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TM_Project 4_PM_2_AM

It was dark and the space was constricted .The only noises were those of subdued snores and the faint humming sounds of the AC. Dragging my baggage with great amount of effort I finally reached my destination.
Madame Toastmaster, fellow Toastmasters and guests.
I was shocked to see someone else cozily cuddled in my seat like a baby. I kept my luggage aside, gently shook the sleeping gentleman out of his slumber and said confidently "Sir this is my seat".
Reluctantly and irritated he got up. He removed his ticket from the wallet, and claimed that seat was indeed his. Discussion followed, people woke from their deep sleep and started gathering, like flies gather around a cake. Finally the TT came, took both tickets in his custody and like a priest solemnly pronounced my ticket is a day old. I felt the floor of AC compartment of the railway coach slip beneath me.
The anomaly of the Gregorian calendar manifested itself with dire consequences on that fateful day. The arrival time of that cursed train was 11.50 pm and departure time was 12.10 am. So effectively day changed. And I was stuck with a day old ticket.
Thankfully when it comes to wishing pretty girls on their birthday I don’t make such mistakes.
But Alas! There I was, holding a day old ticket pleading the TT to reconsider repeatedly pointing to my wallet.
The TT was unmoved, like the rock of Gibraltar and refused blatantly to take the bait of green notes.
I kept prodding; taking pity on me he suggested a loop hole in the system. He said that the only person that could help me was the station commerce officer, who sits on platform no 1.
A ray of hope.
The train was parked on platform no 6. To reach platform 1 I had to climb an over bridge, tear across maze of human traffic and descend down. I ran like a horse and reached the cabin of the officer. I was panting profusely; cold beads of moisture which had accumulated on my forehead were trickling down on my face.
The cabin had a typical government office look. The officer was surrounded by hoard of sycophants; his desk was cluttered with files and paper. My dramatic entry caught everyone's attention. I started rambling and complaining, I tried to put the blame on railways for issuing me ticket for onward journey when it wasn’t possible for me to catch the second train.
This line of attack backfired bluntly on my face. The officer scolded me and told me to board next train. The next train was at 5'o'Clock in the morning.
Crestfallen, I gathered my luggage along with my shattered spirits.
My next stop was the railway reservation counter which was outside the main station, in an adjacent building. I was shown the door once again! The man sitting at the counter said that the next train has only unreserved coaches, whose tickets are issued only 2 hour before the departure. An unreserved coach at this time of the year!! It was start of the Holi vacations.
I entered the station again to make my way to the retirement room.
Lo Behold! That train was still there. It was way past its departure time. Maybe it was God's will that I board this train. Adrenaline stared oozing through my system.
I don’t know what made me go back to the commerce officer's cabin again!
This time the atmosphere had changed drastically.
The room was dim. The sycophants had left. The officer laid indisposed, flat on his stomach on a makeshift bed. An old lady was massaging his back.
Stunned by this sight I mustered courage once again. This time I was diplomatic, and used sentences infused with ‘please’ and 'sorry'.
He seemed taken aback; he too was shocked to know that train hadn’t left the station yet.
After a long pregnant silence, he asked me curtly "Do you have 100 Rs".
Those words were like honey to my ears.
"Yes Sir I have", I said with assuredly.
He pulled out his stamp, scribbled something of my ticket, and viola I had a valid ticket now!
And it was time to run again. I noticed to my great horror that object of my affection started to move. I started galloping, cutting across the crowd like a hot knife through butter, I reached platform 6. The train had gathered quite a bit of momentum by now. My mind went blank, what to do! What to do!
I saw a friendly person at the door of a sleeper compartment willing to help me.
The last scene from DDLJ flashed in my head. But Kajol wasn’t carrying a heavy handbag, a laptop bag, a back-bag. And wondered if that person was as strong as Sharukh khan!Throwing caution to winds, I decided to take chance, somehow came abreast with that open door. Threw my bag at his outstretched hands and literally dived into the coach.
Totally out of breath and exhausted, I slumped to the floor of the coach after, my greatest misadventure with railways.
Apart from losing weight from all the running around , I gained some valuable lessons from this fiasco.
First: double check the date and time while booking tickets.
Second: travel light; you never know when you have to run around with weight u r carrying.
And the most important, never lose hope, things can change dramatically in your favor at 11th hour.
So wish you all of you a happy and safe journey and with valid tickets.
Over to you Mam Toastmaster …

Comments

Abhishek said…
So you really speak all this at your toast masters meet
Aniket said…
yes i did, why did u find strange ?

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