Saturday, June 8, 2013

Thank You Dear Stranger


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