A Journey in Indian Railways.....

This weekend I had the "once in a lifetime opportunity" to travel in a general compartment of Indian Railways. The experience was a little short of a nightmare that you dream should never come true.

I will mention some of the inumerable instances that made the journey really tiring and discomforting.

First hurdle was buying tickets. To start with I was lucky enough not to stand in the long unwinding queue to buy the tickets. One of my friends bought the tickets and in all the jostling lost a Rs.500 note,but to look at the brighter side he came out of the queue unharmed and more pleasantly with 4 tickets for us. (First battle for tickets won!!).

Then came the challenge to get a seat, as 4 hour long journey can be really taxing on your un-exercised legs. There was a sea of people wanting to jump into the bogey. I could not imagine so many people fitting into that small compartment but I could figure out this reason later when I learnt that it was a norm for 4 ,even 5 people sometimes, to sit on a seat marked with 3 distinct integers. My assumption that 3 numbers meant that 3 people could sit on it was wrong.
Again one of my friends who was well accustomed to all this had a small trick up his sleeve. He jumped,as everyone else did, into one of the compartments while the train was coming to a stop at the station. And hence we managed to get 2 seats for 4 of us to sit.The alley between the seats was supposed to have zero voids with all available space to be used by the traveling "junta" to stand and travel("suffer").

Traveling from then on was a little more comfortable. With only the person next to you pushing you more and more to sit more comfortably,you literally had to fight for survival.But somehow after a few pushes and nudges everyone was settled and able to adjust. Now if you are lucky/unlucky to have a window seat you can have the full view of a**es of people trying to answer mother natures' call, early morning. All the stinking sweat; yours and of the people around you is something you should be prepared to bear with. After all we are a tolerant society! Somehow we pass our time playing cards or listening to music from my newest gizmo, a Samsung digital music player, we reach your destination. After realizing that you have passed this endurance test you, notice that your face and hair all having a fine coating of dust which due to mixing with sweat forms into a thin crust. But the realization of having successfully traveled in such adverse conditions, you are happy. And all the sweat and mud is just a symbol of labour and effort you have put in. But that faint smile on your face disappears soon as you realize that you have to return the same day. Thoughts of going again through that ordeal makes you sweat already and drain whatever water your body has been able to retain.

Where Why When ???

Where are those happy days?

Why don't we feel the fresh air .... see the rising sun.. hear the chirping birds and sip the morning dew.
Now the air is already conditioned .... halogens have replaced those golden sunrays ..... birds are all gone,not south but somewhere i surely can't hear and the dew drops are slowly converting into tears which i myself drink,quietly.
Why can't i fly like the falcon high in the sky?

When can i give wings to my dreams so that they can soar high? They no longer be a dream but a reality which will bring joy to the morose soul.

But a ray of hope is still there ... you can see the rays if you switch off those halogens that blind you.
switch off the conditioner and open those closed doors and windows ... move out of the closet ,come out in open .. hear those birds and feel the fresh dew. This flickering ray will become more radiant when we hear what our ailing heart cries for and follow the message. The message it wants to put across........

Then only this quandry , predicament will subside and we will relish the true ecstacy in life!!!!!

All Lost.............

This is how it feels to leave the college and enter the corporate world!!! How it feels when those starry dreams ain't fulfilled.When you miss all your friends.Who too are consumed by this corporate world leaving little time for ol' pals to sit back, meet and relax.

No more chats, news n reviews....
Life it seems is drifting too fast or is it just inertia?
Lethargy is now not just a feeling its a habit.

The corporate world has drained all the energy from the spirited soul.
The zeal is no longer there and the fire within has extinguished.......
But still we come daily , do the cursed job ,do not crib
though this heart bleeds within......
Is this what the dreams were all about??
or was it just a fallacy, a mirage???