter hoping to get the tickets for the train which is your first choiceThose 10 minutes at the counter talking to the person at the other end getting the best route
The lack of change… how on earth am I supposed to get the three 10 rupee notes, and the two 5 rupee ones, and the other change !
Anyway, the ticket is in my hand now ! The white grey dot-matrix printed Indian Railways ticket ! Hey, but I cannot read it properly… what time is my train? and from?
oh wait, it has been printed on the line just above !! OK, well, the information is there… Coach S4, Seat 30 (wonder who would be sitting next to me)
I wish its a beautiful girl 🙂 and without her parents or the boyfriend!
Last minute Auto rush !!! and the bugger is driving so slowly that I could walk faster to the station.
Anyway, I am here now… which platform? The board is not working, hey, the Kuli ! Let me ask him… they always know !!! Yes sir I am right… its platform 12, darn, the other side of the station !!! Run !!!
Sir ji, late hai train !!!
Oh thank Gawd !!!
take it easy !!!
A nice stroll up the stairs, on the overbridge, with people and more people and some more in the space left… walking, looking around, rushing for their platforms, anxious because they are late, or early or excited about meeting someone, or just being…
But hey, where is the train?
Oh, they are still shunting the bogies… will be here in a few minutes… and there it is !!!
A1, A2, …..A4, S14… what the fkk… now run !!! S4 S4 S4 S4 S4… uncle sambhal kar zara…
S4 S4… haan yehi hai s8… peeche likha hai…
S4 S4 S4… saali itni lambi train…
S4… kaash ye wala S4 hota.. this group of girls would be sitting somewhere near me then…
S4… arre auntie jaane do…
phew !!!
The reservation chart finally….
So lets see.. how many girls in my compartment today…
F
F
F
F
F
ah !!! F – 56 — darn !!!
F
F
F
F F6… sweet…
F
F
F
F
23.. ah… Vaijanti Devi !!! crap !!!
F F
F
F
F
24 Kalpana Arora… hmm…
M27 Aakash Arora… inki to !!!
F
F
F
F
F…
uff.. sabse sada hua dibba mera !!!! CRAP !!!!
anyway !!!
Lets just get on the train !!!
Auntiji ye meri seat hai !!!
Oh !!!
Wahan baith jaoge beta?
umm… ji…
Mera bag hata do wahan se… idhar de do.. aaram se baith jao !!!
ji auntiji
bleddy hell… inko kaise bolun I wanted the window seat !!!! I WANTED THE WINDOW SEAT !!!
anyway… that probably means I will sleep better at night.. the top berth is not that bad afterall !
So the bags are sett, the walkman is out !!! the tapes are out too ! what do we listen to? Wait… save the battery !! aise hi baitha reh abhi…
Magazine !!! haan.. get some !!!
Chai? haan ek cup wo bhi ho jaye!!!
Auntiji main abhi aaya…
haan beta
ok… , chacha chauhdhary, billu, pinky, archies, apna bhavishya badlein, kismat aapke haath mein, competition success review, manorama, sarita, manohar kahaniya, limca book of records, reiki kaise karen, phew.. too many… just pick up a few random ones…
oh.. paani ki bottle… ek wo bhi… aur biscuit? haan parle ji… do packet…
chalo beta bhago before auntiji calls the police thinking you left a few bombs in the train !!!
back on the seat… all set with magazines, food, music, a lost window seat, people…
A Journey Begins….
