A journey down troubleslane.
I felt hungry late into the night of Independence day. Too late for good food, all I could get was a veg burger in a shop that was closing for the day. Maybe it was time I started believing the Butterfly effect.
I had forgotten that fifteenth is a Friday and a holiday, forfeiting independence from misery! Deciding to go home, just a week before 'independence' is bad idea as everyone would say. No tickets. Fortunately the four o clock super-fast had space to spare, so did an unusual midnight train for the journey back.
Unexpected showers in Chennai had brought its share of disease, which I had fallen victim, and I didn't know about it, until things turned ugly.
In spite of repeated attempts by the colony folks to call us for the flag hoisting, I slept through to midday. Then had a quick bath and went on to have fried rice for lunch halfway through to the MRTS station. Darkening skies made me go back home to fetch an umbrella against the wishes of Mirshad who was driving me to the station.
He was right, a train had appeared on the tracks about a kilometre away. I could still make it. I ran to the counter, only to find a large Hindi speaking group trying to get tickets from an attendant who spoke only Tamil. My instincts told me to run to the platform, but I wanted a 'ticket', more for righteousness than the unseen ticket checker! In the midst of the confusion outside and the conflict inside the train slipped away. It was 3.00pm.
Reassuringly, according to the timetable there is another train at 3.15 for my 20 min trip to Central. Until at 3.10 I realised, much to my misery that the new electronic board says 3.25. I decided that a train is still my best option. The train arrived promptly at 3.30. The sky as well my belly rumbled as I chalked out strategies to use 10 minutes I would get after getting off to walk 250m to Central, find the train and get on to it.
Swaying and shaking of the train had started rumblings deep inside me, which quickened as we pulled into Park Town. My plan started ticking. Run. I ran through the crowd, up the stairs down the road. My heart missed a beat as felt wetness in my pants. In the confusion I missed the turn to the subway, scrambled for it and got to the other side. I ran again.
Only to be stopped by an array of policemen. They checked my bag and found my laptop. 3.57. "Sir, laptops are not allowed on trains today, its an emergency." The clock, the spreading blot on my backside and more rumbling from within, I was cursing myself, and the moment I decided to take it. 3.58. I was sent off the supervisor, who wanted a company ID. Unfortunately my company does not identify itself on employee id cards, the PAN card did not help, the supervisor was suspicious and walked away for further consultation. I lot hope. 3.59. 'You can go'. I ran.
I ran to the display, it said platform One. The one farthest from where I was. Praises to thee and numerous references to 'the blot' escaped my lips. I had gotten so far, to miss now would be a terrible misfortune. The green flag was waving and the train starting as I rushed onto platform one. More praises to thee as I got to the last steps of the last compartment at last.
The journey was uncomfortable and hungry as train food scared me further, that I decided to have nothing but a pack of biscuits. People stared at a sweaty and panting holding onto his pants. Getting to change in a railway restroom, with each sway of the train sending water splashing all around was a nightmare well forgotten. Sleep was hard to come, I tried to sleep as I had to wake up at 3am. Loud belching of an awakened volcano continued through the night snatching away precious sleep for a tired body and a humiliated soul.
The alarm ran at 2, I was just a hundred kilometres away. More rumbling both from within and without as the train ground to a halt and my belly started running. Alarmed i stared out of the windows for any movement. I don't know if the train was sympathetic, it moved. I was ecstatic. The joy was short lived. It stopped again. This cycle of hope and despair continued three more times. At last the sleep Town station chugged into view. I ran again, mentally asked father to step up on the gas. I didn't feel bad enough to tell him then.
Reached home, had a tired afternoon until I decided to travel down to the city. It was in the car that it dawned on me that I had booked returns tickets for the very day I arrived. Five minutes after midnight on 17 Aug is on the night of 16 Aug, I got stares questioning my sanity from everyone in the car. I was in no position to travel.
A long weekend along with the Malayalam new year had ensured that trains were full until well into the week. Tatkal waiting lists smiled back with two digits while the normal ones frowned with three. I decided to fly back two days later.
A polite call a day later told me that the flight would leave 2.5 hours behind schedule. I was happy as I didn't have to wake up too early for this. Arriving at the airport broke my heart with three consecutive 10 minute delays. Midday on Tuesday I land back in a cool and cloudy Chennai.
In the spirit of revolt I decide to give autorikshaws a slip. I want to see if I can get to office without 'touching' and autorikshaw. I rush past the 'greedy' eyes triumphantly down the subway to Tirusulam station. I'm not sure how my dishevelled appearance and unsteady gait contributed to this triumph.
The triumph started turning sour as the 11.56 train failed to arrive at 12.15, and when it did at 12.25 it was bursting at the seams. Blame my luck I stood right before the first class compartment with a second class ticket. Thankfully I ran to the door, to be pushed barely inside the door by the 'door hangers'. With luggage in hand it was a memorable trip to Guindy. The bus to Madhya Kailash was uneventful but an MRTS train left Kasturibai nagar as I got down the bus.
Share autos were an option, but against my no auto stategy. I didn't want to break it for the last leg. I waited half an hour to catch a train that took me 4km down the IT highway ! Interesting what people do for their convictions, rather how foolish can men be. Meanwhile the Chennai sun had turned hot and mean, I walked from Thiruvanmiyur to Ascendas, weary and tired to start a whole new week at office.
I had forgotten that fifteenth is a Friday and a holiday, forfeiting independence from misery! Deciding to go home, just a week before 'independence' is bad idea as everyone would say. No tickets. Fortunately the four o clock super-fast had space to spare, so did an unusual midnight train for the journey back.
Unexpected showers in Chennai had brought its share of disease, which I had fallen victim, and I didn't know about it, until things turned ugly.
In spite of repeated attempts by the colony folks to call us for the flag hoisting, I slept through to midday. Then had a quick bath and went on to have fried rice for lunch halfway through to the MRTS station. Darkening skies made me go back home to fetch an umbrella against the wishes of Mirshad who was driving me to the station.
He was right, a train had appeared on the tracks about a kilometre away. I could still make it. I ran to the counter, only to find a large Hindi speaking group trying to get tickets from an attendant who spoke only Tamil. My instincts told me to run to the platform, but I wanted a 'ticket', more for righteousness than the unseen ticket checker! In the midst of the confusion outside and the conflict inside the train slipped away. It was 3.00pm.
Reassuringly, according to the timetable there is another train at 3.15 for my 20 min trip to Central. Until at 3.10 I realised, much to my misery that the new electronic board says 3.25. I decided that a train is still my best option. The train arrived promptly at 3.30. The sky as well my belly rumbled as I chalked out strategies to use 10 minutes I would get after getting off to walk 250m to Central, find the train and get on to it.
Swaying and shaking of the train had started rumblings deep inside me, which quickened as we pulled into Park Town. My plan started ticking. Run. I ran through the crowd, up the stairs down the road. My heart missed a beat as felt wetness in my pants. In the confusion I missed the turn to the subway, scrambled for it and got to the other side. I ran again.
Only to be stopped by an array of policemen. They checked my bag and found my laptop. 3.57. "Sir, laptops are not allowed on trains today, its an emergency." The clock, the spreading blot on my backside and more rumbling from within, I was cursing myself, and the moment I decided to take it. 3.58. I was sent off the supervisor, who wanted a company ID. Unfortunately my company does not identify itself on employee id cards, the PAN card did not help, the supervisor was suspicious and walked away for further consultation. I lot hope. 3.59. 'You can go'. I ran.
I ran to the display, it said platform One. The one farthest from where I was. Praises to thee and numerous references to 'the blot' escaped my lips. I had gotten so far, to miss now would be a terrible misfortune. The green flag was waving and the train starting as I rushed onto platform one. More praises to thee as I got to the last steps of the last compartment at last.
The journey was uncomfortable and hungry as train food scared me further, that I decided to have nothing but a pack of biscuits. People stared at a sweaty and panting holding onto his pants. Getting to change in a railway restroom, with each sway of the train sending water splashing all around was a nightmare well forgotten. Sleep was hard to come, I tried to sleep as I had to wake up at 3am. Loud belching of an awakened volcano continued through the night snatching away precious sleep for a tired body and a humiliated soul.
The alarm ran at 2, I was just a hundred kilometres away. More rumbling both from within and without as the train ground to a halt and my belly started running. Alarmed i stared out of the windows for any movement. I don't know if the train was sympathetic, it moved. I was ecstatic. The joy was short lived. It stopped again. This cycle of hope and despair continued three more times. At last the sleep Town station chugged into view. I ran again, mentally asked father to step up on the gas. I didn't feel bad enough to tell him then.
Reached home, had a tired afternoon until I decided to travel down to the city. It was in the car that it dawned on me that I had booked returns tickets for the very day I arrived. Five minutes after midnight on 17 Aug is on the night of 16 Aug, I got stares questioning my sanity from everyone in the car. I was in no position to travel.
A long weekend along with the Malayalam new year had ensured that trains were full until well into the week. Tatkal waiting lists smiled back with two digits while the normal ones frowned with three. I decided to fly back two days later.
A polite call a day later told me that the flight would leave 2.5 hours behind schedule. I was happy as I didn't have to wake up too early for this. Arriving at the airport broke my heart with three consecutive 10 minute delays. Midday on Tuesday I land back in a cool and cloudy Chennai.
In the spirit of revolt I decide to give autorikshaws a slip. I want to see if I can get to office without 'touching' and autorikshaw. I rush past the 'greedy' eyes triumphantly down the subway to Tirusulam station. I'm not sure how my dishevelled appearance and unsteady gait contributed to this triumph.
The triumph started turning sour as the 11.56 train failed to arrive at 12.15, and when it did at 12.25 it was bursting at the seams. Blame my luck I stood right before the first class compartment with a second class ticket. Thankfully I ran to the door, to be pushed barely inside the door by the 'door hangers'. With luggage in hand it was a memorable trip to Guindy. The bus to Madhya Kailash was uneventful but an MRTS train left Kasturibai nagar as I got down the bus.
Share autos were an option, but against my no auto stategy. I didn't want to break it for the last leg. I waited half an hour to catch a train that took me 4km down the IT highway ! Interesting what people do for their convictions, rather how foolish can men be. Meanwhile the Chennai sun had turned hot and mean, I walked from Thiruvanmiyur to Ascendas, weary and tired to start a whole new week at office.
posted by adarshnat at
11:38 AM
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