Finally after a long time I have got an inspiration to write. In a maximum city what can be a better subject to write about than Mumbai’s Local Train.
These days I have developed a peculiar habit of observing everything too closely and linking them to each other, by doing this I keep my mind occupied and avoid it from brooding over irrelevant stuff (which is a chronic disease I suffer from and Meggu n Vinu can vouch for it).
My typical day consists of various activities. The first thing that I do after leaving home is to catch a rickshaw to the station. If the first rickshaw I ask refuses to go, then all the further activities of the day take place in the similar fashion. The train would come late, I would not get a seat, it would be too hot, and there would be a long queue for taxi et.al.
I reach office with a staunch belief in my theory and already a dash of pessimism, anticipating not a very nice day ahead. (Just for the information sake, I was supposed to join Delhi Zonal office but made a request to retain me in Mumbai itself. So the kind and amount of work I get varies everyday). Validating my hypothesis that day would be a gloomy one in the office too. I would not get meaningful work, boss would be in a bad mood etc. and the journey on way back would also be a snapshot of the morning session. (The only good time would be the vella panti with Changu-Mungu on Marine Drive sans Chhoti who always has some excuse to go)
Every event in the chain follows the other thus building on the premise. There had been completely opposite days where everything went perfectly fine. So everyday when I wake up I pray to got that the first touch point of the day goes positive.
One thing, which stays constant in the chain, is the train journey, the crowd, the panting and the struggle to get a seat. Those 70 minutes in train is a time where one can experience plethora of emotions.
(For non-mumbai people, here are some of the facts about Mumbai local train
- There are 3 lines, western, central and harbor. I travel on western line, which starts, from Borivli, where I reside and ends at churchgate, where I work.
- There are two types of train- slow and fast, slow halts at all the stations unlike fast, which halts only at some major stations.
- There are two kinds of compartments- I class and II class. There are basic three differences between them:
- I class has cushioned seats compared to fattas in II class.
- People in I class fight in English unlike in Marathi in II class.
- There is no smell of fish in I class.) so you pay three times the fare to avail of the above three benefits.
Moving on, engrossed in the book, enjoying the music, I look forward to those critical stations where mass exodus of people would take place and I will feel the fresh air again. Among these everyday rituals, at times I get into conversation with my co-passengers some going to office like me and some going to college (which I also used to, just 3 months back ).
Two days back when I asked an aunty to shift and make a place for the 4th seat, she snapped at me saying “ki yeh II class nahin hai”, It saddened me. I came to the door where helped a girl to get on the train, she thanked me with a smile and that changed my expression from a frown to smile :) She got down at Lower Parel. I again switched back to FM, (I only listen to 107 AIR FM. It plays the most melodious songs of the golden era; aiye ab sunte hain yeh madhur geet jiske lekhak hain shalenedr ji , sangeet diya hai lakshimikant pyarelal ne lata tai ki madhur awaaz mein BLISS!!), Wondering how a small gesture makes one forget about the crowded train and discomfort of standing for more than an hour and cheers up some one. And when you reach office with a sweet smile on your face it becomes contagious and makes people around you smile too. Thus establishing one more chain reaction :)
