52 hours. (Day "!!" (contd..))

Day "!!" (contd..)
I woke up the next day, 5 am sharp (gosh! I wake only by 11:30 at home)…strolled a bit in the coach... since it was so early I slept again… woke up at 7… fir bhi blanket mein masti thee.. So I slept again…After much prodding from within I finally woke up sharp as per routine at 9.
Getting fresh on train as usual is always an adventure without choice. (instant hero vala formula- use train washrooms)

Back to seat I gobbled up the last bites of the "ghar ka nashta" for journey. Then a packet of biscuits. Then some coffee. Then a bit of bananas. And I couldn’t resist the samosas that came afterwards, so I had them too. (man! I feel hungry on train) The background of Manipuri/chinese/english chatter of Manipuri madams continued as usual while uncle ji and aunty ji lazily brooded observing the sights outside.Train was crossing Bengal, Siliguri station had just passed.

Just as everything seemed usual and boring what started was a little game of sorts by aunty ji which off lately every one of us started to play.Sample:

A vendor selling toys, chains, paper soap and sort of stuff crosses by..

Aunty ji: hey how much is that little toy car worth?
v: 225 bucks.
Aunty ji: can you give 3 of those for 25 bucks??? (Now that’s crazy!!!)
v: lena hai to bolo… subah ka time barbad mat karo (!@#$%^&)


Vendor number 2 (this time one is selling hand fans- imagine that scene, in an AC coach… lol)
This time its sumitra (chinki miss)

Sumitra: how much? Those fans… pink colour???
v: 20 bucks for one. Which design???
Sumitra: can you give 6 of those for 20??? (there goes again…)
v: madam! Plz be reasonable.
Sumitra: dega to do, nai to jaega (in her thickly accented manipuri hindi)


Vendor 3 - my turn (a smirk crossed my face, just as it started… all companions- manipuri mam's and uncle and aunty ji take notice)

(take notice I drop a bombshell here)
v: keychains! Keychains!
Me: haan bhaiya… kya rate hai???
v: 10 ka ek.
Me: (I take a deep breath and) ye pura stock( nearly 1000 keychains) de do… 100 mein…
All fellow passengers break in to laughter…
v: vendor moves on (of course muttering !@#$% under his breath)

Now that’s one fine way to get abused… lol

The climax
It was afternoon that I realized that uncle ji and aunty ji were destined only till Guwahati (12 hours before I get down)… and then soon I realize that the whole coach is full of tatkal reservations that have reservation only till Guwahati (including Manipuri mam's). That meant I had to spent the rest of my journey after 4 pm till next day morning 4am… in a near empty coach… I discovered a cold sweat at the nape of my neck. Even to a jerk like me, its scary!
Evening came early. And soon Guwahati arrived… Manipuri madam's gave me a sweet goodbye with "best of luck for jouney ahead!"… and that was kinda cool! … makes you think that its gr8 travelling on trains, making friends… no strings to meet up again… but a strange bond of mutual support and security, while in it .. That’s it!

The rest of journey
All alone then on.. I really felt all alone… only ,say, 15 ppl in the coach with a capacity for 72 ppl (that’s scary). My phone had already stopped working (Delhi phones don work in Assam). I brooded on and on and on as I "felt" the sun set on the horizon… the whole of my compartment was empty…But I could still hear chinki chatter, uncle ji's phone ringtone… and may be ,mom, dad, nigam, ap, aastha, swati,.. kanika, DCE , delhi and more. It was all coming back, flashes of memory, sparks, I don remember much but something really magical was happening…. To me, with me or in me… am not sure on that. BUT it WAS!. I was thinking of people I loved, I cherished and I realized that life hasn’t been that bad to me till now. And I loved them for what they were to me. They say am the biggest coward afraid of death in my friend circle, but that moment, I felt that if something were to happen to the train, to me,… I was ready! Ready for anything!

I din have appetite for dinner so I went to sleep early. But somehow I wasn’t able to sleep. From thoughts about the cherished memories, it moved to the ones I don’t ever want to be in. From the thoughts about that morning of april 24… when I lost it all… to things I cant even give hints for… all were coming back to me. Lately by 12 or so I managed to grab a nap.
Day "!!!"3Am: hardly a time to wake up… but "mazboori ka naam mahatma gandhi hai"… I woke up. Train was scheduled for 4:30 am to Tinsukia junction.The sight of Assam and the beauty that of the land in early morning… it will be something ill remember for a long time to come. It was raining! And it was all lush green! Amazing!

Train reached the juction… my adventure was success.

The fact that I pulled it off, shall remain in my memories for quite some time.
Am sure of that.

Sign off.