This is my first of a few posts on the prestigious (cough) Indian Railways. I'm not much of a traveller. Yet. But, I've had a fair share of long distance travelling through trains. I have lived in Chandigarh for twelve years, and every year, I have travelled to Gujarat for visiting my relatives. So, the 24-26 hour train journeys have been a very known circumstance.
For starters, Indian Railways is no different from an adventure - you'll have a fair share of life experiences while travelling, more so if you are in for a day or more. Let me lay it out for you very briefly if you're a rail virgin. You'd normally travel in either Air Conditioned or Sleeper coaches. Air Conditioned coaches are well, air conditioned. And Sleeper coaches are not. Since many people travelling in A.C. coaches can afford to do so, they are not of interest in this post. I am focusing on the Sleeper Coaches. Those who have witnessed them would agree.
In a sleeper coach, there are 'compartments'. One compartment has 8 seats - 6 on one side and two on the other side of the walking passage. Here's one rare schematic I found on the Internet:
You can see on the left side of the schematic the 6 seats on one side of the passage and the two on the other side. Here, LB means Lower Berth, MB Middle Berth, UB Upper Berth, SLB Side Lower Berth and SUB Side Upper Berth.
So, enough with the boring facts. I guess y'all got the system. You might be asking why I was boring you with all these facts. Hold on to that thought. I'm assuring that this effort of mine to crowd your already awesome brains with new information is not going to be a waste.
Let's start the tale now. Your train has arrived, and you move your eyes around searching for your coach, say S-7. As the train moves along, you look around. A lot of poverty stricken people - with no luggage whatsoever - are running towards a coach as if someone's throwing away free money. Before the train even stops, half the people have boarded that coach. Be cent percent sure that's the 'General' coach. Don't even think about boarding it. Either you'll find yourself lying down hurt on the platform, or inside that coach. Sources say hell is better than a general coach of a long distance train. So, if you've gotten into a general coach by mistake, then you'll be coming out of it as a transformed person. People have been noticed to start giving life lessons after such experiences.
The train has stopped, but your coach stopped at a considerable distance from where you were standing. You run towards it, because the train only stands there for 5 minutes. You feel like you're competing in a sprint race. Everyone even remotely concerned with S-7, whether they're boarding or not, are hell bent on knocking you over and getting into the coach. You reach the door, but the situation is not much different from that of the general coach. Here, you find people pushing each other to get in, or get out. The doors are specially designed to let only one person go at a time. I know, right? Tragedy is that there are people both trying to get out and get in. Aunties start screaming at this point, taking control of the situation and giving life advice. Arrey, sabko mauka milega (Everyone will get the chance), Thoda jaldi karo na (Be a little faster), Bhaiyaji, aap beech me mat aao (Don't get in between). You wish you could just die.
You get inside after much effort, an auntie behind you still screaming at the top of her voice. She is using her body to stop other people from getting in. It's not over yet. You pick up your luggage and start moving forward to your seat, say 33. But, you're in for another treat. Your fellow passengers are paranoid when it comes to security. They might have a Facebook password like 123456, but on a train, they won't budge until they've 'set' their luggage properly and chained it to their seats. So, as you try to move forward, you see giant butts projecting out into the passageway, stopping you from going any further. The entire space is clogged and the auntie behind you continues screaming.
You try not to care. Very hard. But, then starts a fight between two men. Three aunties having no relation to any of these men whatsoever come in to intervene. Only to make matters worse. Apparently, one of them has a lot of luggage, and is trying to make some space. One of the men is hunted down like a weakling by the aunties around. Words fly like sparks. Things go haywire. And you already start choosing the best mental health facilities in the area. You realize some of the people are still stuck outside the train, and in an effort to help make space, you move aside. A heavy auntie comes from nowhere and occupies even more space than you did, rendering your effort completely useless. You get your lesson. Don't care, whatsoever.
Pushes come next. Like a wave, you're thrown forward, kicking someone in the behind and getting to hear them curse. One very emotional auntie ji will start her saga of the cruel world and its ways, with complaints enough to fill in a notebook. You move on, nevertheless. People are still 'setting' their luggage. Turns out some of them even have an instruction manual with them on 'proper space management during rail travel'. These books are carried mostly by aunties (no surprise). As I said, aunties are the people in charge when it comes to rail travel.
They just use you. Very bad. You'll feel like an empty juice carton after your encounter with one of them. So used. And so, they'll be instructing their sons or husbands on how to put the luggage in. What direction, what angle, it is all in their hands. In case they're travelling with children, just run away. And never look back. Because, they are the real weapons. Before you even get a hint of what's happening, an auntie would have sweet-talked you and one of her children would be sitting at your window seat, while one of her carry bags occupying three more seats. You'd sit down and simply shudder, like a helpless prey, about what's to happen as you move on to this journey.
But you smile, because you've at least got to your seat. While still having no idea what's to follow...
To be continued...
Part 2 here
For starters, Indian Railways is no different from an adventure - you'll have a fair share of life experiences while travelling, more so if you are in for a day or more. Let me lay it out for you very briefly if you're a rail virgin. You'd normally travel in either Air Conditioned or Sleeper coaches. Air Conditioned coaches are well, air conditioned. And Sleeper coaches are not. Since many people travelling in A.C. coaches can afford to do so, they are not of interest in this post. I am focusing on the Sleeper Coaches. Those who have witnessed them would agree.
In a sleeper coach, there are 'compartments'. One compartment has 8 seats - 6 on one side and two on the other side of the walking passage. Here's one rare schematic I found on the Internet:
You can see on the left side of the schematic the 6 seats on one side of the passage and the two on the other side. Here, LB means Lower Berth, MB Middle Berth, UB Upper Berth, SLB Side Lower Berth and SUB Side Upper Berth.
So, enough with the boring facts. I guess y'all got the system. You might be asking why I was boring you with all these facts. Hold on to that thought. I'm assuring that this effort of mine to crowd your already awesome brains with new information is not going to be a waste.
Let's start the tale now. Your train has arrived, and you move your eyes around searching for your coach, say S-7. As the train moves along, you look around. A lot of poverty stricken people - with no luggage whatsoever - are running towards a coach as if someone's throwing away free money. Before the train even stops, half the people have boarded that coach. Be cent percent sure that's the 'General' coach. Don't even think about boarding it. Either you'll find yourself lying down hurt on the platform, or inside that coach. Sources say hell is better than a general coach of a long distance train. So, if you've gotten into a general coach by mistake, then you'll be coming out of it as a transformed person. People have been noticed to start giving life lessons after such experiences.
The train has stopped, but your coach stopped at a considerable distance from where you were standing. You run towards it, because the train only stands there for 5 minutes. You feel like you're competing in a sprint race. Everyone even remotely concerned with S-7, whether they're boarding or not, are hell bent on knocking you over and getting into the coach. You reach the door, but the situation is not much different from that of the general coach. Here, you find people pushing each other to get in, or get out. The doors are specially designed to let only one person go at a time. I know, right? Tragedy is that there are people both trying to get out and get in. Aunties start screaming at this point, taking control of the situation and giving life advice. Arrey, sabko mauka milega (Everyone will get the chance), Thoda jaldi karo na (Be a little faster), Bhaiyaji, aap beech me mat aao (Don't get in between). You wish you could just die.
You get inside after much effort, an auntie behind you still screaming at the top of her voice. She is using her body to stop other people from getting in. It's not over yet. You pick up your luggage and start moving forward to your seat, say 33. But, you're in for another treat. Your fellow passengers are paranoid when it comes to security. They might have a Facebook password like 123456, but on a train, they won't budge until they've 'set' their luggage properly and chained it to their seats. So, as you try to move forward, you see giant butts projecting out into the passageway, stopping you from going any further. The entire space is clogged and the auntie behind you continues screaming.
You try not to care. Very hard. But, then starts a fight between two men. Three aunties having no relation to any of these men whatsoever come in to intervene. Only to make matters worse. Apparently, one of them has a lot of luggage, and is trying to make some space. One of the men is hunted down like a weakling by the aunties around. Words fly like sparks. Things go haywire. And you already start choosing the best mental health facilities in the area. You realize some of the people are still stuck outside the train, and in an effort to help make space, you move aside. A heavy auntie comes from nowhere and occupies even more space than you did, rendering your effort completely useless. You get your lesson. Don't care, whatsoever.
Pushes come next. Like a wave, you're thrown forward, kicking someone in the behind and getting to hear them curse. One very emotional auntie ji will start her saga of the cruel world and its ways, with complaints enough to fill in a notebook. You move on, nevertheless. People are still 'setting' their luggage. Turns out some of them even have an instruction manual with them on 'proper space management during rail travel'. These books are carried mostly by aunties (no surprise). As I said, aunties are the people in charge when it comes to rail travel.
They just use you. Very bad. You'll feel like an empty juice carton after your encounter with one of them. So used. And so, they'll be instructing their sons or husbands on how to put the luggage in. What direction, what angle, it is all in their hands. In case they're travelling with children, just run away. And never look back. Because, they are the real weapons. Before you even get a hint of what's happening, an auntie would have sweet-talked you and one of her children would be sitting at your window seat, while one of her carry bags occupying three more seats. You'd sit down and simply shudder, like a helpless prey, about what's to happen as you move on to this journey.
But you smile, because you've at least got to your seat. While still having no idea what's to follow...
To be continued...
Part 2 here
Awesome vivek. I had such a fun reading this. Excellent topic and very well written. According to me,this is probabaly your best writing in the blog. Waiting for the next part. Post soon.
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot Shubham! Next part has a lot more in store. I'll write as soon as I can. Just wait for it! :)
DeleteGood going buddy... Keep it up...(y)
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot man. Glad that you liked it :)
Delete