train koothu ...

ippo ooruku porappa nadantha koothu ithu :-)

train time 3.50 pm at Nampally station. veetla irunthu station poga almost 1/2hr aagum. last minute'la pack elam pannitu, kadaila sweet elam vaanghitu kelamba 3 aayudthu. inimae kelambi oru velai traffic adhigama irunthaa, avlo thaan.
Me: "ethuku risk, Secunderabad station poyitu aeridlaam ma"
Train angha 4.20pm ku varum. secuderabad stn pogavum athae 1/2hr thaan. but then apdi ipdinu late aana kooda paravala. 4.20pm was ok for me.

naan tension party. Amma got tensed after seeing me ;-) Amma'nala luggage elam thookitu nadaka mudiyathu. so kutty bag mattum thaan edukara maathri plan. naan thaan suitcase, oru periya bag elam thookanum. ofcourse, porters irupaangha. aana station ulla pora varaikum I will have to take care. athuvum illama amma'yum tholaikama paathukanum ;-) illa, engha amma apdi vaedikai paathutu oru bayam illama varuvaangha. alert;a elam iruka theriyathu. so chumma engha amma'va kindal panuvom, naanum en sis'um. like veetla luggage elam count panrappa, bag elam paathu "1 ,2, 3 .." apdiyae amma'va kaati, "4" apdi :-)

anyway, ipdi tensiona kelambitu stn poyaachu. platform kaeta, 2 sonnangha. paatha, bridge mela aeri eranghara maathri. Amma'ku ipdi kaal keezha vacha udanae auto vaikanum :-) nadaka avlo hesitate panuvaangha. oru porter vanthaar. sari'nu avarkita koduthutu, pinnadi'yae ponom. bag'la jewels vera, so I was very careful to follow the porter :p amma nidhanama varaangha.
"kongham aagandi, aagandi" (kongham wait panungha) solitae poren. steps'la vera etho work nadanthutu irunthathu. condition was very bad. portar elam thookitu poratha paathalae kashtama irunthathu. naan badrama erangarathu paathutu + amma'va paathutu irunthen. Third ac engha irukumnu porterku theringhathu. so angha poitaar correct. Happa.

General'aavae romba carefula irupen travel panum pothu. like verifying platform, train name, my name in the list, ticket'a 10 vaati irukaa irukaanu paathu :p. So, first platform correct'aanu paaka, mela enghayathu antha "2" nu pottu oru dabba hang pani irukaanghalaenu thedaren, kaanom. ooops. anyway paravala, neriya makkal irunthaangha. Usual announcement vera "chennai vellavarisina Hyderabad express 2'aam no platformlo osthudhi" yo ennamo :-) oru train'um vanthathu. oru 10min nikkum avlo thaan. athukula, amma, luggage elam board pannanum. so train apdi slow aayitae pothu, AC single tier, AC two tier, AC 3 tier paathen, Ah damaal, namma compartment nu vega vegama kitta poi aeriyaachu. seat no 61, 62, (middle and upper) my bad time, naan aerina pakkkam, 1'la start aachu. thirumbi erangi elam era vendaamnu, apdiyae other end'ku ponen.

paatha oruthar avar things elam upper berthla pottutu irunthaar. naan medhuva "upper berth is mine". udanae avar "thats ok madam, will see". I thought it was ok as I was in the plan to exchange one of my seats with the one having the lower berth (amma'kaaga). so avarae vanthu valaila vizhunthutaar'nu manasukulla sirichen :-)

ivlo tensionla erinathu, AC'la kooda verthu kotichu. ufff. Vega vegama bag elam keezha poattu, chain elam katti, uff appa settled. Ammaku pakkathula oru ponu, oru kutty payan. romba ammaku kita ukaanthutu irunthaangha.

Me: nee ozhungha ukaanthutu irukiya? antha ponna kongham thalli ukkaara solu"

Amma'va AC'la kootitu pora oru vidhama perumai kalantha medhapu. Ivlo naal kashtapattu irukaangha. intha maathri ponnu nalla irukarthu nenachu amma perumai padarathu paaka enaku oru santhosham :-) (irukarthula thapu illala?).

Amma (manasula iruka santhoshathoda): "illa da, naan ozhungha thaan ukaanthu iruken"

Me: AC nalla irukaa. un place chill'nu irukaa. nalla ukaaru ma. ilana intha pakkam variya?

Amma: smiling :-)

apram enamo pesi sirichutu irunthom.

ivlo koothu adichutu, ticket eduthu paathen. pakkathula irukaravum paakraar. Shocked. tension aayiten.
That guy: how come you are also having 61.
Me reminded of Nithya's journey. Ada kadavulae, en ipdi sothikara'nu irunthathu.

Me (paavama but veli kaatikama romba bold'a): This is AS2 ryt?
That guy (romba thimira): No, this is AS1.
Oopsssss !!!
Me: ohh. thats ok. no problem. Amma namma adutha compartment ponum.
Amma: oh sari. eranghi eranuma?
Me: illala apdiyae ullayae polaam. iru kongham nerathula polaam.
That guy (tamizh puringhuthu pola): its better to move now itself. train move aana apram kashtam.
oru polite'aavae sollalai.

Me (manasukula): enghaluku theriyum. neengha velaiya paarungha.

Amma romba innocenta paathutu irukaangha. ponnu'ku ennamo problem vanthudthaenu :(

Hmm chain elam unlock panitu, me started walking to the next comprtment. Angha iruntah attender kita "ithi AS2 kaadha?" 2 times kaetu confirm panitu (:p), door open panna, Grrr again starting from seat no 1. marubadiyum nada. 61 varaikum. apdiyae oru vazhiya vanthu ukaanthutom.

By then train started moving. This time, chain elam podalai. kongham neram ukaanthutu irunthom :-) 2 perumae tired.

Again ulla oru bayam, correct trainla thaan aerinomaanu. cos I havent seen the train name, platform number angha ilai..so...ohhh heart beat elam adhigam aayudhtu. naan aanathu ilama, ammakita vera medhuva soli, avanghalum "hey enna vilayadriya. ethuku bayapadrathunu ila." apram medhuva "apdi irunthaa enna panrathu?". ithelam romba medhuva pesitu irunthom. cos yaarkaathu theringha maanam poga pothunu :p

naan apdiyae ezhunthu nadaka aarambichen. enghayathu train per ulla ezhuthi irupaanghalaanu :p just kidding. was looking for someone to clarify my doubts. nadanthu apdiyae doorkita vanthen. Attenders, antha blanket elam eduthutu irunghaangha.
ivangha kita "intha train chennai pogumaaa"nu kaeta enna nenaipaangha.. "ivlo periya ponnaa iruku, train kooda paathu aeralayae"nu nenachuda poraanghanu vera asinghama irunthatu :p

Ding! idea. (romba budhisaali thanama) Slowly I asked that person "train eppudu Chennai ki elthudhi" (train eppa Chennai pogum. hehee ithu epdi iruku :-)). Avar kita irunthu reply varathukula manasu elam tap tap tapnu adikuthu. "intha train angha pogaathae"nu solida poraanghanu.

Avar: "Podhuna 6.15ku elthundhi madam" (kaalaila 6.15ku poidum madam)

Me (manasula): Aala vidara saamy. train eppa ponaa enna. Madras'ku ponaa pothummm :-)

Rest of the journey was quite good :-)

Peace,
J