I Too Have Travelled By Train.... Yipee!!!!!!

Rail Gaadi Rail Gaadi Chuk Chuk Chuk Chuk

Bhich Waale Station Bole Ruk Ruk Ruk Ruk

Being a protected child and having had spent a major part of my life in Dubai, I equated a journey by train to just another impossible dream. If people asked me how being 20 plus, I still had not travelled by train, I had a ready answer for them: "But I have travelled by plane."

Luck and maybe some divine intervention gave me an opportunity to make a nice trip in this primitive locomotive a week back. My destination was the "Divine Retreat Center" in Potta. The thought of being able to enjoy my first train journey for six hours made my heart leap in joy. My mind danced in excitement.

That first day in the train, i mentally transformed into a little child curiously probing new territory. It was a wonder to me that a train should have so many compartments, both a window and a shutter, and a holder for water and bags, could be a place where u could buy books and CDs, and sadly, could be a place for begging too.

From stories and narrations that I have come across in books and movies, I have come to understand that the train is a great place to make new acquaintances. In my opinion, the "one-day" ( "one-hour" is perhaps a better term) acquaintances I made on the train were really "one-day friends," the memory of whom I would probably cherish forever.

Every person in this world is unique. That is something like a kindergarten lesson for us all. On that train, the venerable Cape Mumbai Express, I realized that every guy is unique. I chanced to have the fortune or misfortune of being seated near two men, one on the "to"journey, and the other on the "return" journey. While the first was strangely friendly to the point of revealing to me that he was a complete zero in studies, the other seemingly preferred to turn his head the other way when a female species was near. Yup, that's different men and different backgrounds for you.

I also met two really nice young girls. One seemed to like me so much that she was so closely huddled against me even though there was sufficient space on the sleeper we were seated on.

Despite all the fun I had in my train journey, what i really regret is that I couldn't take a bite of any of the tempting eatables that the caterers were carrying up and down the train. My father wouldn't let me, fearing that the food would be unhygienic, a fear that i too shared, but grudgingly.

One thing is for sure....the next time I want to go on a trip or excursion, travel by train would be something I would definitely consider. However, I won't stop with traversing Kerala - I'm going to Delhi!!!!!!!

BYEEEEEEEEE!!!!!