Life in the Train
There is one place… where you can meet or see a lot of interesting people. I mean the train. Indian Railway’s passenger trains are one such exciting place to meet different type of people.
On a night train…
Take for example, the frequent traveller. You can spot the frequent travellers easily. They board the train casually, they know where their compartment is, and even the direction of seat’s location (near the passage or in the middle etc). They don’t panic if the train moves before they board. They just hop into the nearby passing carriage and walk through the connecting paths and reach their compartment. Where as, occasional travellers try to beat Ben Johnson by running on the platform, match the speed of the train and successfully hop into the right carriage.
Next, the frequent traveller comforts himself by arranging his train-travel-sized luggages neatly under the seat, prepares his berth and wait on the platform near the window untill the green light goes on. Occasional traveller keeps himself engaged with his attempts to squeeze his oversized luggages under his seat.. then, under opposite seat and so on…
Ironically, middle berth passengers are the travellers with bad luck. Frequent travellers who happens to get middle berth, usually pickup the chain hangars first and then lift the berth. Then, holding the berth in one hand, they hook the hangars quickly with the other hand. On the other side, you can notice the occasional traveller, lifting the berth first, and then tries to reach the chain hangars. Realising that it should be done the other way, they will drop the berth, then pull the chain hangars and then, lift the berth once again to hook them. Finally with the help of fellow passengers he will fix the berth.
Frequent travellers are gifted coz, once they get on their berth, they will start sleeping. Occasional travellers, usually frown once in every 30 minutes, roll left-right, then right-left, try all sort of funny poses and finally settle with half-sleep.
It is around the morning, that some occasional travellers become a real nuisance to frequent travellers. Suffered from insomnia, and unable to continue sleeping further, occasionals get up soon, switch on the light waking up everyone, and prepare themselves, their luggages etc. Life becomes miserable, when two occasionals who are friends travel in the same coupe. They wake up early, switch on the lights.. and start talking bla bla blaa. It is then, the frequents start to curse their lucky angels.
Life is little interesting in the air-cooled carriages. Generally people who travelled in air-cooled compartments have a habit of using mobile phones frequently. Once they settle quickly they will start talking using their mobile phones until the signal weakens. Next, in the early mornings, your sleeping cells will be awakened by the multitude of melody ring-tones and alarms from the mobile phones.
Good morning. You have reached the destination.
- Saint