I wrote this one long time back, but I have no clue why I did not post. Any case here it is, I have been writing, but never posted, no clue why, will post others when I am able to locate them on my hard drive
It was
Then started my long wait for my station, where I had to get down and head to Raniganj, but then I am known for it, it always happens with me, Train is running very late, may be up to 2 hrs late, went back to my seat (the window seat), with window still shut, thanks to those who were still sleeping and making me jealous. I thought it was time to read something, took out a RK Narayan’a malgudi story book and started reading from where I left previous night.
7am, 8am, 9am, Train still happily moving at its own phase, and stopping at every station(wow, it is supposed to be a super fast express). By now I already started to get worried on missing my connecting train to Raniganj which was at
When I finally asked a local Tea vendor on how far is bardhwan, and reply was, "Sir, yeah Train tho bardhwan nahin jayegi".. I was like, what??????. Not surprised, things never go the right way for me.
Thanks to the same tea vendor, who suggested me alternative to reach Raniganj. I was to get down at next station which was to arrive in 5 minutes and then take a bus to Bardhwan and then another bus to Raniganj.
Before he could complete his suggestion, the station arrived, I just took my Bag, with the book still in my hand, I did not have time to think, and I just blindly believed the tea vendor and got down.
I was reading that part of the book, where the author is describing a tea stall and that the things cost less in the tea stall that was the last thing I read. I walk out of the station and there it was a Tea stall, similar to what I read lot of flies on the Bread etc, Best part was the cost, A puri costs a buck and a glass of Tea costs a buck too. For a movement I thought if I was lost reading or I was actually in the process of eating 10 puri's and a glass of tea for 11 bucks. The whole setup up of that place was very imaginary.
I went to bus stop, all the people waiting there were busy smoking bedis, and nobody seem to know Hindi. But somehow managed get a bus ride to Bardhwan, It was three hours Bus ride, ON ROOF TOP OF IT, then those three hours ride happened to be the most scariest and best rides, best because it was awesome fun, scariest because I almost got knocked out by a tree branch(phew, that was really close), after that incident, I was just holding tightly to the railings and dodging the tree branches, bend to left or right, or sometime just go on your back, all the people around were buzy laughing at what I was doing, I was toooo scared, I would bend to any tree branch that I saw, irrespective of how far it was from me.
Finally reached Bardhwan, and then took another bus ride to Raniganj, a label on the bus read "Super Fast Express, No concession allowed". only after the bus started to move I realized meaning of it, it meant, it would stop every 2 km. 60 km ride took almost 3 hours on a 6 lane highway.
It was around
And what followed was a much deserved rest..............
The End..