The great train robbery!

Train no. 22150, Pune - Ernakulam Superfast Express - departure 1845h on 13 Jun from Pune.

I'm not gonna forget this train for a long, long time because, it was this train that we'd boarded on our return trip. Everything about the train had a 'mystery' around it beginning with its starting platform which was announced towards the last 45' of its departure! Those passengers who've medical difficulties, with particular problems in walking, would find it extremely difficult to negotiate the maze of steps and the crowded thoroughways!

The train, on leaving Pune, goes towards Panvel from where it goes on the Konkan rail and joins the southern railway at Mangalore. It's switched over to the monsoon timings - to cater for the landslides on the Konkan section during the rains - from the first of this month.

On boarding, the vendors were quick to remind me that the train had no pantry car attached to it and therefore, it's better to buy the dinner packs - there's not much of variety and it's a bland version of 'biriyanis' for the vegetarian, with an egg tucked into the same fare for the non vegetarian - for a fortune. Any further query or a cross question can render one hungry for the night which would have been an unhappy proposition and therefore, I bought a couple of them without much ado!

A word about quite a few of the fellow passengers. Those who've their berths in the main enclosures, draw the curtains on entry and retain their 'fortress like enclosure' zestfully during the entire journey. Any request by their unlucky 'side berth neighbours'(we're one) for using the facility to charge their cellphones is rudely negated as it's being used - continuously(?) Wonder why people don't realise that they do not own the train by acquiring tickets for their travel and that the facilities available in a coach are meant to be shared equitably by one and all?

By 12, this morning, there was no running water available in many of the coaches. Mysteriously, bottled water was available in plenty and many of the hapless passengers were seen using that water to cleanse themselves. To add to their miseries, the vendors, with lunch packets and other eatables, stopped entering the coaches and had begun to distribute their wares on the platforms itself. The passengers swooped on the guys before the train came to a halt and the prevalent confusion need not be elaborated upon. Watching the bedlam from far, I waited for my turn and thanks to a nice, watchful vendor - he must have noticed my agony - called me aside and gave me my requirement. May god bless him in all his endeavours!

Meanwhile, the train rambled on and on, stopping at unscheduled stops - it's supposed to have only five stops between the end stations, as I understand - for long periods. Thanks to repeated complaints from the passengers, one of the TTEs had rung up the authorities at the Kozhikode railway station, whereby an announcement was made for water replenishment but to no avail. Here was an open case of dereliction to duty, by the concerned staff, but the train had to chug along further for a couple of agonising hours without water. Water was provided thankfully, subsequently!

The vendors, for some reason, kept away from serving indoors and the passengers made a dash after careful observation and calculation of the matrix which consisted of the changing colours of the signal lights, distance of the vendor's stall from their positions and the density of the crowd around the vendor!  What else can a poor, travel weary guy do? By the time the train reached its destination, it was 10 and quite a few of them would be subjected to further torture by the cabbies and the auto rickshawallas, waiting outside. Could only feel pity for them!


Tailpiece.

Here's the best example of a public utility service not ensuring that its users are looked after properly. Periodic cleaning of the innards of the coaches by the railway staff is but a pipe dream. I know that many of my friends in the railways would not be quite pleased to read this piece but facts must be told, however unpleasant they are, hoping for a redemption! And what about the common man being looted and exploited by his counterparts who're into vending?

Doesn't being human have no value in this country?

Love your countrymen! Ahem!! Go take a walk, we're Indians and don't you dare give us 'bhaashans'?

Sights, sounds and smells!

Prologue.

Saw an advice from god to all motorists, put on a bill board on the wayside which read, "You're not quite ready to meet me yet". Quite cute I must say, but the few motorists that passed by me - I was on my morning walk - didn't seem to have registered the caption and drove past with a gay abandon! Perhaps, they're ready, after all!?


The noisy afternoon.

The arrival of the 'palkhis' connected with Sant Tukaram and the attendant religious fervour that had gripped the Puneites and many more Maharashtrians, from outside town, was palpable. There was a festive mood all round and I was told that the people looked forward to covering a distance of about 40 kms by foot during the transit of the palkhis! And here was an example where the crowds would be decently behaved and never jostled or pushed each other in the course of their walk over the next five days or so. The sounds of the trumpets and the topi clad men gave it a distinct 'tantia' flavour. I've always liked the festivals of Pune for its enthusiasm, as it's a microcosm of the entire state and shows as to how simple and good natured, the ordinary Maharashtrians are!


The 'heavy' exit.

Thanks to a botched up lunch date with yet another course mate and Chinese language partner, we'd more time with Joe at his place. He took the embarassment caused by me in his stride and had rustled up a lovely, impromptu lunch. Then, all too soon,  it was time to bid goodbye and we kicked off to the railway station to be in time for our train through snarled traffic - though, I must admit that it was never a threat to reach the destination thanks to the intricate selection of roads by Joe's driver, Subhash Yadav.

The crowd at the Pune railway station was unprecedented and it had me nonplussed, for a while, till my counterpart had sent his man, Friday to help us board the train!


Tailpiece.

My heart's always heavy when I've to leave the town and this time, too, it's no different!



  

Harley Davidson, Empress Garden and so on.....

The morning walk on the Prince of Wales drive, on to the Empress garden and a chukker inside it was enough to rejuvenate me and revive fond memories. But what saddened me was that the garden has lost its pristine glory and the sight of plastic and waste, littered all over, was a damn eyesore. When will we, Indians, learn to love and nurture the environment that we live in?

Joe's prized posession is his gleaming, black and silver, Harley Davidson. When I asked him as to why he drove with his headlights on, he said that it's mandatory as it's heavy(275 kgs, if you please) and therefore, meant to warn fellow motorists and pedestrians! It's a new lesson learnt but I must say that the mean machine really looks impressive. Joe keeps it locked inside his garage while both his cars are parked outside. And its cost......only Rs.71/2 lakhs!

The evening affairs were a whirlwind. I could finally meet Prakash Vishwe, my squadron mate and the armoured corps veteran and matching him drink for drink required dexterity on my part - I think I managed it rather well but was pooped by the time we'd fetched up at the Bagwes' whose patience must have been running out waiting for this erratic guy. His good lady had prepared the most aromatic and tasty chicken biriyani (In fact the aroma continues to linger as I punch in these thoughts) for the evening and I must say rather shamefacedly, that I ate myself silly.......yet again!



Tailpiece.

Lekha's quip that she'd enjoyed being with everyone, whom she'd come across during our whirlwind tour of the city, was heartening.

PS.

It's one more day down at Pune and the prospect of having to leave soon makes me sad.

With Joe and Priscilla.

Our stay at the institute had to be abruptly ended as Joe and Priscilla had insisted upon our staying with them. So, there was another round of packing of our personal effects to move next door.

It was a roller coaster of emotions from then on. It was the reunion of the Directing Staff gang of '82 of the NDA Wing, Ghorpuri and eventhough the get together could not garner everyone's presence, those who'd made it to the evening, ensured that the event was a memorable one. The dominant emotion was the genuine thrill to meet each other and be part of the show that we could ultimately pull off. Those of us who could not be around compensated it by taking in a running commentary of the goings on from each one of us, in turn, thereby ensuring interaction with one and all.


My take.

What makes such groupings possible? It's universal that there are groupings and bondings that stay active by having a close knit communication, all through. But I'd like to believe that our gang of '82 had the singular aim of bringing up the cadets with the right values and towards that end, we'd studied,  played and enjoyed every moment with the youngsters. And that is the cornerstone of our relationship!


Tailpiece.

Joe and Priscilla stay in one of the sprawling bungalows on the 'Prince of Wales drive'. And they've maintained it with their characteristic elan and class. For us it's become a home away from home!
  

At the RSI.

It was a wonderful evening at the institute. The get together of my course mates of our squadron was memorable in more ways than one. Firstly, many of us were meeting each other after a long lapse of time. The camaraderie that was struck a long while back has sustained itself and it was at the meeting that the intensity of the bonding had unreeled. Time flew and we did not want the conglomeration to end!

Dateline 09 Jun.

At my alma mater.

Thanks to our school mate, we'd a wonderful reunion of our school mates at the NDA where I was nurtured years earlier. As I retraced the roads, the pathways and the places through which I'd spent so much of my time, a feeling of 'deja vu' crept in and left me overwhelmed. It was like many of the scenes that had been frozen in my mind all these years had come to life all of a sudden and I longed to stay in that euphoric condition for as long as I could! 

In the train.

 The helping attitude towards fellow passengers is slowly becoming a thing of the past. Or is my observation way off the mark? I'd only be too happy if I'm wrong!