Train Gain

After deciding on how to write this article up, I was confused as to what would be an appropriate heading? I had two options, Train Gain and Train Pain. I finally decided I would go by the Gainers’ side!

If it all whilst reading this article, you feel that I am being sarcastic, doubt not, for I intend all offence!

I was going to travel by train from my office in Trivandrum to my hometown in Kannur. It is an overnight journey and my ticket was in RAC-1 status when I last checked the charts put up at the Trivandrum Central Railway Station. It was common sense that RAC-1 would get confirmed within less than one hour of the journey.

I was allocated a shared berth on S1-39. I discovered that a 35 year old guy would be sharing the berth with me. Naturally, I was hoping that I would share the berth with a girl and was sad because it turned out otherwise. My berth-mate, an old looking bald man got into the train when there was two minutes left for the train to start moving. In no time, he started to strike a conversation with me, but I was actually not interested to talk much to a stranger.

The train left the station at 19.25 sharp!

I just answered the bald man’s questions in a word or two and never asked anything back so as to avoid him as much as possible. Probably he would understand that I was not interested to talk. A few minutes into the journey I fell asleep for a short while. As soon as I woke up, he continued on with the conversation. I had told him that I was on RAC-1. He told me that I would certainly get confirmed but you got to run behind these TTR guys, ‘The Black Coats’, or else they would  try to sell the RAC seats on a First Come First Serve basis to people who are least eligible for berths, completely ignoring people on RAC. The business doesn’t come for free. The less eligible people would have to give papers to the Black Coats - papers that carry a picture of The Mahathma!

It was now more than an hour and a half and not one Black Coat came to check the tickets from our compartment. One Black Coat just walked past us to another compartment to talk to another Black Coat. So there are two Black Coats – One, a Small Black Coat and the other was a Big Black Coat. I along with four or five other people followed him through four compartments. His Majesty, the Big Black Coat, did not even care to take a look at our tickets.

When I returned back to my shared berth, the bald man told me to go behind them and keep pestering them. The only thing I was worried about was leaving my laptop bag amongst strangers. The guy told he would take care of it. Though not completely convinced, I left it there and started moving to other compartments in search of the Black Coat.

I found the Big Black Coat and managed to kind of talk to him. He told he was not on duty on compartment S1. I came back to my seat and told the bald man what had happened.

He asked me to go again and thus I went again. I met the Small Black Coat. He checked my ticket and told that I would get a berth when the train reached Alapuzha. I told him I was RAC-1.

“I told no, you would get it in Alapuzha only!” he told sternly.

“All right your Majesty”, I thought to myself and made a mental note to show him hell if he doesn’t give me a berth.

I went back to S1-39 and was glad to find my bag still there. The guy again enquired about what happened and I told him they promised to give me a seat when the train reached Alapuzha. And we waited for the train to reach Alapuzha.

“At Alapuzha, I will come with you to ask the TTR”, he assured me.

Just before that, the Big Black Coat started to check tickets on our compartment. I didn’t give a damn until he reached my place. I was already feeling the adrenaline rush building up inside me. He asked for my ticket. I showed him and told that I was on RAC-1 when I boarded the train and haven’t got a berth yet.

“Where is my berth?” I asked.

“You will get it”, he told.

“Wrong answer!” I thought to myself and flared up.

“What do you mean ‘you will get, you will get?’ It is three hours since the train started from Trivandrum and yet a RAC-1 ticket hasn’t been confirmed”, I shouted at him.

By this time people who had lied down to sleep, started to get up to check what the commotion was about.

“See, I am just coming for checking now. How am I supposed to know which seat is free?” the Big Black Coat asked.

“So, is that my problem? You were supposed to come for checking three hours after the train began?” I questioned him back.

“See, I am in-charge of four compartments. It would take some time. How am I supposed to know which seat is free...” said the Big Black Coat.

The bald man didn’t allow the Black Coat to complete the sentence.

“Answer the kid first! Don’t ask counter questions!” the he told sternly.

OK. I didn’t like the fact that Mr. Baldy called me a kid. Nevertheless, I was happy to know that had supporters.

“We all know what you do with the RAC tickets. I am not taking this lightly and I would lodge a complaint against you for sure”, I continued shouting.

The Big Black Coat started sweating profusely.

“I will check and come back”, he told and went on to check other tickets.

“Now you will get a berth”, the bald man whispered to me.

“You know what? This is the same guy who told that he is not on duty in this compartment”, I told him.

“Is it? Then come with me”, he told.

I was excited as I was getting another chance to shout at the Black Coat and followed the bald man.

He called out to the TTR who was checking the last berth of the compartment.

The Big Black Coat looked at us and told, “Ah, this berth is free. You can take this.”

Great! He just escaped. I was a bit disappointed because he solved the problem so quickly. I wanted to screw him more!

The three of us came to S1-39. I showed him my ticket. He sat down on the berth to write down my new berth. I noticed that his hands and legs were still shivering and I was pretty sure that it was not the wind that made him shiver.

After the TTR left, I looked at the bald man and smiled. He returned the smile and told, “This is how you handle such situations. Just take it as a step towards the many things you have to learn in life.”

I smiled and told him, “But I am going to lodge a complaint for sure!”

I was not sure about writing a complaint at that point of time, but I had already decided to write an article and send it to leading newspapers. (And I didn’t do it, yet)

“What is your name?” I asked the bald man.

*             THE END               *