I had to board my flight at 5:45 pm from Delhi Airport. To
be on a safer side I decided to reach Mathura at 11:30 am to take any train to
Delhi which all reach there before 2:30 pm.
The suitable trains
The plan was simple, clear and effective.
It usually takes about 30-35 mins to reach Mathura from
Vrindavan so I was very relaxed as I started around 11 am. To accompany me, on
this lonely journey were a plethora of doleful songs for the heartbroken sung
by Altaf Raja et al who have unanimously been the favourite of all Taxi's
drivers since time immemorial. Though I requested him three times to decrease
the volume but maybe he couldn't hear me as he was already lost thinking why
his girl was "Bewafa" (carried away by the song). We stopped for refuelling,
a brief transition from cacophony to the highway silence. On arriving at
Railway Station's Outer gate, he asked me to take the Pedal rickshaw as he
didn't want to bribe the Policemen, I agreed.
The skinny rikshawala took 10 mins to steer the riksha through the crowd
and stopped halfway to the reservation centre.
With only a small trunk besides my laptop bag, I rushed
inside the station to see the 100's of men lined up in many queues for getting
ticket. With some experience, you can know that enqueing the shortest line
doesn't always decrease your waiting time. The dynamics of queuing theory work
in ideal conditions and Indian Railway Queues are surely ideal...... for abnormality!
As I was halfway in the queue chosen by me, a catfight commenced in the adjacent
queue. Since the railway guards failed to break it off, they asked the guy
inside the window to stop issuing the tickets. Apparently, the guard must have
been inspired from the famous quote - To stop the train, pull the chain!
When I reached near the ticket window, a lady requested me
to buy a ticket for her as was in hurry and couldn't afford to join the queue.
With people trying to push me aside, I quickly took the money from her and
requested for two tickets to Delhi. In no time, the lady inside the window gave
me a single ticket for two people!
I quickly apologized for being unable to get a single ticket
for her. She understood that it all happened unintentionally and agreed to go
in the same train. Though, this didn't appeal me, as the only way to get a
train now was to run (it was 12:30 pm). I was frantic to reach Delhi before 3
pm. A guy who accompanied her asked us to cross 2 platforms quickly to catch a
train that was to depart. It was a race in which I had to run slower so as not
to leave my co-passenger because I had the tickets. Just as we reached the
platform-3, panting heavily - found out that, the train had already departed.
Cursing myself for helping a stranger and wasting the last opportunity to make
it to my flight, I could only get angrier when she said that there are no other
trains till 3 pm.
The thought of missing the flight sent shivers, and decided
if there are no trains, then I'm taking a bus right away. I traversed back to
platform 1, to ask for trains to Delhi at help desk. They were out to lunch. My
mind had started playing games, and it kept saying as if the "Game's over”,
"You have lost it". It even started questioning my faith. But still
something inside me kept saying that "He" can't do that. In few
minutes, the same girl with the guy stood before me. I gave them a displeasing
look to let them know what they had done to me. She said they are out for
lunch, now we need to wait.
We both had smartphones and could access internet. But
sometimes, even Google fails to answer what a Coolie can! I fetched the latest
information from a Coolie, and started running to platform 3 where the Kongu
Express was arriving an hour late from its schedule time. The lady asked me to
get into sleeper compartment, even though we didn't have a ticket. As it was my
mistake to get a clubbed ticket, I had to accede to it but requested her to
handle the ticket Examiner (TTE). Fortunately, we got a compartment where only
one person was sleeping. She managed to bribe the TTE. It was a relief as I'm not
a veteran player in that field.
After realising that train was going to Hazrat Nizzamuddin
instead of New Delhi, I re-calculated the time. It turned out that then I would
reach airport only if there isn't a single traffic jam. I couldn't risk it.
The lady started talking, I kept answering straight to end
the conversation soon. I thought - Why prolong a futile talk when we were to
part anyway? It was sultry and I was perspiring, she offered water. The affable
savour-faire seemed suspicious. With a smile, I answered a no to it. As it was
only a 2 hour journey, I thought I would survive but the fast moving train made
me feel sleepy. With half closed eyes, I laid on my head the bag. Looking at my
uneasy posture, she suggested that I must keep my luggage below the seat and
sleep peacefully. After a long comfortable sleep, I asked her how I can reach
New Delhi at the earliest. She initially said bus to which I objected (didn't
want to be a hostage to traffic). The next suggestion was Metro, which involved
changing two trains. Favorably, she was also going to a place which had the
same route.
After arriving at Delhi, we quickly took a taxi to get to
the nearest Metro station. On the train, she told me that the bus from Mathura
would not take less than 4 hours and if chose it, I was sure to miss the
flight. On the way, I kept thinking, why was she amiable to me? Why didn't she
take the auto fare even though I requested her several times? When the New
Delhi Metro Station came, I could only re-pay for her kindness with a Munch.
From there I got a direct train to Airport.
I now ponder over this incident and ask myself - what if she
hadn't asked me to buy a ticket for her? Would I be able to get the much needed peaceful sleep in a sleeper coach?
Most importantly, Would I still make it to the airport? Maybe not
because the train which departed couldn't be caught even If I ran the fastest I
could. I reached Airport 50 mins before boarding time, if I was alone in the metro;
I would surely get late while learning the process. It made
me realize that there are people who are good and without a cause. They are like jewels found below the sea, so rare that its hard to believe they are real.
--Thank you Dear Stranger
