My memories in an Indian train are as strong as if I am travelling everyday. And the way I adore it is just hard to believe...From the time we leave in an auto to go to our Train station to the time when we have our morning coffee..every moment I remember.
One Tuesday evening around 6pm I was waiting in a second class compartment with a Swati magazine and just skimming the pages, halting occasionally if I find any beauty or health related article, otherwise just skimming.
It was almost sunset but still sunrays fall on the magazine,light water drops drizzle from the edge of the Train door as I flip,no noise heard except the toota foota fan noise in the train, extremely hot out there still I never regret that I am not in AC compartment and I knew that soon the buttermilk vendor will come and I will be fine.
You know the value of heat only when you drink something cold, which I realize it today as I have unlimited AC everywhere but I dont find it valuble as I am not sweating.
Me and my sister check our seat numbers and grab the window seat first. We were so fond of the window seat back then. We never can compromise on that but the passengers in our compartment had to as they are mature enough to do so.
But surprisingly I am fond of the window seat even today, may be I will let younger ones take it remembering those days when elders used to trade it.
Then I am back to my magazine to realize that I am just on the 3rd page,by that time train started, as people start coming in the compartments, used to notice how this person is 24hrs on the phone, how the kid is bugging his papa to buy coke.
I am sure everyperson has experienced going in a train and will continue to do so..for the rest of the life. My mom used to make aloo with onions ki sabzi in a small box and today when i make it at home, this memory comes back to me again and again.
How we used to put our tiny fingers in it and eat it while we are watching the outdoors when fresh air is hitting your face. And then mom used to yell, 'dont put your hands on the window rods, they are dirty..'..but still I just cared about the experience and the memories..dirt is something you can wash off but memories of eating aloo sabzi in a train will stay forever.
After a while, I start noticing what types of people are in other compartments are doing by stepping up and taking a round across all, wondering if somebody is noticing me walking and then smiling occasionally and feeling that I am such a busy person to even smile as I have so much to do in my compartment :)
Cozy little place where you meet new people from different paths of life, you talk, you share, you experience and they tell you, 'humto jaldi se utar jayenge..aap window seat le lo..if you want', the first reason why they traded the seat..I am talking as if window seat is a piece of gold..may be the piece is not but the experience is..
Then later comes the so called 'Buttermilk guy' around 9 o clock, he knows when to come, especially when everybody has finished their dinner, I would never ever miss that little packet of sour and tasty milk for 2 Rs..an inexpensive food thats soo tasty. Thats the end of the day...I usually picked the middle seat for sleeping as I can step down, easily as its only one step to go down and I get to have the fresh air and also avoid the traffic of ppl in the lower level seat.
Everytime I take a train, a single evening leaves me with so many memories..
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