9. Journey

I have always hated traveling, unless its me riding on the bike, or car in the near future. But for now, I still hate traveling, but then again there is an exception. The exception being if it's via Flight, I seriously have no problem. But it is not always easy to travel on flight, well because your destination might not have an Airport for one thing and you are planning to travel in a few days and one can imagine the sky rocketing travel expenses, either it is train or flight or even bus. 

So, one of the above mentioned reasons has compelled me to travel on a train. And let me tell you, I hate, hate, really hate traveling in trains. In my four years of engineering when all my friends and cousins traveled in train to and fro from college to home, I have found Bus better than train, even though it takes a longer time. I really don't know the reason. But like I said, sometimes we don't have a choice. This time the choice was in the form of bloody State Partition affair. Stupid, idiotic people fighting over a piece of land and then we call our country filled with integrity bullshit. Now, don't get offended. Just food for thought. 

I am actually kind of a punctual type of a person. I reached the railway station an hour before the scheduled time of departure. And well, the train was right on time. And this being the first stop, the train was practically empty. I grabbed my place, and the fact that I am carrying over hundred thousand bucks worth or items with me ( Are you looking at me with your jaw down? Let me point it out, Laptop, my smart phone and my DSLR camera accounts to more than a hundred thousand bucks ) See! You own even more than me! No biggie! The point is not that. The point being being a rigorous smart phone user, the battery gets down too quickly and I decided to charge it up. I find the plug point and keep it for charging while simultaneously chatting on whatsapp and also keeping an eye on my valuables. A guy approaches me while I was already busily engrossed in call. He asks whether I know his language, to which I nod. He doesn't care whether I am on a call or not, he just wants to tell his story and get something out of it. Have you ever come across people who say that their friends left them in the middle of nowhere and they don't have money to get back and they ask you for money. I have come across a lot of people. I was busy on a call. I kept talking for like fifteen more minutes while he silently listens to my conversation and cuts me off saying that the time is running out. So, here's his story...

He came to Bangalore along with his friends. His friends left him in Bangalore and he has no money on himself. He asked the Ticket Collector about his situation, to which the TC replied him to take a General Ticket and travel back to whichever place he wants. Now, he wants me to buy a ticket for him. When I asked him How can that be possible that he has no money? He almost made a crying face trying to convince myself that his friends left him. I had no idea whether I should believe him or not. So, I asked him to call his friends and even offered my phone to make a call. He said he didn't had a cell phone and didn't even listen to my offer regarding the phone call that I was willing to make on his behalf. My idea was to call either his friends or someone related so that I could know the reason. I asked about ATM Card and everything, even ID. He didn't have anything and the response he continuously gave was that he was from a village where there are no ATM cards, nothing. Now, that's fishy. A person might not have ATM card, ID Card, but mobile phone also? And these days people with no work also have ATM cards and stuff like that, but this gentleman didn't have anything. I directly pointed these thing to him and said that I was sorry and I can't help him in any manner. He asked for a few more minutes. Wait, I forgot to mention one thing. He kept saying this was the last train to his place and there were no other trains. Since I had no knowledge about the train names and routes I kept quite in that aspect, but I am sure there will be one or the other train going, if not to his place , at least to a place neat his hometown or wherever he was trying to go. He kept asking me not for the money but for a ticket back to his home. I even explained to him that it was way too difficult for me believe a word he is saying. His face changed but he kept telling about the unfortunate incident that his friends left him and that he didn't have any card or anything. I kept saying that I couldn't believe him and I can't help in anyway. So, after like asking for a long time, he said that he will definitely travel in the same train no matter what and that he would meet me when he gets down at his station. But he was just gone never to be seen again.

The remaining part of the journey consisted of reading a novel and staring out at the nature as the world went past through me. And then I completed my  post, that was due since a week and started that fictionalization of the characters who well are in my friends circle - Extraordinarily Ordinary. I guess you might have come across it. I posted the first one late at night nearly a minute after midnight. I was the only guy awake in the whole of train, I guess, nothing new about it (Just Saying). 

Now, the bummer was when I got a call prior to the journey from the transport department that the Return Bus , which I booked as I felt that train is not my cup of tea, got canceled. I was like what the heck! I had already started from my room to the railway station. I even made a plan to go the the nearest airport and book a return ticket from there even if the price was a little higher. But then my brother, the genius he is books a ticket which reportedly will arrive back in Bangalore a hour later than the bus that I earlier booked. It was still okay as I wanted to go to office on that day. But there is something called fate. And that my friend, is not at all in my favor, no matter what!  First of all, the bus was already late by an hour when I boarded it and then they said that they were changing the route. Now that added like 5 hours more to the already delayed time. And by the I reach Bangalore,  my office will be long over. Now, the head - banging part is that they were telling that it was mentioned in the website that a new route will be followed. But there were a bus full of people who were ready to deny that. And well, nothing else could be done from our side. They were feeling like they were doing a favor for us. SO, YEAH. THANKS FOR THE FAVOR. REALLY! 

I would rather just spend a few thousand bucks and travel in flight than facing any of this nonsense. So, yeah I reached 6 hours late and I had no choice but to stay at room and apply a leave for this day. 

P.S. : I am just rambling. I know I should be writing about that story. Looks like there are more people looking forward to it than I actually expected. And this expectation scares me, scares me in a matter of speaking I am like a little bit afraid of not meeting the expectations. And before I end this, those characters I am describing are my friends and I am just changing the names, just in case. Thanks. 

#Rambling

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