Indian Rail ka Khel

 Indian Railways is made up of two words. Indian and railways. This post is dedicated to Indians travelling by Indian Railways. You see a variety of Indians inside a railway compartment. You also must have seen these people but may be not noticed as you were busy looking outside the window.  So here is a list of types of people you forgot to observe.

1)      The “Hum-Rail-ke-aur-Rail-hamare-baap-ki” Junta: These are the people who truly believe in the phrase you often see written in railway compartments;” Railway Aapki Sampatti hai” (railway is your property). Buying tickets is against their moral code. After all why should they pay for using something that belongs to them? These people are often characterized by the ultimate confidence they display once they see the ticket checker. They will put the most confident face to escape the penalty. You get to see their creative side when actually demands for a ticket. You will listen to most creative but unbelievable stories explaining, why they could not buy a ticket. In most cases, they will end up greasing the palms of men-in-black. Thanks to these people take home salary and dowry demanded for a TTE is at least twice than a software engineer.

2)      The “Yatri-gan-kripya-dhyaan-dein”  junta: These people are walking and talking travel guides. They will tell you which trains you should take, where you should change the trains, which train is running late today, which trains have changed their routes, why that train is good, what that train in bad. In short they will not let you miss the annoying and repetitive platform announcements even in running trains.  Like the platform announcements they are least bothered if anybody is interested listening to them.


3)      The “coal steam engine” Junta: Looking at these passengers make you feel if you are watching some foodie show on TV. Right from the moment they arrive in the compartment, they will open their big Tiffin’s and start munching on food they brought from home. In addition to that, they will not disappoint any vendor, panty wala, or  peanuts wala that cross them by. They will invariably buy and surprisingly consume too all kinds of food all the time during journey. Looking at them you will be surely reminded of Old Coal steam engines, being fed with coals continuously using a spade.


4)    The “Sophisticated”  junta: These people generally won’t mix up with other passengers. Either they will read novels, listen to their walkman or simply sleep.  Some of them will open their laptop even if only thing they will do will be changing the wallpapers but they will do.  Yeah, if they consider you worthy of talking, and if you are lucky enough to get their attention, they will surely explain why they could not get a flight ticket, and it’s the only time they are travelling by the train. Though once you ask about information on flights, they again go back to their novel or lappy, without answering your question.


5)   The” complaint box “Junta: Talking to these guys make you believe that how miserable it is to travel by train. They will give all graphic details of recent and past railway accidents. They will warn you of each beggar and sweepers as they might run away with your shoes. They will advise you to use your shoes as pillow to prevent their theft and not to accept any food from any strangers except themselves. If you are on a long travel, in the morning they will enlighten you with the knowledge about toilets in the compartment. Which one of them is dirty and soiled and have no water supply.


 6)    The “naïve newlyweds” junta : Going through the list you might get a feeling that all annoying kind of people travel by train. Well it’s not like that. We have a kind of passengers which can compensate for all above categories. These are newlyweds probably going for their honeymoon and may be returning from there. These innocent young people think that everyone except them in the compartment is sleeping. These lovey dovey souls are yet to realize that Its love that is blind not their co-passengers!! They provide you the soothing experience after you had a tough day coping with people belonging to above categories. And before you blame them with charges of indecency, first get hold of the main culprit “ the TTE”.   TTE told them.. Aisa kariye, ladies ko neeche wala berth per sula dijiye aur aap upar so jaaeye!! They are simply following his instructions. J