Misfortunes never come single

Misfortunes never come single

The old proverb was at the back of me on October 19, 2006 or rather was on my head so to say. On second thoughts its Murphy’s laws all the way. I started for the Deeepavali (I hate calling it diwali, sounds awkward and rustic) holidays. Anticipating a maddening rush in the evening I wanted to get out by 5.30 and Murphy smiled at me. We were holed in a meeting with boss and any meeting with bosses finishing on time would qualify for a Guinness record. Arun fidgeting in his seat as if it was an over heated oven and after excruciating moments squirming finally his patience wore thin and he excused himself and now I was in the hot seat. A call saw me dash to my desk, closed my system, barked a few things to the team leads and developers which I am sure would have been incomprehensible and made them curse me (not the first time I m sure and I had a momentary premonition that it was not going to be the last either). Went inside again wished him a happy deepavali and then tagged along sushith who was ready.

Sushith is the kind soul who ferried me on more than one occasion to the Bangalore railway station as well as listening to my rants and raves, a journey on bike best not mentioned. It’s absolutely amazing that we still retain a modicum of sanity even after commuting in Bangalore (other way of saying that we are pachyderms – sorna illadha jenmam). Generally he is good hearted to even cranky and quixotic creatures like me and he drops me near the backside ticket counter in the Bangalore central station. This time he told that it would be a Herculean task to come out of majestic. So I disembarked on lalbagh west gate and for some time did some gymnastics flagging auto drivers. No empty ones. Then went near the signals and started soliciting autos with single passengers and my luck did not desert me completely and another kind soul agreed to transport me to the railway station. Seems my past has not been that bad. After interminable waits in the traffic signals our auto moved inexorably towards my destination. I gritted my teeth, cursed all and sundry, squirmed and writhed in the seat and the auto driver moaned about the state of things, corruption and what not.

Finally by 6.55 we were met with a solid wall of traffic near majestic bus terminal. I sat contemplating my plan of action for 1 min perhaps. The other passenger already left. He had already expressed his opinion of being prudent enough to walk instead of squirming in the auto. In other words he was plainly saying don’t be a damn fool, you idiot. Suddenly I realized that the train will leave in 1 minute and then gave the auto guy his fare and then started running, leaping the stairs in twos and threes I ran on the foot bridge towards the railway station. I bumped into others, stepped on their toes, pushed a few, got pushed by a few, hit their bags, twisted, turned, and wove my way past a sheet of humanity – I had no time about TMS song – kovil arugunil koodia kootangal thalaiyaa kadal alayaa – I descended the stairs to the subway like a devil possessed and then ran all the way in the subway and emerged on the other side with nothing on my head save reaching the backside counter where I had enough commonsense to ask Babu to buy a ticket and wait for me. Making a split second decision I avoided the main entrance as I had the premonition that I would just run into a massive wall of people which was impervious even to air. Now I ran past hundreds or people and again into the subway. I forgot to mention that my slippers already was torn a little at the back and since it was something like a shot it held though made my running a bit difficult.. I got out of platform 6-7 and then ran past bewildered policemen and I could see Babu prowling the vicinity of the counter like an angry cougar and he was already gesticulating wildly with his right index finger pointing at his left wrist – the allusion was obvious. He thrust the ticket into my hands. No time for niceties and pleasantries and he urged to get along and I am not sure I uttered a thanks or not

Normally next to the counter was a small opening which will lead to platform 9-10 and on that day it was sealed, I ran along the compound wall and at the first place where there was no fence I jumped and ran to the end of the platform. I was about to cross and exactly the Hindupur train trundled along blocking my way. I could see one brave soul running in backwards, to go to the place where the train left, to jump on the track and then jump on the platform 9. I grit my teeth and cursed till the train rolled past and then I crossed and moved over to platform 9 only to be greeted by an empty track and a serene platform – much different to the pandemonium of the previous one hour. I blinked for a while and I thought I saw a red light at the other end of the platform. May be my eyes or mind were playing some tricks and may the gods wanted to teach me a lesson for all my past arrogance and haughtiness. I started to ran, for what I have no idea. I couldn’t see the train; in fact I could see nothing. My mind was a seething cauldron of boiling anger. Mad at everything I ran and I had the commonsense to pick my glass, my mobile and my purse one by one and transfer it to my hand bag. I stopped and asked a guy if the Mysore train left? He replied in hindi which maddened me like hell and I ran making me a spectacle of all those in the platform – those souls wondering if things in the world were so bad that here is a guy chasing a phantom train and had a good laugh to release their tension. What a sight I would have been, running in a haphazard fashion, age having caught up, a pair of slippers, torn and impairing my stride (not that it was graceful on any day), grabbing my hand bag in one hand and swishing my free hand in all sorts of directions. I have absolutely no idea what was my countenance like. Panting, body not willing but mind not ready to give up I ran for how many interminable minutes I had no idea. Then at the other end of the platform I could see the train stopped and some humane and kind souls (lots today) waving at me to run fast and catch the train. I was completely out of my breath and when I was near the train, maybe 5-10 feet the train jerked on its forward journey. Enraged at this grossly unjust colossal scale of conspiracy the entire world hatched at me, my mind roared with feral ferocity and summoning the remnants of my last reserves of energy I made one last burst and jumped into the train. Hurrah I made it in typical Thamizh, Telugu and kannada movie only a damsel was not at the other end, not that I would have cared for at that moment. Dazed and enervated I stumbled into the aisle only to find it completely occupied. I asked them to make way and they glanced at me and quietly acquiesced to my request. Probably I presented such a grotesque appearance that they thought that discretion is the better part of valor. The space was not enough and one lady had kept a bag as a sort of a barrier between her and the man sitting next to her. I brusquely told them to remove the bag and then I settled down and started huffing and puffing for oxygen. Did so for a long time and before long was bathed in perspiration. OOps what an experience!!