Pune diary

Pune diaries:

Friday evenings, for me, is usually a rush rush affair these days. No no not TGIF, it's about the trudge back from Pune to Mumbai city.

I need to leave office in respectable enough time, take a brisk walk to Pune station, wait in a  small line to book a  general ticket,( some compulsively slumming  tardy person Inside me simply refuses to book my tickets in advance each time
. Next time for sure!) and  still be in time enough,  to catch a seat on my regular train.

This Friday, however,  things went a bit more  wayward than usual,  and by the time I reach the station, the train had already pulled in, and all the doors overflowing with people trying  to push their way Inside the general compartments.

My heart sinks, cause it seemed impossible  to push in, and the next train is a cool one hour later,  till i spy a less crowded entrance. I rush in,  and to my utter surprise I even find an empty seat, which of course I  capture in a blink.

Once settled, i look around  and observe a middle aged woman  sitting on one seat, her feet placed on the opposite side, obviously guarding the seat.

She makes fierce wierd shrieking noises when another woman tries to remove her legs, and then the penny drops... This was the reserved  handicapped compartment, and the woman is yelling cause she can't speak.

I immediately cross my fingers, and though I feel guilty, I feverently  hope no TT checks my ticket and throws me out... ( no way I am  leaving the compartment at this late stage.).

The middle aged  guy, in front of me observes the shrieking woman with disdain. The other lady gives in to sheer lung power, and goes to hunt some other seat.

While I am, finger crossed, desperately waiting for the train to start,( once it starts next stop is Lonawalla and some part of the journey is over at least) I see a strange transaction.

A man approaches the shreiking woman, who then immediately gets up to offer her  seat to him,  with notes discreetly exchanged!

The guy, with the disdainful expression (who I then understand is a Police Walla)  says angrily,  I knew it! that's what she was upto...she sells seats.. and just creates a rukus.

I am amazed! The victim look on her face now  has a 'I know nothing' look.

I on my part heave a sigh of relief, as the train starts,  and I feeling a lot less guilty too.

All the people in the bogie, without any exception, I decide, including the dumb woman  are tied by a common thread..we  are all regular Indian travellers,,  simply trying to  survive one more regular grind in an over populated country!