Sunday, March 23, 2008

What to expect while travelling through Bihar on indian rail?

Well i am a person who loves travelling,has been born in Bihar and is not in a condition to afford an air ticket .So i have had certain experiences while travelling to and out of my home state which are very characteristics of the region and unforgettable in many ways.Now while if you are going to your home for a vacation and have been able to get a reservation in the second class(which you will ,thanks to all the rail ministers from Bihar..there are many trains) you are sure to find somebody already occupying your seat when you reach it after wading your way through the crowd.Now who is this somebody usually???He either is a student like you who was too busy with other things to get his reservation done..or he is this bhaiya from a rural place who feels it an insult to pay for a reservation...or he is a child who has been planted by his father so that he can be adjusted according to the constraints met....In any of the cases somebody is going to ask you top produce your ticket(that princely possession) with such authority as if he were the TT General....Now once he has shamefully inspected the ticket (as if a CA was reading an annual report) he will tell you in a proud voice"Bhai sahab reservation nahin mila,thoda adjust kar liya jaye".Now if you are a compassionate human being (and a fool also) you will accept his proposal....Now you will put down your luggage according to his comfort and start with magazine or newspaper that you brought for the journey....After he sights the generosity in you ,he will ask for a page of the newspaper and then will leave you only with the page that you were reading...This won't annoy you much till you see him using the paper for a putting his food,wiping his hand and using it as a hand fan .He will go ahead and tell you that he is use to travelling in first class and its his bad luck today.Now after he has had his food,its time to take a nap.... but where??? Off course ON YOUR SHOULDER...If your lucky and quick(or can pretend), it could be the other way round...
Some people are more lucky to find a companion who has (or pretends to have) extraordinary knowledge about the current political scenario of India .Such people will make you travel(willingly or unwillingly) through the period of 1947 -2008 with his own interpretations.Now in between his sleep he might wake up occasionally to ask you about the past station or the time...Now towards the end of the journey he might develop some sympathy for you(if he is not inhuman) and ask you about your family and all..Just before getting down he will say"Phir milenge,shayad isi train mein"....And you wish the roles are reversed the next time....
Now thats is the reason why i prefer travelling in second class even if time again my father advices me not to do so....ITS because i have had many boring journeys in the first class with no challenges....BUT you know, sometimes you find people who are so good and cheerful..People who will share everything of their life with you...This is because they know you will never be able to cause any difference in their life...People who are filled with warmth and carry lots of good food along with them SOMETHING THATS VERY COMMON. WITH THE PEOPLE OF MY HOME STATE .....

11 comments:

falcon said...

hey Kg that post was gr8 ..lowly u rturning to be a blogger... writing something that is fun to read but of no worth...
It's a fun to travel oin sleeper ..especially if u r not journeying alone.. but 36 hrs alone quite boring...

By the way first class travel can be fun.. u might jus get a babe next to u ..all alone... u know girls traveling alone prefer first classs.
And you know what on my trip to kolkata I had DSP black in train... Thx to the Aunti who was generous enough to share with me... not to mentuion those goodies.. we all have had fun .. with Ciggi too...
So I would rather say train travel is fun in itself...

Gargi said...

heyy,,,that made for a really good reading...the small anecdotes, spiced with humour, irony and subtle details and the lucid language, has successfully presented a real view of the train journey in India...i guess only during a train journey u get to see such diverse activities and entertainment packed under one roof...that also to be found only in India...with all those gossip of the co-passengers and the vendors selling every type of products ranging from tea to even mosquito repellants!!!...and personally i feel a flight journey is damn boring.....the boys can atleast get a treat to the eye by staring at the air-hostesses or stewardesses....bt we d girls are deprived of that option too....and how long can one gaze at the endless blue sky and the clouds floating amidst it!!!!.....thus i feel if we dont count the comfort and time factor then a train journey has a different thrill of its own....

Wild Strawberry said...

Having in mind the disadvantages that one has to face while travelling in a train I simply agree with you. Yes the fun, the excitement and the warmth one feels while travelling in it. But then I cant agree with gargi dat the flight journey is borring as deres no handsome guys out dere and you think dere are handsome guys in 2nd class ???
Anyway the topic present an apt scenario of Indian rail not only through Bihar but through many other places of India...

Intriguiging Answers said...

I think its all about luck as far as fnding of a handosme guy or cute gal is concerned.... i have found gals everywhere in my boagie except besides me.....

Gargi said...

lolzz...ya i think its really abt luck!!....coz we dont get to see much of handsome guys anywhere nowadays..be it in train or plane!!...where d hell hv all of them gone yaar???!!!..anyways jokes apart, heyy priyama, i jst meant dt in a train journey u can atleast get to see quite a spectacular view from the window...dts why i "personally" think that flight journey is much boring...atleast my own experience says so...

Wild Strawberry said...

Then gargi I cmpletely agree with u even on de fact dat v rarely see handsum guys.... n yes flight journey is borrin in dat sense.......

Intriguiging Answers said...

Well most of the handsome guys are heart broken....and are slowly changing their inclination....ha ha

Anonymous said...

this post was simply amazing..being a native of bihar i have seen so many such instances myself but being a girl i hv never been on the suffering side..and have never been (un)fortunate to have been left to travel alone ..
but you have portrayed the journey so well..i really got reminded of my childhood days..i am sure my dad too would have made me sit on someone else's birth and would have expected some adjustment..
i remember one thing for sure
, the food sharing ceremony...
no matter who we are travelling with -this habit of food sharing is what i really appreciate in us biharis...:)
keep writing..

falcon said...

hey KG I tagged u for this meme http://falcon-eyes.blogspot.com/2008/05/random-meme.html

Unknown said...

this is the 1st time i'm posting a comment to someone's blog...and i feel i'v chosen the best one to start with!
this article made for a delightful read...the myriad reflections regarding the different aspects of 2nd class travel r so vivid...they almost held up a moving scene in front of my eyes!

Unknown said...

Good writing .... dude keep it up