Well, our trip to Goa also rendered fruitless. We both had full masti for a week with Chaube and Athar sir. As I was a tetoaller at that time so I stayed away from booze however Raka had full masti and maza sponsored by our two loved seniors. Although Deepankar Chakarvati was also there but we did not have much interaction with him as he was more busy in chasing birds (that’s what he was famous for in the college).
The days of departure were coming nearer, we had a booking in Goa express and our waiting list was 242 and 243. I worryingly asked Raka,”Yaar, yeh ticket to confirm ho jayega na?”
He said ,”abey, सब हो जायेगा .” BY now I have been seriously fed up with Raka’s attitude of SAB HO JAYEGA. I was tolerating it for past 3 years, even while making the project report for final year assessment technically we were a group of 3 but the rest 2 (Raka and Sanga) did nothing. I yelled back at him ,” भूतिनी के कैसे हो जायेगा , धरती फटेगी या आसमान ”!!
Anyways, kuch nahi hua, our ticket remained on waiting list only, which meant that we had to do the 36 hours of journey without booking. The western railway was constructing some mega project at that time hence the Goa express was starting from a small town in Karnataka called Launda (funny name, isn’t it). This meant that first we had to go to Madgaon then to Launda then to Jhansi and then to Lucknow.
We started our journey at 10 am on 18th of May, we reached Madgaon from there we took a KSTC bus to Launda, our luck was going strong so bus broke down at the halfway .We were sitting comfortably on seats and now we had to change the bus. We managed to get another bus, as it was packed we had to do the remaining 2 hours of journey standing. We managed to reach Launda just in time the train was on the platform and to our surprise it was not very crowded.
Usually trains are crowded in India specially if you are travelling in general compartment. As our tickets were not confirmed, we had no other option but to take seat in general bogey. We occupied 2 windows seat facing each other and were feeling very relaxed assuming that now we might be able to travel comfortably, WE WERE WRONG!
Train left at the scheduled time from Launda, next station and lot of people boarded our bogey. After 2 hours it stopped again and more people came in. It was jam packed by now and guys who are aware square close packing, our bogey had reached in that state. After 2 hours it stopped again somewhere Belgaum or someplace like that and more people got stuffed in at that one bogey. Now it was like RATI BHAR KI BHI JAGAH NAHI THI.
We had dozed off by then but I had the emergency and had to go for लघु शंका निवारण . I looked around and toilet was like after 4 rows but there was no way on this earth that I could have reached to the toilet. I only had one way which was to become हनुमान जी I somehow managed that in approx half an hour. I was exhausted by now and various kinds of smells were emanating in the coach. In a seating of 72 people there were around 300.
We had dozed off by then but I had the emergency and had to go for लघु शंका निवारण . I looked around and toilet was like after 4 rows but there was no way on this earth that I could have reached to the toilet. I only had one way which was to become हनुमान जी I somehow managed that in approx half an hour. I was exhausted by now and various kinds of smells were emanating in the coach. In a seating of 72 people there were around 300.
I spoke to Raka and told him that whatever happens we are getting out this coach at next station. We will sneak in to any of the reserved compartment and will bribe the T.T. We should had done that earlier but because of our financial condition we were trying to save money.
Next station was Daund, we got out of that hell and boarded the next coach and to our surprise it was not that packed and we even found an empty birth. We both managed to sleep on that one sleeper birth and did not wake up until Pune.
One Indian Air force Pilot was sleeping on the birth above us. In the morning CHAIWALLAS and AKHABAAR WALLA all started to come in. Now, I was feeling as having a normal railway journey. We asked the pilot guy as how come this dabba is not that packed. He told us that all the passenger in this coach had a reservation in AC first class somehow this train did not have one so they all have been transferred to this. Finally our luck was smiling. We travelled stress free till Bhopal as no ticket checker came till then.
After a while ticket checker came, he asked for the tickets and on seeing that he said ,”empty this now and go to the general compartment or I will penalise you). Now, the tables were turned as it revealed that the father of Rukhsana was a railway employee and this seat was his. It was our turn to make a request if we can get little bit of space which she granted.
It had been nearly 2 days since we had wash but Rukhsana asked me if I was a Muslim? I asked why?
She replied,” oh, you look like Salman khan! I kind of thought I should not take shower everyday as I will be as handsome and good looking as Salman by sticking to the ritual of bathing once in three days. Wow, brilliant idea! There was chemistry going on between me and her but then train approached Jhansi and the time had come to leave Goa express.
to be continued:
Salman...................ha
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