Those 39Hrs

So I was 30 minutes earlier in the dark foggy night on platform no 5 in Yeshvantpur with my friends..waiting for Sampark Kranti Express to Delhi.

Delhi, from where i was going to give a new turn into my career by joining a new startup company after leaving Infosys.I was full of mixed feelings..unknown about what's stored in my future !!!

It's been more than an year since I was here in Bangalore , far from home. I have enjoyed every bit of this place right from the terrific traffic jams to movies in PVR, treats with Friends,Infy Campus..and above all the never ending, ever lasting "Bakar"( endless chat with lot of spice and not a tinge of malice).

All my friends and roommates had come to see me off. I took a few shots with them (Just a few days back i had uploaded a new roll in my old Yashica to have picture with my friends and teammates, an attempt to capture these moments forever).I was enjoying their company , had a tea.. thats my favorite TimePass ( chai with bakar ..deadly combo, those who don't have tea will go to hell ..yeah i m not kidding ).

35 minutes later i was at the door of AS1 yelling good-byes to my friends .. friends with whom i enjoyed a lot..and who never let me feel homesick..

Then i checked my coach ..no chik ..as usual( i was reminded of a theorem, it goes something like ..if you are a good guy with normal looks and are traveling in train ,you will never find a gorgeous chik in your coach, and if you still manage to find one, it won't be anywhere near your berth and if still she is near you , she won't see you....Arrey yaar it’s a "Hence Proved" theorem...)
Finally settled..at my berth..next to me was a dark complexioned man with stern looks...I came to know in next 5 minutes that he was a Lieutenant .He started talk with me,told me about his training in Dehradoon and how his colonel father was happy for what he chose as a career...his home in Bangalore.I found him different from normal army personnel who more or less are rude and find themselves the only service men to the Nation and hate civilians for taking life so casually or without discipline.

Then he asked about me ..i too told him about my ancestral history of armed forces..how my grandfather and his brothers served in Army....

While i was busy talking to Lt. Tulsi, I caught a glimpse of her..yeah i caught the look of the girl who was on the upper birth(vertically opposite to me..)She was looking at me…normal looks ..but still her presence gave me some confidence that at least i got something to pass this boring journey..and to flirt with..Then i told Mr. Tulsi about my software and Infosys ..(A failed attempt to impress her huh....)..whatever..i found our eyes meeting each other for few moments ..
yeah she was normal looking ..but getting interested a little bit..and when i told him about my native place ..that i belong to Bikaner ..She jumped out of her bed and ....no no nothing special ....it never happens yaarShe told me that she too belonged to Bikaner(so that was the reason..uffo..but still right target with wrong weapon.. :)

So Mr. Tulsi was now out and she was in..i mean in conversation yaar..So gradually so many acquaintances came out and finally we found out some bonding...or connection as usual(..my classmate's uncle's sister in laws' friend's elder brother's sister in law..and the connection went on...probably longer and more complexed than schrodinger's equation..)

Now all the old champions( 35 and more) of the compartment were eying me as i have stolen something which belonged to them not to me..or if they were cursing that ..today's generation is out of control..forgotten all values..so we chatted and chatted..don't know what time she went to her berth ..

Next day while lunch and dinner .. we again discussed a lot ..lot about Bikaner..careers..she was pursuing Engg. from some private college in Bangalore..i don't know how did we become so much familiar easily..We had met for the first time and it was like that we have known each other for long .....I told her things which i probably haven't told to few of my very close friends not because i didn't want to but i never got chance to discuss them..they came out themselves..right from childhood stupidities to adolescent crushes,college life,ragging , absurd philosophies, meaning of life, aims of life and a lot more..

Now with her company i could pass time easily. Probably she also found the same motive,otherwise i rarely remember the moments when a girl herself initiated conversation with me. When we did not talk it was our eyes which met each other and then we smiled in sync.( i don't know why profs don't illustrate this example of resonance in college....)

So the finally the train reached Nizamuddin...She once asked me where i was going and then i was willing to say wherever you want let me to come with...but could not....I did not want to say bye to her..but it always happens;and finally we parted.

So now i waved at her with a hope of meeting again;gave my e-mail id( usual parting rituals ..)and finally moved away. One thing i believe is that this world is small and life is too long;and this is the thing which consoles me while parting from any dear one.

I jumped out of coach for coolie ...for Delhi i already had prenotion that this city is too much for me to handle easily,a coolie agreed for 80 bugs for 5 items ..he came with an auto driver who was asking for 350 bucks from Nizamuddin to Noida,the place where i have to shift finally..I found it too much so denied..but that taxi driver followed me..I asked the coolie to move to the prepaid counter.

Suddenly as we moved ahead..2 TTs stopped and asked me for the ticket,i provided it to them. He said that it seemed if i got more luggage than the allowed limit on a single ticket,so he put it on the weighing machine…and asked me to enter a Re 1 coin in it.. which I did with my fast pounding heart…it came with 52 Kgs. The TT grinned with all the wickedness of this universe,saw his reference pocket ruling book and told me that its 12 kg extra.

So it is 600 bugs fine…I was ready for it so started my drama.

"Sir i am a student ..please sir..no job..
books ka weight hai Sir ..plzzz..i left my PC due to weight reasons only.."
It didn't take much time and they both finally came down to 200 bucks.
I was feeling victorious..happy...elated..they asked me to give it to a "kulfi wala thela" and whispered in the kulfi wala's to take money from me.

So i just handed two 100 Re notes to him,and finally got some relief..

I thanked them and asked to coolie to come with me...that auto wala was still following me. After 10 minutes coolie asked me.."Sahib why did you pay those bas**rds 200 bugs, when 50 Kg is allowed in the 3 tier AC"....


...Shit...What??
??????????
Ohh shit yaar
???
Why dint he tell me earlier??
???
Arrey yaar..Not again....
!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was in shock...stood still on stairs for few moments ..those 2 bast**ds were out of sight now..
Within few minutes i got sense with the railway announcement "Welcome to Delhi"
..f***ing CITY OF CORRUPTION.. i said to myself .. :)