Continued from The Rail Tale: Part 3...
It is five past nine, and you can see half the coach dark already. People here sleep at nine. They want to utilize the sleeping seats fully. You are not going to sleep just right away. You need to process what happened since the time you got on the train. Now is the time when you can finally think about your journey in peace.
There are still some uncles yelling and laughing in the adjacent compartment. They might as well replace Dracula in the movie Dracula. They can scare the bejesus out of people when they laugh. Wonder why they don't put up signs saying, "Keep children away."
Anyhow, let them scare whoever they want to. You've witnessed worse.
People eat at really odd times when they're on a train. One odd family started their dinner at exactly 6:33 p.m. One particular individual sat idle, looking at his watch, and then, out of the blue, started eating at exactly 7:19 p.m. He took out a wafer packet and started chewing. Then, he stopped eating after five minutes, and resumed the process at 7:47 p.m. Why? You don't even wanna know. What's worse is that you are actually noting these times.
You are looking around. People are sleeping. Some are snoring loud enough to produce seismic activity in Japan. You sit and watch. This journey was tiresome, to say the least. You met uncles, aunties, creatures, and children -- you practically had a great deal of experience in just a day. No wonder you used so many of your skills. Yoga skills, conversation skills, smell blocking skills, facepalming skills, yada yada.
The drama is not over yet. It will be over once you get off the train. You pledge never to travel in such a train. But, you instantly realize you're not so rich as to travel in an A.C. coach everytime. You think it's better to handle a buttload of crap in a day than to waste your money. Fast forward to the next journey, you are regretting your decision.
You finally have nothing to do except for going to sleep. Just as you hit your pillow, you hear two men fighting. One of them has a 'waiting' ticket and wants to sit, while the one having a 'confirmed' seat wants to sleep and is hence, removing him from his seat.
On that, the seat-snatcher turns akin a red hot iron bar, and starts shouting. He says he also paid for a seat, hence he 'deserves' to sit. A monologue along the lines of human rights follows. Then, it goes on to the point where the seat snatcher wants to call the T.T.E. and the person with the seat says something about calling the police.
After approximately ten minutes of yelling, they reach an agreement - the one without the seat will sleep in the passage between two sides. Everything goes down to the same calm state as before - except the uncles playing cards, of course.
You keep lying down, and soon, go into a mode of deep sleep. Just as you're about to reach the pinnacle in your dream, the train stops at a station and you are awakened by the noise of the people running and screaming outside. You open your eyes like a vampire who's just been disturbed in his grave. You look at the time. It's just 10. It is going to be a long night, you think.
Hours pass the same way, with you getting up at intervals of roughly two hours repeatedly. While you're sleeping after waking up for the fourth time, you are again awakened by people yelling in the adjacent compartment. Not again...
Apparently, one of the men has a small daughter, who was sleeping in the middle seat, while the man without the ticket was sleeping in in the passage between the seats. In her sleep, the girl fell down from her seat and on the man. With this, the man picked up a fight saying, "She did it intentionally."
This fight is louder than the previous one. The man without the seat threatens to call the police, and the police actually arrives. When the story is narrated to them, they almost laugh out.
Who wouldn't? They are fighting over something so dumb, it's like they're three-year olds.
The fight subsides after half an hour. You finally get up and go to brush your teeth. There is a long queue near the washbasin, and the toilets are occupied. People have started taking baths inside those toilets. How they do it will be a mystery foever.
People turn perfectionists when it comes to brushing in trains. They might not even brush on regular days, but in trains, they take full five minutes just moving the brush inside their mouths. So, basically, after fifteen minutes of waiting, you finally get a chance to brush your teeth. You do it as quick as possible and go back to your seat.
Back at your seat, you finally think you're done now, when three eunuchs come stand beside you, asking for money. Calling you epic names, and giving you blessings like you'd have never heard before, and thus, embarrassing you, they cause you to want to give them money to have them go.
You take out your wallet to give them 10 rupees, but aren't able to find the money.
"Arrey, beta, give me ten, I'll give you change if you don't want to give more," says the eunuch.
You are super-embarrassed. Everyone is smiling.
"Actually, I was going to give 10..." you try to say, but no one hears you.
You end up giving 10 rupees anyway. They go away after pestering other people of the compartment. You have a sigh of relief.
The train goes on forward, and in no time (kidding. Every second feels like an hour), the train is finally arriving at your destination. You take your bags and go for the door. But, you aren't the only one to get off. There are more than 10 people complete with luggage, who have to get off the train. Everyone starts pushing the next person in line just for the fun of it. You almost fall while trying to control yourself from the sudden jerk.
The train stops at your station. As you try to get off, people selling food items climb inside the train. On top of that, those who are boarding start getting inside like it's their only chance. You struggle more than you did when you got in, and finally, are thrown out of the train with your bags. Never before in your life have you been so happy on being thrown out.
A unique experience is the only way you can describe the journey -- a journey that taught you so much in just a day. You met different characters, you encountered awkward situations, you talked to all sorts of weird people and finally, you witnessed some really cool fights. In the end, this experience was like none before. Just a train journey can change you in ways you couldn't even imagine is what leaves you surprised.
You feel the fresh air, and walk away with your bags into the distance.
And thus, ends your journey in the sleeper coach of a long-distance Indian train, but you know it's not the last one. There will be many more to come, each one as exciting as the other.
It is five past nine, and you can see half the coach dark already. People here sleep at nine. They want to utilize the sleeping seats fully. You are not going to sleep just right away. You need to process what happened since the time you got on the train. Now is the time when you can finally think about your journey in peace.
There are still some uncles yelling and laughing in the adjacent compartment. They might as well replace Dracula in the movie Dracula. They can scare the bejesus out of people when they laugh. Wonder why they don't put up signs saying, "Keep children away."
Anyhow, let them scare whoever they want to. You've witnessed worse.
People eat at really odd times when they're on a train. One odd family started their dinner at exactly 6:33 p.m. One particular individual sat idle, looking at his watch, and then, out of the blue, started eating at exactly 7:19 p.m. He took out a wafer packet and started chewing. Then, he stopped eating after five minutes, and resumed the process at 7:47 p.m. Why? You don't even wanna know. What's worse is that you are actually noting these times.
You are looking around. People are sleeping. Some are snoring loud enough to produce seismic activity in Japan. You sit and watch. This journey was tiresome, to say the least. You met uncles, aunties, creatures, and children -- you practically had a great deal of experience in just a day. No wonder you used so many of your skills. Yoga skills, conversation skills, smell blocking skills, facepalming skills, yada yada.
The drama is not over yet. It will be over once you get off the train. You pledge never to travel in such a train. But, you instantly realize you're not so rich as to travel in an A.C. coach everytime. You think it's better to handle a buttload of crap in a day than to waste your money. Fast forward to the next journey, you are regretting your decision.
You finally have nothing to do except for going to sleep. Just as you hit your pillow, you hear two men fighting. One of them has a 'waiting' ticket and wants to sit, while the one having a 'confirmed' seat wants to sleep and is hence, removing him from his seat.
On that, the seat-snatcher turns akin a red hot iron bar, and starts shouting. He says he also paid for a seat, hence he 'deserves' to sit. A monologue along the lines of human rights follows. Then, it goes on to the point where the seat snatcher wants to call the T.T.E. and the person with the seat says something about calling the police.
After approximately ten minutes of yelling, they reach an agreement - the one without the seat will sleep in the passage between two sides. Everything goes down to the same calm state as before - except the uncles playing cards, of course.
You keep lying down, and soon, go into a mode of deep sleep. Just as you're about to reach the pinnacle in your dream, the train stops at a station and you are awakened by the noise of the people running and screaming outside. You open your eyes like a vampire who's just been disturbed in his grave. You look at the time. It's just 10. It is going to be a long night, you think.
Hours pass the same way, with you getting up at intervals of roughly two hours repeatedly. While you're sleeping after waking up for the fourth time, you are again awakened by people yelling in the adjacent compartment. Not again...
Apparently, one of the men has a small daughter, who was sleeping in the middle seat, while the man without the ticket was sleeping in in the passage between the seats. In her sleep, the girl fell down from her seat and on the man. With this, the man picked up a fight saying, "She did it intentionally."
This fight is louder than the previous one. The man without the seat threatens to call the police, and the police actually arrives. When the story is narrated to them, they almost laugh out.
Who wouldn't? They are fighting over something so dumb, it's like they're three-year olds.
The fight subsides after half an hour. You finally get up and go to brush your teeth. There is a long queue near the washbasin, and the toilets are occupied. People have started taking baths inside those toilets. How they do it will be a mystery foever.
People turn perfectionists when it comes to brushing in trains. They might not even brush on regular days, but in trains, they take full five minutes just moving the brush inside their mouths. So, basically, after fifteen minutes of waiting, you finally get a chance to brush your teeth. You do it as quick as possible and go back to your seat.
Back at your seat, you finally think you're done now, when three eunuchs come stand beside you, asking for money. Calling you epic names, and giving you blessings like you'd have never heard before, and thus, embarrassing you, they cause you to want to give them money to have them go.
You take out your wallet to give them 10 rupees, but aren't able to find the money.
"Arrey, beta, give me ten, I'll give you change if you don't want to give more," says the eunuch.
You are super-embarrassed. Everyone is smiling.
"Actually, I was going to give 10..." you try to say, but no one hears you.
You end up giving 10 rupees anyway. They go away after pestering other people of the compartment. You have a sigh of relief.
The train goes on forward, and in no time (kidding. Every second feels like an hour), the train is finally arriving at your destination. You take your bags and go for the door. But, you aren't the only one to get off. There are more than 10 people complete with luggage, who have to get off the train. Everyone starts pushing the next person in line just for the fun of it. You almost fall while trying to control yourself from the sudden jerk.
The train stops at your station. As you try to get off, people selling food items climb inside the train. On top of that, those who are boarding start getting inside like it's their only chance. You struggle more than you did when you got in, and finally, are thrown out of the train with your bags. Never before in your life have you been so happy on being thrown out.
A unique experience is the only way you can describe the journey -- a journey that taught you so much in just a day. You met different characters, you encountered awkward situations, you talked to all sorts of weird people and finally, you witnessed some really cool fights. In the end, this experience was like none before. Just a train journey can change you in ways you couldn't even imagine is what leaves you surprised.
You feel the fresh air, and walk away with your bags into the distance.
And thus, ends your journey in the sleeper coach of a long-distance Indian train, but you know it's not the last one. There will be many more to come, each one as exciting as the other.
