The Journey

The stage is set, I thought. I am surely going to get my story now. Story for my novel you see.. The one I have been planning to write for a very long time.
I could have got it printed and it would have become a best seller by now.... But, there was a small hitch, the best seller novel needs a story!!!!!
So, now was my opportunity!

Our return ticket from Gaya to Delhi was a wait list ticket and as per the new railway policy, the A/C tickets automatically get cancelled, if they are still not confirmed when the reservation charts are prepared. This is what happened with us too.
So, we worked on plan B to book a flight ticket from Patna to Delhi for next day. It was not advisable to leave for Patna immediately as it would not be very safe to reach Patna in the night! Here we were in for another surprise. The cost of flight ticket was unthinkable. I am still under shock because of it!
Now, the only option we had was to take a general compartment ticket and enter a train which would leave Gaya post mid-night!
Well, we could have done the same with 'our' train, but didn't, because 'our' train is a very popular train between Gaya & Delhi & any attempt to board the unreserved compartment of that train by 'amateurs' like us might have resulted in broken arms or legs or worse, broken neck.

So, here we were, that is me & Dad at 01.30 hrs to board the train Neelanchal Express, which was expected to enter Gaya at 02.05 hrs. I was waiting for the train with enthusiasm and high hopes. Well, I have travelled ticket less at few occasions, as a student and during the early stage in my career. So the excitement was not due to anticipated unknown adventure. The excitement was, well you got it, it was the story! I could finally smell a story for my novel.

We figured that we may find some place to at least sit if we manage to get in the sleeper class instead of unreserved. So, we located the ticket checker and explained our problem. The T.C told us that he would 'allow' us to board the sleeper class if we promise to give him Rs 400/- per head. He said he would take the money in the train from us. So, feeling a bit confident we waited for the train to arrive.

Suddenly, there was a mad rush & everybody was running as if their life was in danger! We joined the rush too and lunged towards the first available sleeper class bogie. We soon found ourself inside the bogie with many more and few more who were already in the compartment from earlier stations. I am talking about the ones who, like us, had boarded the train without confirmed reservation.
We realised that in the whole process I have actually landed up right next to the door of the toilet (I have been contemplating whether to call it bathroom or washroom or restroom, but I think toilet is more appropriate. I was actually planning to call it Laterine, because that is what was printed on the toilet doors. But, I couldn't make myself do that. So, toilet it is).
Dad, thankfully got pushed inside the compartment and got a bit of a place to sit on one of the side berths.
So here I was sitting on my suitcase next to a stinking toilet. I don't know what was worse, the smell or sitting on the suitcase. I think sitting on suitcase was worse, because one tends to get used to the smell around after a while but my butt hurt for few days after the journey got over! Ouch! Anyways, the physical discomfort was expected and made peace with before we decided to take this journey.

Once, the train started moving, I looked around with hope to find that corner of the thread from where I can start weaving my story! Most of the faces around me were sleepy or already sleeping. I consoled myself that in the morning I shall get my story & started waiting patiently for the day to break and for people to wake up.
With morning, another problem came dancing along. Everyone in the compartment wanted to use the toilet. Hence, I had to get up every time anyone managed to reach the toilet doors. Yes, managed. There were people everywhere, near the entrance, next to the toilet, in the middle of the berths, everywhere!
But, my dream to find a story in the moving train came crashing down soon. There was nothing interesting to write about. I mean there were many interesting characters but no story! Sigh! So much for my excitement!
Then another brilliant brainwave, I could make a mental note of all the people around me, characters you see, story needs character. So, one fine day when I may, no, when I would manage to get a story, these characters may help add spice to the novel! I know, I am brilliant.

So, here are some of the interesting characters I saw around me on that journey which kept me entertained and amused. Some were repulsive too. But that's the way life is, good and bad go hand in hand!
There is no specific order of appearance of the characters, I am just listing them in any random order!

Character 1: Actually there are two, A couple. A newly wed couple whom I had nicked named CSC, meaning Crotch Scratching Couple. The lady was sitting right in front of me on her trunk. She was travelling to Delhi for the first time and was accompanied by her husband of few months. I noticed them because of their scratching tendency. When I saw both of them scratching themselves, my thought was, seems like they have managed to pass STD to each other. Sigh!
Character 2: The dude: Like us, I believe, this dude also could not get a confirmed reservation and had to travel with unreserved ticket. Now, imagine a guy in Levi Jeans, woodland shoes, a branded suitcase, Reebok sling bag, spiked hair, branded T-shirt (forgot which brand), gold plated watch, standing near the toilet, next to a guy wearing a worn out kurta pajama & possibly stinking. Suddenly walks in another lad, visibly not from an privileged background but wearing a t-shirt which looked exactly like the one worn by the dude! Both the dude & the lad are taken aback to see the other. The lad slowly made his way and stood next to the dude making the 'similarity' even more evident. Every person who crossed them did notice the 'similarity' with an amused look. Suddenly, the dude seem to have had enough of all this and he collected his luggage and vanished into another bogie.
Character 3: A brother sister duo. They entered the train sometime in the night and they had confirmed reservation. So, they made the people sitting/sleeping on their berth to move and took charge of their berths. Both kept sleeping through the journey, for about 18 hours. Didn't their back hurt, I wondered. But this brings me to the next one.
Character 4: A couple again. Ahem, not a couple actually. They were three of them. A middle age couple along with a younger looking man. Now, the lady and the younger looking man sat on the berth of the lady mentioned in Character 3. She had allowed them to sit there for a short while but the continued to sit there till the train reached Delhi. Well, now the interesting part. There was 'something' going on between the lady and the younger looking man. How do I know. Well, no man will open his sandal and run his foot over the foot of another lady until unless 'something' is going on between them. This happened quite a few times. Including the younger looking man 'discreetly' running his hand over the lady many times. I could see it, I am sure few more would have noticed it but, not the husband. Amazed I am.
Character 5: Now this is an interesting one. As soon as he entered the train, he managed to get into an argument with another 'unreserved ticket' passenger! Poor guy was not getting space to stand also. So, I moved my suitcase a bit and asked him to stand in whatever place that got created. A few hours later at one of the stations many people got down (many boarded too). So, I thought to do a survey of my compartment to see if I could find a better place for Dad. Earlier, the man had moved in too. So, as soon as he saw me looking for a seat, he immediately asked me to send dad there as he has found a place for him. My gratitude.
Character 6: Another couple. They got up just before noon and by that time the situation near the toilet was really bad so I had no option put to stand. The lady saw me struggling so she asked me to come and sit on her berth. She was on the top berth. I was thankful to her and for the first time managed to rest my back. We got talking and I realised that the couple were coming to Delhi to shop at Lajpat Nagar. I asked her twice because I couldnot believe that someone, in peak summer would travel in non-A/C to just do some random shopping!
Character 7: This was the funniest incident. Once I got some place to sit on the berth, I could now see the other passengers in the near vicinity. Nothing great to note. Just that a couple with two kids were travelling and the lady was sleeping/lying on the lower berth & her husband on the middle. The kids were playing between the two berths. Now, the father dosed off and the younger kid came up to talk to his father. He tried to wake him up but invain. So, the kid got angry and punched the father hard between his legs. The poor father got up startled. By the looks of it, guess it didn't hurt much. After about an hour the father dosed off again and at that time the kid came up again. This time, instead of punching, he bit his father between his leg. I am sure it must have hurt bad, because the father jumped up and his head hit the top berth and he scolded the kid a bit roughly. But, rest of the journey, the father didn't sleep.

So, these characters did make my trip very amusing and interesting.
Oh yes the ticket checker, how could I forget him. Well, the ticket checker didn't come to collect his cash. Guess, he would have realised that he would get beaten up... :)