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 .....