Finally!!!
The holidays were starting and I had planned to finish my work by 5:30 and leave for station so that I can catch the 6:30 train to Mumbai. But as usual clients had straws dug into my body for sucking my blood and even though I kinda like Irina, at that moment I just wanted to strangle her to death. Because of her in no time it was 6:00 pm and I was still in office.
Some how I managed to leave the office by 6:15 pm and now the law of averages follows me, the traffic which is least on the road to station at that hour of the day was at its zenith on Dec 24. I was so sure that I will miss the train and will have to spend 3 times the money to go by bus, I even considered going directly to the bus stand but then something in me said that whats the harm in trying, so I went to station. I should listen more often to my brain. Sitting in the auto I was getting really restless and by god's grace autowala sensed it, he was a nice person so he did drive at the maximum speed and with the utmost precision. I really owe him one.
As soon as I reached the station my eyes widened in shock and then automatically they were shut in a feeling of losing a war. I realised I am in India and I am never getting this train. The line for the ticket was a never ending one and I was sure if I stand there waiting for my chance to come I will reach Mumbai by next Christmas.
So I tried acting a little smart and went to the person standing third in the line and asked him to buy a for me, and I swear if looks could kill then I would have died at that very instance. I thought moving away would be a good idea, but then I had to find another bakra. And ya i did get one, he was standing just behind the "Man who can kill with his looks" and he volunteered to buy me a ticket, may be seeing my innocent and hassled face (Ya I can make such faces when needed). He bought me a ticket and then both of us realised that he has both the tickets in one so we were stuck together. I did not want to be with him but then most of the times life does not give you a choice.
Anyways we ran and somehow managed to catch the train and once we were inside I get to know that the man had got both the tickets till Thane and I will need to get down at Thane. I felt like killing him (I did not want to travel for 2 hours in a local) but then he had helped me so I had to smile and say its okie. it was not a very convincing start to my vacation but then I was backpacking and this is expected in unplanned trip and at the back of my mind I was loving the surprises and was longing for them.
As usual there was no place to sit in the train so I stood near the door (That is my favourite place in the train) and soon I was dreaming about what fun I am gonna have during my vacations. I almost slept off and ya i even had a dream which as usual was about me being really rich. Suddenly I was woken up by a call from Sudeep. I told him that my ticket is only till Thane and I will get down there, take a local and come, the great ass that he is suggested me to take the same train as no one will come to check, but I have lived for 23 years with the most ethical person possible on earth (My Dad) so I decided to get down on Thane and take a local.
Traveling in the unreserved compartment is the best way to learn about India. The number of vendors in the compartment with the enormous and different kinds of products and a talent to make place for themselves in the most crowded areas on earth is just amazing and you will never ever get to experience it if you do not travel in an unreserved compartment.
Soon I was getting bored of sitting ideal, as no one was yelling, fighting, crying or talking in the compartment which was very strange. The boredom was getting to my nerves. I could not even lie down and sleep, this is a adverse effect of unplanned holiday, you have to adjust a little too much. For a split second I thought I should have got the reservation but I blew that idea away with the same speed as it has come to me. I was determined to travel without planning because thats what I love about traveling. Then I saw a vendor with books and I thought I would buy one to pass the time and guess which one I get to see first, "Thousand Splendid Suns" by Kite Runner fame Khaled Husseni. I was longing to read it for a long time and I guess how much I got it for, just 100 bucks. I bought it at once and started reading it I got so engrossed in it that I didnt even realised that it was Thane, the person who bought my ticket had to tell me to get down. I thanked him once again (although only half heartedly, the other half was cursing him)
I got down at Thane. It was my first step on the station which boasts of receiving the first train in the country. I had never seen such a weird and disorganized station (of course Pune being and exception) where no one, not even the porters know where to get a ticket from. Some how I found out and bought the ticket and boarded the train to VT. And from there on Sudeep and Kanika started calling me up like crazy to find out about my where abouts and I did not even have battery in my cell phone. The amount of calls I received from them put together would be more then the total calls I receive in a month (Just Glorifying the truth). I was hating it and getting really irritated, partly also because I was going through a very interesting chapter in the book and Kanika like an idiot kept calling and telling me the story. I thought for switching off my phone but then I realised they would get worried.
Now I have reached VT and here I see a tall and a lanky figure with a bag heavier then himself. It was great meeting Sudeep after a long long time. The smile on his face was contagious. I have never seen him this excited (Other then when we had gone to Gokarna). He had already bought the tickets and was just ready to run to Goa, so we directly went to platform no. 9 and when we saw the crowd in the train I was sure that its gonna be a bad journey. Both of us gave confidence to each other that we wanted an unplanned trip and thats how they are and tried to board the train. I have never wanted to have a huge built before this. I so wanted to have a great body so that I can puch and make place for myself, but alas my body is what they call "Haat agarbatti, pair mombatti" and Sudeep is to my god even my baap in it.
Both of us were hungry and we were sure if some how we are able to board this train we will only get to eat after we reach our destination so we decided to go have dinner and then catch a 12:00 midnight wala train.
Dinner was in Barista where we just had some sandwiches and coffee. I was too excited about the trip and to scared that we may miss the train so some how i gobbled up my food and rushed to the station. Sudeep started behaving like a millionaire from that moment, he bought a mineral water bottle for 20 bucks from Barista which we would have got only for 10 bucks outside, but thats the way he is carefree and bindass.
One of the best vacations I have had in my life begins in the next entry......
Cheers
"THE RAJAT"
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