Friday, September 25

The Train

image source:rightmoney.com
Until my entry to College,i have never travelled by train and also i have never been towards south of India.Often i dream of setting a long journey with a drawing pad and a pencil laying out sketches of places as i go on or reading kind of fiction or just simply flipping through pages of star magazines.I call them time killer stuffs.It then magically came true.like in stories, for me, just heard of Majestic train Journeys but never experienced.You know that was the best and perfect description that any author would include in their masterpiece.Don't always expect southern dishes in southern railways.54 hours journey,from New Jalpaiguri to Salem,a place known for juicy mangoes,almost 2 days,2 nights would be enough to create the earth tilt and move around you after you set off from the train.This is one thing truth that any person who have travelled through Indian Railways would have given you.Don't worry,this time m going to take you through coramondal express,super fast express,sometimes 6-7 hours delay voyage.All you need is patience.
Well its always been beautiful memories of my days travelling South India.
The most difficult part for me is when you carry a huge bulk of luggages,especially at boarding and departure.Rest is ok somehow.It starts with a cup of coffee at railway station followed by mineral water one after one.What else, you easily pay few amount and sumptously enjoy plate of puri,bread omlette,cutlette so on.That would do for starters.A long horn would then signal of arriving queen.
she is dressed in Maroon blue and known for walking majestically.As we get inside within a stipulated time,all has to do so perfectly,arranging your brief cases and carry bags underneath the seats,while chaining them securely,for there might be any uninvited strangers freaking out peeping at late nights.Sleeper is my best choice,much cheaper,you get to encounter different sorts of people in different conditions,so empathetic that would make you drop few coins for their meals.Sometimes you cry for not having luxurious shoes to take you a ride while others cry for not having legs.life is miserable at times ,even positive attitude fails in some practicals.Its about reality,my friend.A matter of today's survival.Any ways there is another interesting thing,chhakas,guys with breast,handbags containing lipsticks,glossy sugarlicious lips finely dressed in sarees,they will call you sharukh and salman.Thats enough to force you take out another handsome amount from your pure leather wallet.You smile as if fallen in drowsy love.A sleeper world is full of entertainment.At times i feel like m in shakespere's world.That could be another reason for my special reservation in sleeper class.Its not always about money.Its a matter of experience,getting adjust and seeking your own comfort in a little shrew atmosphere.Another lemon chai will give you good appetite this time.But its upto you,can have tea too.Youthful guavas and slices of freshly garden cucumber mixed with indian spices would water your mouth.Samosas and chat--pattri are appetizer.Dont expect momos,suja and thukpa on the way,its away from home.You can have little desserts with flavour of vanillas.I always have habit of taking chugoes(dried cheese-my indian friends call it bone) packed in my carry bag.Its a token of handsome greeting for someone on the way.Meeting itself is destiny,but what if i have to give it to everyone in the train.No no,dont mistake me ,Its only to someone known,this is Bhutanese product,you smile with pride.you would wonder the night menu.Well we mostly take egg rice for 60,2 pieces of indian chilliesa pickle,white rice,2 solid eggs dipped and roasted in indian sauce.You can even have test of train chicken sometimes.I might have tested but i never knew.It might or might not be true.Its just a hearing from fellow mates.You take a gaze through rough metal framed window.Outside,its really beautiful,buffaloes taking shower in manual made ponds.A scene of bungalow clustered by coconut and banana trees is the most amazing view.But what a cashnut seller in the train corridor says,cash nut,cashnut.It would be Chettri,my friend,someone good looking,tall guy,who always looks for hairfalling treatment cream.A cashew man says,so you want Kaju(cashnut).Chettri said how much?.he smiles and says,just 120 a packed.Chettri says,strong nope.The cahsewman knew chettri would bargain like jaigaon.He walks few steps and back again.So you really want?,with strong sense of convince.chettri says nope.The cahsewman cant hold his selling temptation,how much would you give,Chettri says 20.Cashewman ran like anthing never returning to us again,with mind blowing statement,"have you taken cashew before?..hahah ha we all laugh enough to split the guts. The rest of our friends have their best moments in train,Some drunk throughout the journey,while others play cards with palm beating bet and sometimes,1-2 rupees as a fee.Sometimes we run out of rations which are brought from home such as Shakam Ezay,dried fish,beef,mula pickle,zaw,koka on the way itself.You walk so light back to college after a nice vacation.Taking bath in the train is another interesting experience,better carry jug next time,a guide line for sleeper class.In the scorching flame of heat,you are naturally steamed bathed,dirt would rollup into balls automatically.So its better you refresh yourself by some light standing up shower in train.You would go via kolkata,Orissa,Andhra and several major stations.In early morning watch the beautiful sunrise,in the eve a sun setting below horizon.If you are poet,m sure you get rich by the end of day itself.Well when it rains you would find droplets on window frame bars.But its the night that makes queen run more in speed,so i often say prayer for all the safety of my travelling companions.However its always been beautiful,because through out i have never got a seat in Ac.But i had wonderful memories of all those days in the majestic southern queen.I wish to travel again.For me even now,Its always been a moment of finding perfect happiness in little thing.I closed my chapter,promised to be back again.It was my perfect travelling happiness

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