Anyways, even though I am still a learner behind the wheels, we(me, mom, dad) reached there at 11. I was already angry over the unnecessary need for us to make it to the station a good 30mts before train even arrived. And then I saw more of the Indian matrix. Piles of luggage, crushing crowds, filthy surroundings, ineffectual railway enquiry services, etc. I don't know how could the common man on India be the most virile one on the planet, and still remain the most backward. Call it poor family planning, uncontrollable urges, unavailability of preventive measures or necessity for a male-child as a radical thought in Indian culture (not specific to any religion). The population explosion of India has hurt it more than anything. It crippled India.
Ok, enough of that, now back to the railway platform. Here's something I'd like to warn every1: Never try to cross a railway track on either sides of the platform. You'd meet stiff resistance with shit on the tracks, gigantic rats, unfathomable stench and dirty track lines which if broken would lead you splash into the most disgusting elements of nature you'll ever find.
Meanwhile, hordes of people continued to tussle for space. Everyone had taken a spot where they sat joking and eating food, right on the platform. Those of higher stratum preferred to use their luggage as furniture. I also found some space besides a very poor village family and kept the luggage over there. Alas! it was only a travelling bag, so squatting over it wasn't a good idea. We all had to stand. And then began "the wait". We talked of all that it frivolous, expecting the train to arrive and break that conversation soon. The piles of luggage around us increased. The infant cries multiplied. And there was no sign of the train coming. Occasionally the usual rumour-brigade bobbed their heads and picked up their luggage which made others to breathe a sigh of relief because of arrival of the train, but that wasn't true. The clock ticked by..... and soon we were nearing 12:00AM, already half-an hour over the time at which train was supposed to move, and us being on the platform for the past 1 hr.
I quarelled with my father over why he forced us to come here so early, for he had known the great Indian Railways for the last 60yrs. Both sides presented frustrated views, and got into an argument, which subsided after our energy levels were faint. Still no sign of the train.
This forced me to do some calculations. Considering all Indian families are like this, which they are, overcautious, they end up on the platform a good 1/2hr or 1hr before the train departs. Add to that the time when train comes late, which is almost everytime, it adds at least 15mts to their wait. So that makes up about a quarter of an hour to a full one every person. Multiply that by crowds arriving here every hour in counts of lakhs (10lakhs = 1 million). Multiply that by 24. And you get the hrs wasted in human life daily. Multiply that further with the major population hubs where same happens and you get a scary number for sure. Hundred or thousands of lives in human hours are wasted each day at the station itself.
I coined the term "gram-hysteria" to associate with Indian population. They like to waste time, calling it precautionary. Trying to be conservative they end up being wasteful. Still they repeat it again and again and again. And grams and groundnuts, being the favorite timepass snacks of the multitude accompany them everywhere. Its like they like whiling/wiling away time doing nothing useful. This attitude is damn contagious. So we end up with everyone infected with the gram-hysteria in every field.
After all the crap we talked about, and all the points I emphasized to my parents about slackness of India as a whole, the train arrived, 40mts late from scheduled time. It slowly backed on the tracks. We passed the usual smile. But the entertainment was far from over. People piled up like luggage on top of each other at the door of "Unreserved" compartments. It was chaotic. Those who missed one would end up sleeping on the floors or missing the train itself. I saw people being crushed under the force of 10 others on top. There was shouting and jostling, both sexes included for entry in the "Unreserved" compartment. Luckily my mother already had a confirmed reservation.
It was easy to look for the right coach and seat, and once in I found that my mother had good company with other ladies of comparable decency around. Wishing goodbyes, I left the station with my father. He commented that 40 yrs from now, he was a part of the crowd filling up in the "Unreserved". Ah! I feel nothing compared to that.
I got to drive back to home again. Whew! surreal experience.
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