Festive season was ON. Navratri, then Dusshera and now was high time for Diwali. Home-freaks like me always keep a close track of vacations. I was to travel from Mumbai to Gulabpura. There were 2 good options for me, either by train or I could take flight to Jaipur. But why to let Lakshmiji go away from you and that too around Diwali, No No... so I opted for train. I choose "INDIAN RAILWAY".
I have planned my Diwali break several months back. Since booking window opens 3 months prior to the date of journey, I have marked the date in my calendar. I logged on to railway site on the day my alarm rang, you might be thinking what a planner I am .....!!! NO, I am an idiot, I logged in the noon... the time by which it was already 156 waiting for AC 3-Tier and hardly 3 seats were left out in sleeper. No, I am not a miser, but train I am looking for do not have 2-Tier AC, in case you are thinking...Never mind, I took sleeper ticket which comes out to be S6-seat#4.
Finally the day came when I woke up early, loaded myself with 2 bags and rolled for office. I left office 2 hrs before to have fantastic journey in Indian railway sleeper coach. Found few friends on platform, boarded the train which was running 10 min. late. Here it started...my journey, no my misery. Luggage was already flooding, seemed like people have booked a birth especially for their precious historic huge bags. I just managed to be seated on my birth requesting those bags to shift little-little. Soon all bags took their place, under the seat and passengers were allowed to enjoy their seats. 4-5 hrs flew gossiping with friends and hanging on my i-pod. For dinner, we have taken two meals from Surat station, which were not too relishing as their price suggested. Anyways, I over-done myself with flavored milk and made my mind to go to sleep now.
Seat#4 came lower birth in 1st compartment of the boggie. 1st compartment means very close to stinking loo and to add to misery the 1st corridor light can't be turned off. Lower birth was so low that it was causing trouble in breathing. I hide myself in my blanket to avoid that "sun" over my head. Sometime later, I felt I would boil, then again was in deep sleep. Soon my sleep was disturbed when a kiddo was taken to loo. He was horribly crying and his mother was creating scene by still beating him...beating him to stop crying. OMG!
Then the cold breeze hit me and soon my nose started running faster than the train. lolzzz. I was finding it tough to breathe and seat was not deep to sit in when the middle birth is opened. I somehow managed to sleep-wake-sleep praying to be at home soon. With the 1st ray, I shifted myself to side lower birth whose passenger just got down at Bhilwara. Just 1 more hour left to be at home. I called papa to inform about train arrival. Didn’t know how, but I slept. Sleeping …ssszzzz…sszzzz. It what just luck that I woke up 2 mins before the station, else would have reached somewhere else. Apart from that would get a good scolding from papa too. I reached home…Mummy was waiting for me and had breakfast and again slept !!! Hurray … Happy Diwali !!!
