It’s been more than 10 days since I am out, I must sit and write what I have seen so far or I will forget soon enough…I must say am a man of solitude, learning from firsthand experience each moment, looking for the purpose of existence, travelling is my meditation. I used to be a future oriented person only a few years back during my graduation. But travelling the heritage, gross consumption of news & history has made me past oriented. I don’t want to be too fulfilling explaining what it means by future oriented or past oriented person but there is a Nice RSA video on YouTube explaining that.
Travelling alone is what I have been doing for quite some time. Food, adventure & introspection are the perks. Believe me! Your life’s priorities will change drastically when you will see the world around you more closely. So I moved out with my backpack. I took an indefinite leave from office. I knew this time it was Gonna-be huge, like 10,000 km Or point till I get mugged, brutalized or go far swimming in the sea at the point of no return (whatever comes first).
It’s dangerous, completely stupid and sometimes painful. I do not recommend it to many. But people climb Everest, swim English Channel and electrocute themselves, aint not that stupid. Disclaimer: Do not try this at home. Life is futile, world is a hostile. Life is long enough for taking unnecessary risk like crossing highway than taking foot over-bridge.
Don’t tell me I did not warn you, I am old and have a lot of travel experience. I can be passed off as both Aryan genes north Indian and Dravidian genes south Indian due to my skin, build & face. People start doing Tamil or Malayalam with me before I have to say I am not Tamil. Neither I wear gold, fancy objects, carry an SLR Camera…So to look from an affluent family. Point is that by no way I look like a Laala who can be squeezed for cash. Bad people & drug addicts cut me from the list of persons they want to rob. I take photos from my 8mp cell phone. I do use the shutter speed, ISO settings of my mobile camera. But I have to say, you will never know what a nutty pathaan or a coconutty south Indian wants. Is it your purse or is it your arse?!
So this is just brief incident of the whole story which I am telling. I forget fast so I am penning it down. One fine day (just to make things a little dramatic) I picked up a little fight with parents. Saying “Me ja raha hu”. I also pushed a room cooler which fell down to my astonishment. I packed my bag with 1 Jeans, 2 Jockey shorts, 3-4 shirts, few chaddis-vests, 1 Kindle, My imported UK wrist watch and Mobile phone (which was feebly charged), 2-3 books (which I disposed at my friend home later on in Bangalore). Did not even take a Rumaal (handkerchief) or water bottle which I believe should have been essential for the trip. My Good Old Samsonite bag (this bag always contains lot of things like pen-paper, USB wires, headphones). The family feud was very temporary so not to bother about that. But I admit I left that place with lot of passion and little vision.
I did have plans but did not know it will be that day, completely random and abrupt. By the way I took a medical-study leave from my office and I was hardly studying anything. I took a bus from Bundi Bus stand to Kota. I was having a really funny attire Shorts, T-Shirt and Big Woodland shoes on 5’5’’ body Stature. But I wanted to tell everyone “This is how white people visit places”.
I took an auto from kota bus stand to Kota railway station. The autowala guy looked very educated might have been an engineer, the typical Kota product. Teaching kids is supposed to be a humble job but not in Kota where high school teacher make crores of rupees annually over the sweat, blood and ignorance of poor parents. Too many graduates unemployed (4.5 Million to be exact). But I have my own problems. I recalled that I did remember to take my allergic medications.
It was evening ~7:30 pm I took a general ticket to ratlam, Because It was decent overnight distance from kota. The guy selling aloo-vada told me that Chandigarh-Kochi Express goes to ratlam. I even ate his vada. I went inside the general bogey with no expectations of what was coming to me whatsoever.
Let me give you an analogy of entering general compartment. Usually when you go inside a railway reserved compartment it is like hot knife inside butter, But when you go inside general compartment its inverse of child birth (equally painful). If the coach was a big 3 Dimensional jigsaw puzzle then people were its pieces. There were people everywhere in terms of “cubic meters” railway coach was 70-80% full.
Unless you are a Looking for cheap thrill, Could not get reservation because your grandpa died yesterday, BPL card holder, bailing impending nuclear holocaust on your city, man that can be manhandled…never ever travel in general compartment of India. It was sweat, dirt and bruising skin. All young people between 15-35 mostly, handful of mature chaps and Less then 3 girls. I squeezed my way ahead looking for 1’x2’x5’6’’ (+/- 5%) space to stand vertical for preciously 5-6 hours ~300km to Ratlam. I did not want more Just looking for a little place to stand upright with little self esteem.
Just then I realized I had left my purchased water bottle on station (the exact mistake which I will be doing for 4-5 times in next few days). Rats! I thought, now I was counting hours before I get dehydrated and faint in a day of summer. People were going out and coming in from emergency window casually, buying stuff from station. I believe I had chance for survival. But I did not ask anyone neither did I jumped out myself. I chose a compartment with emergency window because may be I would need water or may be Jump out. There was no chance, if I go out from ally to station & come back within 45 minutes.
I hung my backpack at front at chest to keep a good balance in the whirlpool of mob. The train left in a few minutes. It was month of May and evening was hot. Train had mostly two types of people, north Indians going south for work and many south Indian* going Kerala back home. (I still believe saying south Indian and north Indian again and again don’t classify as racism) I was in good assumption that I will reach my destination in few hours, standing won’t be a problem “kyonki Mard ko dard nahi hota”.
I witness a phenomenon when the train moved people started sitting down on the floor. When I was in college I would have done the same too, But after all corporate workplaces and metro life I developed a sense of OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) about hygiene, littering and spitting. I remained erected. Soon there was not space even to sit down for me. All I could do is remain stood-up with not much degree of freedom for movement. Many guys started sleeping too and how fast they went to sleep was amazing. It was like counter strike headshot, drop dead sleep.
I was at lower side berth, witnessing two people eating on upper births both left and right upper berth. Both seats had 1 low life underling sitting at the corners. They had space to occupy 2 more guys when the eating was over at left and right berth. I waited for their eating to be finished. Then I asked one of the guys (must have been 100kg, huge biceps, grey eyes in black gym vests, I believe both were Malayali’s and friends) whether can I sit on the remaining 1 seat as he has finished eating. Since upper birth can occupy 3 guys (or more) at sitting position.
But they had different plans they wanted to go ahead sleeping on the berth with only one guy sitting at the corner of the birth which were already there (the low life underlings). If I had come up there with my stuffed ass, it would have been 3 people sitting for entire journey. Remember train was going to Kerala which was at least 36 hours from Kota. So he obliviously did not want it. He readily refused. I argued with him that I will call T.T. (which, Even I believed was impossible). It was vain.
Then I framed a scheme, Sanghe Shakti Kalouge (Unity is strength in Kaliyug) I asked a fellow Malayali that if we go united and fight for our rights then we both can get seats for ourselves at top berth. In fact 3 people can sit normal but 4 people can also sit with a squeeze. So I wanted to gather 3 more people who will fight for their rights for sitting. The Malayali first showed some keenness but later he refused saying that he has stuff below, which he need to look after and he can’t take the that stuff up there. I even gave him a slight doze of Malayali pride which I do to all people be it Tamil, Bengali, Marathi etc. (we north Indian may not feel that way but south Indians feel strongly about it. It’s like scratching a pet dog, they love it.). My tactics failed. I was standing and the guy on top berth was resting.
He surely observed my cheap tactics. 100Kg with Black Gym vests He could dislocate my jaw in less than 3 seconds. The other older guy was in his 50s. He nagged me bitterly, so I was not looking at him at all. He also kept a suitcase on the berth so I mainly looked at this Pahalwan guy only. I stood there for 1 hour or more balancing on my legs and torso. Now I tried my PUSS IN THE BOOTS eyes technique (shrek), by timely looking at him intermittently.
Suddenly the Malayali Pahalwan guy said “Aaja! aake baith…” (his voice was bitter, but the interpretation was sweet) I don’t know if My “Puss Eyes” worked or that guy had a change of heart. I took off my woodland and climbed on the upper berth like a monkey. I said both Sorry and Thank you. Sorry for arguing and Thank you for seat. (As a manager I never forget my P&Qs) The guy slept on 55% of the seat leaving space for 2 guys to sit. His legs touched me every once in a while to make me realize my strata (aukaat) in that social setup. The other old guy also offered his seat to someone else. Thus my struggle and non violence lead to eventual success. I effectively stuffed my bag and shoes on fans which is a standard practice in engineer student circuit.
I started reading holy text on my Kindle. You know the general compartment top berth is made of horizontal wooden planks, which directly interacts with Butt bones. I was tossing and turning, shifting center of mass from left butt to right butt, but it hurt badly. For a full night I could not have survived the smell of sweat, piss, dirt, occasional mango pickle and slow settling pain in the ass. I preferred a jail time rather than this sojourn.
The train rushed and time went by. It had been 4-5 hours, did my math Ratlam should not be more then 300km. Train is going Non-stop, I must be coming or its has passed. I asked a few guys, they were completely ignorant. But just then I realized train name was train name was Chandigarh-Kochi Sampark Kranti Non-stop…It had briefly halted at corner junction of Rajasthan, Now it will take one more halt at Godhra and then stop after 10 hours of Non-Stop journey at Vadodara.
I panicked; I had done a blunder in going to my first destination. How would I survive further 5-6 hours to Vadodara? (I seriously wanted to get down that train as fast as possible) I even started getting messages of Gujarat Telecom. That we entered Gujarat, Train never destined to go to Ratlam. “Rule #23: Double Tap!” That’s what I learned with this, always be twice sure when asking something. Believe me this was the only goof-up attributed to ignorance in next 50 days.
Now Suddenly I felt there is something in my bladder, yes obliviously! it was piss. I just looked down the entire floor was covered people sitting shoulder to shoulder in deep sleep, inclined to any surface they could hold to. Good thing was everyone was sitting or sleeping. No one was at any discomfort. I saw one child peeing from emergency window when the train took a halt. But not possible for me since my ground clearance was higher & off-course I am a little civilized (only that much civilized, which world makes me to be). Since the next halt was 2-3 hours away i.e. Godhra I must take a piss at bathroom. I took off my socks & climbed down. I could not put a toe on the floor, every square cm was occupied. I was still clinging to the bars with my foot on the lower bar and my hand on anything that they could hold to. So I begin climbing like a parkour guy one compartment to another without putting foot on the floor for once finding whatever edges I could hold to. It was a pure sight from Mission impossible. Sometime will not find a place to put my limbs and then I jumped to next set of bars. I was endangering the lives of people sleeping below me, because if I would slip whole 81kg mass will fall on one doomed guy.
After going some distance I realized that I have come wrong way, it was impossible to move forward. I started returning back to opposite direction. It was a great exercise if you do it 2 hours a day for a month you will become Vidyut Jamwal. It was a litmus test to strength and agility. I came back to my compartment. I took a gasp. The keralite bearded Muslim bhai said go to other direction you can reach this way, which looked a lot more crowded than the previous direction. I could have held my bladder for few more hours. I just wanted to wait for next station and I will get down (Be It “Rann of Kucch”). But the Kerala guy said confidently. I started moving in the more crowded direction like an acrobat. As I was reaching the destination, I realized there must be people sleeping inside bathroom. I was pretty sure by the time I landed on 2 sq inch floor near the urinals.
Most people at the door and at the urinal were standing, but some adamants are sleeping there too. I asked one guy for sleepers, to go inside the bathroom. He readily gave me. I thank him for his generosity till today. As I opened bathroom there were two boys sleeping, both 12-15. They were sleeping like dead meat on the left side of urinal. Right side “1” foot away there was the glory hole where people piss, shit, cum and throw new born girl babies. I woke both up, moved them out, took a pee & flushed. I came out gave the sleepers back, both boys were rubbing eyes. They went right back inside the toilet. Thus I know how precious sleep is. If #Raga has done enough village tourism, poverty tourism, he must do general train compartment tourism.
Some of these people can’t afford Sleeper coach and there are never enough seats in General coach. Whatever may be the reason they always travel like this. It will be a total trauma for many silver spoons, fair skinned people.
But I admit there was order in chaos. I found that two girls who came later were given top birth seats to avoid inconvenience. Two People may have surrendered their seats for girls. I heard much talk, giggle and laughter all around the journey. I myself finally got a seat, I was able to pee. I drank water or I did not I don’t remember that. But Life was good. I had a brief conversation with the guy (the low life underling) who was given 25% of the seat. He was from Karauli Rajasthan. He was expert in putting bathroom tiles. He said he works in Kerala because he gets good pay, Rajasthan not good pay. I explained him there is lot of remittance from Gulf countries to Kerala. We say a lot of bad things about mid-east and the orthodox culture. But this young Hindu guy was getting his bread and butter from mid-east. I remember Javed Aktar saying that “India is a land of contradictions, Let’s be part of this great circus and enjoy.”
My story does not end here. It was still a long night. I came back to my seat and realized that it was taken by a friend of Karauli guy. They both were watching photos of actress with cleavage sometime back. It looked pretty harmless. The other guy, who was clinging to side shelf last time, was on my seat. I could get back my seat, But I realized my station might be coming in few time (just 6th sense). So I made myself some room on floor and stood straight. I checked my merchandise so that I can readily collect and jump off on next station whatever it be (even Kucch ka Rann).
Shortly the Godhra station came. I was a halt. Train was away from the actual station, it was pitch dark outside. But I could see platform protruding and white strips. I saw a few more people at the platform. I could see actual platform lights, it was little further away.
I decided to jump out of emergency window. I thought I will sleep on platform today if I do not find any other mean. This action which I believe I am never going to do again after witnessing a women being chopped off from Local train in which I was travelling later that month (different story altogather). No courage now to pull anything of that stupid sort again.
The train could have started any moment; it was a red light halt. If you fall wrong way you are stuck between train and platform, you are a dead man. The platform was not a solid surface but fine stand stone one. I threw my bag out, I threw my shoes out. Then I tried going face front, legs first from emergency window. But I got stuck as my torso was slightly bigger then window. My feet were also not reaching the ground. If I had tried bending it more, I would have cracked my vertebra. I got chills, that if train leaves I am a goner. Then I turned myself 180 degree, Face facing inside compartment I tried reaching ground my feet were just trying to reach the ground. Just then the signal went green the train honked. I lost a few heartbeats. But by then my feet were on ground. I picked up stuff and started running back to station where I could see lights (Remember it was 3am in the night). Just when I realized I should go inside train at sleeper compartment. Now there will not be a TT since there was not stop for last 9-10 hours. All T.T. must have done their work by now. SO I climbed inside sleeper compartment in same train. It was all peaceful; I found a little space to sit near a sleeping child.
Next 1 hour flied-by. I reached Vadodara station. I asked an autowala to take me anywhere with 24 hour check out and less then 300Rs. I trusted every Gujarat autowala like my left elbow. Autowala took 50Rs. He went about 300 meters and some hotel room with TV and No attached bathroom in 260Rs. I dropped dead on the bed & slept, Got up in the evening looking for food like a beast.