Rail Yatra...

With lots of dreams and hopes of building my career in Bangalore, I started my journey from Rajkot. I was travelling through the great Indian railways. First time I was travelling alone in such a long journey.

It was one my most memorable train journey. My dearest friend Dhara was going to Baroda from Ahmedabad in the same train. We had decided that at Ahmedabad station we will meet.
After completion of our MBA we were meeting first time so we both had so much to share with each other. I got wonderful Ghanchakkar idea of making Dhara travel in same compartment as of mine even though she was not carrying ticket for that.

Dhara: Hetal I have General Coach Ticket, ideally I am not authorized to travel in SL class. Are you sure if I will travel in your compartment there will be no issues?

Hetal: Don’t worry dear, let us take this risk. If Ticket Checker will come we will convince him saying that you have just come here to meet me for 5 minutes, you will soon return to General Coach.

Dhara: Great Hetal. After such a long time we are meeting. Till Baroda comes we will have chance to spend 3 hours together. This risk is worth enough to be taken; I will be travelling with you only.

Suddenly to our bad luck after just 10 minutes Ticket checker appeared in front of us. The cruel Ticket Checker fined Dhara a hefty amount. Fellow passengers were looking at us strangely as instead of being sad we were laughing and not at all discussing or repenting about TC incident at all. For both of us the time we spent together in train was more important than that fine.

I slept after Dhara got down at Baroda station. When I got up it was 10.30 pm. The train was standing at one small station. I could not recollect the name of that station now. I finished my dinner and again slept. I woke up at 8 am next day. To my surprise train was still standing at same station. I couldn’t believe on my eyes. I pinched myself twice just to confirm whether I am in dream or not.

I came to know from fellow passengers that due to heavy rains one railway bridge has collapsed. So rail authorities have stopped our train. Nobody was giving exact information when train will start again and when we will reach Bangalore.

The station where train was stopped was very small village. It was impossible to get any alternate transportation from there to Bangalore. So I had no option but to wait till train starts again. Finally in the afternoon around 1 pm train started it’s onwards journey. Train reached Bangalore 24 hours later than scheduled time of arrival!!!!!

While living the gate of the railway station, I was reading sign board put up by Railway authorities- ‘Shubh Yatra’. Yes indeed my ‘Yatra’ was not ‘Shubh’ at all but I was happy at least I could reach Bangalore safely.