A MEMORABLE TRAIN JOURNEY
There was a lot of talk recently of R.K. Narayan's birth centenary celebrations. Inspired by his writings, where he describes everyday events in an interesting manner, I have jotted down some of my recent vivid memories. Read on ...
Recently, I had an experience, which I don't experience often. I travelled in an unreserved compartment in a train since I could not get ticket due to the Deepavali rush. Luckily, I went well ahead of the scheduled train departure. I got a place to sit, though it was a wooden slab. As time passed, where one person could sit comfortably, two persons sqeezed in. There were arguments because a few felt it was their birthright to sleep in the upper berth. They were asked to sit and people sqeezed in there too. What more! People started lying down, sitting in the passage of the train. People who had to frequent to the bathrooms jumped and hopped. People who were sitting in the upper berth did some gymnastics gyrations to climb to their seat. Inspired by others, I tried to sleep, but sleep never overcame me for more than one hour. Afraid that somebody may lift my bag and to have it as a pillow, I kept it on my lap and had a nap. I saw people getting down at every station, people having cracker packets, clothes packets. The train had stopped at a station, suddenly a person asked which is the station. He was fast asleep till then. Frantically, he was searching for his sandals. He got one, but could not find the other. In the meanwhile, he was telling others, "intimate me when the train starts". At last, he got the other sandal. The train was puffing and pulling towards the destination. Soon it was morning, I got down at the station which I had to. I can go on like this.
See you next time.
posted by Rajesh @ 9:33 AM
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