What makes them do this?

I was late that Friday when I started from Thiruvanmiyur home for Chennai central railway station. I was in obvious hurry and it was drizzling. The normal auto rickshaw charge from Thiruvanmiyur RTO to Tidel Park Suburban railway station is 40 rupees. As usual, these guys ask 50 rupees for this trip; quoting hike in petrol price (even if their vehicle has LPG label stamped on it). 

This driver saw me walking (literally running) towards the RTO road. Sudden thoughts of 'Ha, yet another prospective customer' sprung onto his mind. I got into the auto and told my destination. As though a thunderbolt has struck him, came the reply.. 'Sir, 60 rupees venam'. I knew it was way too much. I didn't want to argue since time was against me. I just told him that, he knows clearly my situation and that is the reason why he is demanding me. Also, I told him that, normal rate is 40 and the max is 50. He then said that, it was heavy traffic. I replied saying that, next time, when another person gets into his auto for same route, ask him only 50 and requested him to drive little fast. This guy, as if to avenge my words, started driving slowly. I didn't speak until it was 100 meters away from Tidel railway station. The red signal was on and traffic had already piled up. The guy started murmuring something that time. The inferiority complex has settled upon and played lot of damage to thoughts of these guys. That is what which makes them do all this.

I stepped out of auto and paid him 70 rupees mentioning 'you can still drive with speed'. And, I told him this:  'As I told you, do not ask 60 rupees from next person who gets into your auto in same route.' Turning back, I saw him by the corner of my eye; nodding his head as if he got what I meant. 

Well, good for him if he understood. Because, we cannot take what is not meant for us.

Journey to Guruvayoor - Happenings on a day

We had a trip to Guruvayoor temple on 5th Nov 2011. This was a trip which was arranged with both of our families. In fact, something which was planned a month back. Radhika had to leave to home wotn a week before for an appointment with her dentist. I had my ticket confirmed on Patna express from Chennai central at 3.45 am on 5th Nov. I arranged a taxi for 2.00 am to take me to Chennai central railway station. Reaching station at 2.45 am, I was taken aback by the departure board displaying 12.00 pm as departure time for Patna Express. Train was delayed by 8 hrs! Many things came to my mind together with the much renowned lack of punctuality of Indian railways. I ran to the information center confirmed the obvious! Only option left out for me was to catch the Bokaro (aka Tata Alleppey) express which is scheduled to depart in another 45 min. 

I didn't have a ticket for this train and found reasonably long queue (considering 3.30 am) for single counter opened in ticket counter of a major railway station. I managed to reach the counter at 4.03 am. When I asked for a sleeper ticket, Mr Counter Man said that sleeper tickets are sold in 1st floor. I didn't see any board in that site which conveys such an information (Put this way, for Mr Counter Man, the age old computer would be interested only in generating general class tickets Or, it might be that, he cannot guarantee a colored sleeper ticket because the color cartridge is out; what else!). Left with no option, I took the so called 'open ticket'; a word which I am hearing/experiencing for first time. Before taking the ticket, I checked with this guy, who was joking behind me until that moment, whether I could board Bokaro express with this ticket. To my surprise, he started acting very busy to get his ticket from the counter. I got the matter. He simply doesn't want to see a 'good thing' happening to a fellow human being. What else could I perceive out of this? (I recollect seeing this guy in the same train and was heading to Coimbatore. He never saw me.) People are un-predictable all the time. That was an experience indeed.

I had to get into sleeper class with open ticket. Getting into general compartment was equivalent to throwing yourself into death by suffocation due to lack of space and oxygen. I met couple of aged employees returning to Erode after work. Here I met a person who was working with Indian Railways for on contract basis for over 15 years!. He gave me good company and we inquired each other on work and life. Time passed and I had a decent nap of 3-4 hrs in train. My new friend woke me up when the train reached Shornur as he was getting down there. 

All through till now, I missed to mention that, our 'working' union of kerala has called a 'hartal' in protest of petrol price hike from central government. Even though state government had cut on its taxes by 27 paise the previous day, hartal was something which would be celebrated without any change. 

I reached Thrissur at 4.00 pm. Earlier in the noon, my wife called me and said that they were lucky to get a KSTRC transport bus heading to Guruvayoor as they managed to reach the Thissur railway station. I was in the hope of another such magic happening for myself. I stepped out of railway station's side exit and saw many auto rickshaws there. I approached one Mr.SeemToBeGoodGuy and asked whether auto would go to transport bus stand. He said that it is transport hartal and no vehicles would run on road. When I told him that KSRTC buses are plying, this person said that KSRTC buses were stopped a while ago. It was in matter of seconds that Mr.SeemToBeGoodGuy turned out to be a Mr.ReallyReallyBadGuy for me. Because, he was plainly lying and I knew that transport buses were plying with police protection. I often wondered why these gentlemen get dressed up in morning and stay put in such places to disrupt normal people's living. Why couldn't they just stay back at home and support the so called hartal; staying out of road?

The world, as it goes along, turns bad; 
and gets tougher to live with...

Epilogue: I walked to main exit of railway station with my luggage and saw an auto rickshaw guy (void the khakhi uniform) whom god has sent to help me. He asked me the destination and five minutes later, we reached Thrissur KSRTC bus stand. There were police squads deployed for safe travel of real 'working' class. After 15 hrs of ordeal, I managed a comfortable seat for my journey to Guruvayoor on a bus charted to start at 5.00 pm.

A train journey

The second of April was a holiday for us. It was a fast decision for me to make. It has been a considerable time since i went to my hometown in Kerala. I decided to try for a tatkal for that 'long' weekend. Needless to say, miraculously, i got the ticket. Whoot! I exclaimed. It was like a thunderbolt that the horror part hit my head. I didn't have a return ticket. Whatever it maybe, i had to try for an EQ(Emergency Quota) for getting back to Chennai. So, I set off from Chennai.

Now, set aside that part of my story.

My coupe had 4 girls, a guy of my age and a married couple. Less did I knew that, it was the beginning of a nightmare.

The content henceforth is based on the sole descretion of my experience. I just want to tell what I saw/heard. I am not exaggerating anything here.

The girls seemed to be from affluent families. The moment the train started, they started chattering. The language was not something I had expected out of girls of that age. I don't know, whether it was a matter of indecency or immaturity or whatever. They were completely turning out to be nuisance for the fellow travellers. It might be the money their parents got. God knows. But, whatever be the case, a code of conduct should be maintained when they travel in public.

Of late, when i got woked up by their voices(better say screams, evolving out of PJ's), I saw the TTE calling them outside to warn or something. As soon as they were back in seat, I saw a college guy(popped out from bare sky seeing these charming girls) asking for a lighter to light his cigarette. Poor girls had just match box to convince him. Simple, didn't we think that matchbox is easy to dispose than a lighter? I then knew why TTE warned them. I don't care if they smoke. But, at that age, I thought, they were already in a wrong way. This thing will not be enlightening for a parent. But, I just know that, this is all because of negligence of parents.

Did i hear, be rational?

I thought over it once. It might be an act of pleasure that they are showing out in such a manner. But, everything has its own limits depending on the situation they are applied. Say, if they are to travel with their colleagues occupying the majority of comparment, the like-mindedness would work out more there. Same will not score for any other situation. I would define such an act as lack of maturity.

My criticism ends here.

That night was the worst one for me, on a train. I had a good sleep back at my hometown, the next day. I presume the same with those unfortunate co-passengers in that coupe. Amen!