Friday, August 20, 2010

The day I jumped inbetween two moving trains.. literally

So.. I was really looking forward to this trip. The trip to Dharamshala. I was thinking of all the fun I was gonna have as I looked out the window of the train I was sitting in. I was all so excited.
Two hours into the journey from Jodhpur, the train stopped at a station called Merta Road. A normal stop for like 10 minutes. As I sat there looking at all sorts of people on the railway station, I got a call from a friend of mine who was supposed to go with me for the trip. Horrible call cuz she told me the weather in Dharamshala was absolutely horrible n that there were insane rains. So in a nutshell, the trip I had been looking forward to for more than a month just got canceled. Damn the weather god!! (if she’s hot I take it back)
But then I realized, y travel to Delhi n then Dharamshala when there is NO trip? So I asked around n found out that there was a train to Jodhpur that was supposed to arrive within 3-4 minutes. Dat was it, the entire 95 kgs of me, got off the train n started running at a blazing fast speed (yes, I can run quite fast, stop laughing u morons) towards the ticket counter of a station in the middle of nowhere.
1st obstacle: The attendant at the exit a second after which lied the ticket counter, wouldn’t let me pass without a ticket of my journey till there. I had kept the ticket in my backpack alongwith all my mess, so I kept my luggage down (backpack n a hand bag) n scanned my backpack till i got the ticket. Ok cool, showed it n he let me through.
2nd Obstacle: I asked the dude at the ticket counter to give me a ticket 2 jodhpur by the train that was to arrive in 2-3 minutes. Dat ancient relic started yelling at me. He wanted the name of the train. I was like W.T.F.F.F.F????? He yelled at me to go to d inquiry n find out. I started running around like a chicken in a poultry farm to find the goddamn inquiry. Finally I found it.
3rd. obstacle: There was no one at the inquiry except a really old n battered chair.
4th obstacle: By this time the train had arrived, I saw it arrive and it had nicely parked itself on the tracks parallel to where my train was standing. So i had to CROSS OVER the platform to get on it! I Was like ok, the train will wait for some time atleast.
5th obstacle: Fuckin que @ the ticket counter. Now der was a que!? In THIS station??? Come onn!!!
6th obstacle: I got to the ticket counter n asked the ancient mammal to give me the ticket to the train that was standing there. He gives me the ticket n tells me “Hurry Up! U might miss the train”. Asshole. N true to his word, the train had started moving!!!!
THE best obstacle(s): I had no time to climb the bridge to get to the other side n catch the train. It was too late for that. So I ran to my delhi bound train n thought of jumping trains! I entered n the door to the other side was jammed!! I turned around to get to the other coach cuz the door was closer, guess What?? The connector to the other coach was sealed!! Wow.. this couldn’t get any better. Oh but Wait! It does get better! The train I was IN started moving!! Towards the opposite direction!!!
A night in Merta Road? What if this place only serves VEGETARIAN food!!!
That was it, no time to lose, I bulldozed through the coach knocking down many a man, woman, child and cockroach to get to the other end hoping that the door was open. N it was!! Now if only I could jump from one moving train to another, the other train, obviously, by now had gained a considerable amount of speed.

I scanned d environment n noticed the steel water pipe in between my train n d other.I jump on it without thinking. N now, I was standing inbetween two moving trains, with luggage in one hand n a steel PIPE deciding my fate. Not a very gud feeling really, more like shit my pants kind of a feeling.
Now I had to catch the other train. Wid my heavy hand bag full of winter clothes, I look for an open door n there it was!! I grabbed the railing, put my foot on the steel stairs n got flung into the train.. yea.. wid my luggage im guessing my hand just withstood 100kgs.
So as I stood there, sweating n panting like a hippo who that chased by a lion, I realized something. All my limbs were in place n since they were, weirdly, this whole experience… was.. well.. fun!
I was Indiana Jones for like a minute or two ;P