A Very Long Engagement

The story unfolds when the Jammu bound train Shalimar Express, the train had just come to a grinding halt and the clock had just ticked one in the morning. In the cold wintery night the mercury was unable to raise itself beyond four degree centigrade. Earlier during the night was watching “A Very Long Engagement” on my now obsolete computer still trotting at 256 MB when rest of the world was running at 2 GB, still my computer on which rarely anything played other than Movies or Powerpoint slides.

The Movie was fairly interesting with a Love Story going on with the backdrop of a War. Amidst the lovely movie suddenly the mobile rang indicating a much awaited call from a person for whom I had been waiting so desperately that staying awake the whole night also was a treat, and not wavering from the person she was, she said “ Come on Chittu, why are you not there at the station. I have been waiting for you since the time train has come and you are no where to be seen.” These lines took the floor under my feet. I said “Oh Sh..! Ihad just seen on net the train is reaching Panipat now and another two hours so am at my room watching a beautiful movie. Ok am just coming, please don’t go without meeting me.” And there was her cruel Laughter from the other end. “Lallu abhi meri train is on time and will be reaching in another two hours, just thought of letting you know,” she said. A faint smile escaped my lips and the next two hours were probably the longest and had it not been for the movie I doubted if it would ever pass.

In my own tune I left the room, the three layered protection just giving enough warmth to get out but still was not enough for the chill winds to freeze my bones when I drove my Activa across the roads. I was happy to reach before time just dreaming about how the few minutes at station would be like.

Just as the Engine crossed me did I get back to reality to know that the jacket which I had bought for her to give whatever little warmth it could, was in my scooter guarded by the closet lock. I did not know what to do, whether to run back to get the jacket or to wait to meet her and then run to get the jacket. Still struggling to make up my mind the train stopped and I inadvertently walked to find her. The meet had to be interrupted for me to run for the jacket. As I reached the second flight of stairs I realized I have been out of shape for long now. Reaching the jacket I felt as if I would never be able to make it back before the train left. I had now just landed back in front of the bogie did I realize I was being howled at for being such a freak to have forgotten the gift. Anyways, I thought of regaining my breath and that was the only time I had before the train started to roll.

How dead I was I thought and had wanted the engines of the damn engines to surge forever and the train to never move from there as I always dreaded this moment

“WHEN THE TIMES WERE GOING TO CHANGE FOREVER NOW ON.” This was the last I saw her as a friend only as my friend for she was going to her future where I always pray she should be HAPPY FOREVER.

BARGAIN JOURNEY...

It all started when I hurriedly boarded my Ahmedabad bound Ashram Exp at Delhi Cantt, as usual I thought someone else has been sitting on my seat and I would get a standard answer “thodi door tak jana hai thoda adjust kar lijiye” , but this time it was different and this made the beginning of my BARGAIN JOURNEY . I was very gracefully requested to occupy the single seat in the adjacent compartment, which would enable the gentleman to be close to his companions, so if I could kindly BARGAIN on the pretext.
“Very well”, I said it was an occasion to help others, for which since my childhood days I was taught not to shy away from. Now into the Compartment smelling of fresh wood, just out from the locomotive industry I believe, furnished with mobile charging points, new reading lights absent in the older version of the same class. I found myself seated next to two frail looking ladies and an old educated man, later found to be a consultant of a big firm, and amongst the two ladies one was a retd prof and the other a employee in Delhi secretariat. Another of the co-passengers turned out to be an executive in Fertilizer Company. So commenced the journey which had already shattered my dreams of sitting besides young babes in skimpy clothes and their bodies touching mine on every sideward movement of the train.. WOW.. i had thought and here i was....
Further to my knowledge it was added that THE THREESOME were on their way to Dwarka for teerth and further on to Nageshwar and Somnath. Within a couple of hours I was bestowed with the responsibility of making them comfortably board a Dwarka bound bus/train so that they could have no problems what so ever(THIS TURNED OUT TO BE A BIG MISTAKE, IN THE SENSE OF MAKING THEM COMFORTABLE). Lost in my thoughts of the Events which had occurred in the previous few days, when I got engaged and was just trying to visualizing how life would now take a turn, I never realize when I had become their guide for i was travelling to a place adjacent to Dwarka…. Same destination type GOOD GOING....
Anyways my philanthropic thinking said I would be a better person to guide them about the route which I had traveled only days before with my parents. We reached Ahmedabad admist all these discussions and few more arguments and counter arguments about whats better a RAJDHANI or AIR TRAVEL and so many other such oldie issues. Now after getting down I went to ask for a further connecting train which would suit our requirement of a comfortable and fast journey in the most appropriate manner. To no surprise, there were no trains for us, the last one leaving just minutes before we had reached and the next one being at 1230 in the afternoon which would take a day which otherwise was only 08 hours away. The time now being 0815 we decided we would take a bus for the journey. The intelligent auto rickshaw driver sensing our negligence and unawareness about the place came to our rescue, charging only 20 rupees he undertook the task of leaving us to a suitable bus service for Dwarka. Happily we hopped in and reached an unknown bus service counter, where we were promised the bus to Dwarka would leave at 0930, my mental calculation appeared after hibernation to calculate its only seven hours to my destination and further two and half to Dwarka which would make them reach comfortably at 1900(KAASH I WOULD HAVE LET IT HIBERNATE FURTHER ON). Paying another ten rupees as good service tip we waived off the auto rickshaw.
Another auto rickshaw, hired by the good bus service, took us to the BRAGGED ABOUT BUS, BALDEV TRAVELS after a ahmedabad bramaan, the lone standing bus at the empty depot, now this raised my better part of the brain to start off, next was the condition of the BUS wall in which the door resided was rusted to an extent that it only will power had not let it fall exposing everybody's cute looking legs. So the only passengers boarded into the bus which was less likely to leave in another 15 min the time now being 0915. Thanking God for giving us time to pick up some breakfast we learnt we were being charged 30 rupees extra for the excellent bus and its superb service which turned out only to be one of the horrificly memorable one. Another realization accompanied with rage was that this bus service would terminated at RAJKOT from where we had to jump buses. Fighting with the urge to throw away the tickets at the counter which meant another 30 minutes of travelling time and another 50 odd rupees in travel, which was another corner of the city, so i had control my emotions before they pulled me into a loss for my fury. At 1130 with some good sense the bus rolled…. It was sure enough our prayers that kept the bus on the road and not falling apart with the world war I engine which definitely would have been used on fast tanks..Finally our bus stopped at RAJKOT,time 1500. Stopping the urge to bash the brains out of the idiots who never turned on their shoulders to help the frail figures trying to lift their pilgrimage luggage which weighed as much as their own tare weight with my both hands and shoulder full i tried to help them with their stuff. Boarding the seven seater with the luggage was never a problem till it started to move, i honestly forgot which way was north in the camel ride which followed with nine people vegetable stuffed with their luggage as fresh toppings. Another city darshan and we landed up at the office of SHIV SHAKTI travels which had undertaken to complete our journey thereon. Sooted in nice hues by the superserviced auto, I kept trying to impress two pretty college going chicks, realising only before going for shower, once i saw myself in the mirror at home why did they not even cared looking at me giving their numbers to the HUNK was just another part of the dream.
Now came another wait of minutes which had no comparison with the anger which ran through the spine and then another overloaded mini bus, and just then came the outburst blah blah blah... dhoom dharaka... blah blah blah..., I was struck by the appalling state of affairs and my emotions just got exploded, just short of dishum dishum for which long back i had vowed not to do... Probably as a corrective measure for not loosing other customers from the chaos, there promptly arranged for another auto rickshaw, eventually turning out to be worse than the previous one, the same nine people were reloaded into a smaller auto which was destined to us through the city second time, this time through rest of the city which we had missed in the previous run. Reaching the bus was a respite which turned out to be short lived for me. The seat number did not exist on the ticket so started the fight to get a seat, thankfully the three senior citizens were provided seats to their comfort. Now after another exchange of furious words, a seat could finally be managed to park myself, only to realize couple of hours later that my phone had gone blank and the friend whom I had called to pick me up from Bus Stand was missing…..