Chai .......Chaiiiiii

Chai ..chai…..im sure all who have traveled by train in India, have heard tht call on railway stations…… here are tit bits frm the train journeys tht I have undertaken……the hustle bustle..the dust make train journeys so much different from the West…….though now some trains are as comfortable as in West otherwise its more like the fight to survive…….without reservation .. urgently needed to get to Delhi……imagine ppl asking money to get u in the compartment…..how …..well they made ppl stand in front of the door and then pushed them inside ….i did mange to get in but it was so crowded it seemed I wud die with suffocation some how managed to clamber out………

The best journey without doubt was to Calcutta when I used to travel with the school team…the whole coach used to be reserved for us…and it used to be gr8 fun…..even though it took some 20 hrs……however once it almost turned into a nightmare…..the train stopped at some station n some one tried to get in our coach, when one guy just pushed him out n locked the door….now tht guy did not get down…he was just hanging outside …the train crossed the flooded Ganges river…stopped at the next station ….which was very small.n suddenly some 60-70 college students appeared…..threatening n abusing us….for having thrown out tht guy…wht if tht guy had fallen in the river…we just sat inside with doors n windows locked…..suddenly heard those cries…put the coach on fire……all so tensed ..so scared…some of those young gals n guys began to cry……not a single cop in sight……I knew something had to be done otherwise we cud be roasted alive there…..i opened a window guys thought I was crazy …..very politely I apologized to them…we are all like ur younger brothers n sisters…we are also students like u guys….wht if ur own younger brother made a mistake……it more than worked…they actually shouted slogans….students ekta zindabad (long live students unity)….

Its so difficult to sleep in trains…….u so worried abt the luggage ……there are so many thefts…fortunately never happened with me…..though once some one tried to snatch my watch ..i was sleep when this guy opened the window, frm outside.. as the train left the station he tired to break it free from my wrist….i managed to grab his hand..but he got away ……though lot of women get bleeding ears….when the ear rings are ripped off…..gold chains are easy target too…….then there are those conmen at railway stations….once I got down to buy a drink..when this old man walked up..some one stole my wallet..have no money to get home….i bought his sob story gave him Rs 50….two weeks later happened to be at the same place..the same guy begins his story…..then he recognized me n hurriedly left….

From school we often went for those adventure walks….tht day we were going along the tracks ..kind of forest area..four of us…..barely teens…..suddenly this goods train came n stopped….it was headed towards the city and we jumped in thinking tht it wud stop some where b4 it got to the station and we wud come back…….it eventually stopped on the station…..as we got down….a cop is already waiting……where’s the ticket…wht ticket …do goods trains have a ticket ? …told him wht had happened but he wud have none of it…lets go….god if he went n complained we wud get away frm here but when the school principal comes to know surely we wud be thrown out……plzz we wont do it again…….finally all right……give me Rs 16…..(4 for each)…..i pulled out a Rs 20 note here.. I don’t have the change.. keep tht too…..but no..he was a very honest cop . ) come…takes us to a tea stall….orders tea for us…..brought the kids to show the station……gulped tht hot tea and walked back all those 7-8 kms to the school…..wht a joy ride…….

Hmmm got on the train frm delhi…..put my things n look up…..wow wow……..there was this really beautiful gal …don’t know how it started but soon we got talking ……who cared if other ppl were getting ready to sleep….walks in a villain from some where (must have been some relative of hers)…..is this going to end so soon…..he offers the gal another seat ……hmmmm ..she says she is fine am not going any where…….not again…..after some 15 mins it’s the TC (ticket collector )….even though she protested but he changed her seat to all ladies coupe……..why why……n tht was it…..did not c her again……..will always hate tht TC…….

Guys/gals below 18 can skip this one………..in a second a/c coach there are 4 berths which u can separate frm the passage with a curtain…….so when the train pulled out frm the station arnd 9 PM.. there were 4 of us..me a frnd….an Inspector General of Police and a middle aged woman…..those two looked liked or pretended to be strangers to each other….we talked for while then went to sleep….the top two berths we had taken….IG was on the one below mine……..must have been arnd 3 am when some how I woke up…..wht are those sounds……aahhhhh ahhhh ouuccchhh…..oh god….glanced at the ladies berth….hmm empty……how desperate n bold …..must salute the Indian Police for having such bold officers………….