Friday, October 2, 2009

Nostalgia!!! - In Episodes

After a very long time, call it Season 2 Blogging!!!!! Thanks to people who asked me to Keep Blogging!!!!

Here I am with my very own full-length blog!!!! , in episodes ( just to keep me out of lazy bags and keep Blogging Regularly !!!!!!!!!)


Disclaimer: This not a travel blog or the place where you could get information about the place I have mentioned below. This is just the memories of the 13-14-year-old girl of what makes her nostalgic even after 10 to 11 years!!!!!!.


PART ONE!!!!- Jab We Met!!!!

As a school kid, we all loved travelling!!! but travelling thousands of miles for 3 to 4 days on a train had a purpose for three of us ( For all who don't know the three of us, it's  my mum, lil sister and myself). This was to meet my Pappa, as I call him, who worked in these places where we travelled to during our summer and winter vacation.

Our tickets would get booked months before our midterm and yearly exams got over. To make it even great we mostly travelled the evening after our exams or the very next day. Thanks to Indian Railways, which was trying to upgrade itself from narrow gauge to broad gauge, due to which we travelled more than necessary.

I don't know in which phase of broad gauge did Hubli (where we lived) comes into but we had to travel to Miraj in M'rashtra for about 7-8 hours and then board the train there to North India.


The first time I travelled this long to meet Pappa was when I was in 5th standard, I guess so. I only remember where and when all we travelled but not the classes studying ;). Hey, don't take it as, I met my dad when I was in 5th standard, it was then he moved out of Hubli leaving family there, just not to disturb our schooling. As it was the first time we travelled my grandpa,( I call him Ajja) planned his Delhi trip around the same time to help us reach our dad safely. Ajja is particular about the time when he travels and my Mum (mummy) looked totally against him that day.


My grandmom (Amma) goes to any extent to make you eat good food even in worst times. Amma along with my aunts prepared all our meals for next 3-4 days at home and packed it for us. Mummy in all her excitement packed to carry entire house with her!!!! This too is totally against my Ajja who's motto was " Always travel with very minimum luggage". To add to all this we had my paternal cousin in early twenties travelling with us, who had her set of bags to dress perfectly,  during each day of our stay with Pappa.


With a van full of bags we left to bus stand and for my mummy's bad luck for some reason we missed the afternoon bus to Miraj. I still remember the look Ajja gave to my mum that day, which clearly told, "Oh God!!! what do I do with this daughter of mine", poor Ajja.


Ajja who traveled in public transport mostly in spite of facilities he got from his job, had to get his office driver to drop us to Miraj as we could not delay anymore even sun was prepared to say his Good Nights to this part of the world and our train would depart as soon as the sun said Good Morning!!!!!. Along with the driver, Ajja asked my uncle(Maama) to accompany us, you see my grandpa is this cautious when he travels!!!! But I don't think even this much of planning will help when things were going to get worst :).

"Ah!!! All well that ends well", was the expression mummy had on her face. Poor mum little had she knew she had to get more of Ajja that day. Any Guesses here!!!!!


Most of the jeep journey I kept sleeping Only to add to my mum's burdens I woke up when the jeep was not moving anymore!!! I asked Ajja, " Miraj Banntthuuu?" , (Did Miral Come?). And again Ajja gave the same look to my Mum who was sitting in one corner of the Jeep with all her luggage at her feet.


Actually, the office jeep got punctured on the Highway approx after 30 Kilometres from the nearest city, those days travelling 30 km was not as fast as today, Thanks to roads. This happened at 1-2 am in the night. Thanks to Ajja who asked Maama to accompany us, who went with our driver to fix the tyre, as the driver did not carry spare with him.


Ajja stayed back in the jeep with us. My sister and myself slept back, only to be woken up by my mom, when we were in the narrow lanes of a city, this time with my usual habit of reading the boards of shops, I realized we were in Miraj and it was nice pleasant morning and I said "Aiyeee , Miraj Bannthhu!!!!! , a ? was replaced with ! this time. But still, Ajja gave same look to my mum.

We had missed boarding our Nizamuddin Express which already had departed an hour ago. Can You beat this one!!!!!

Poor Ajja did not even take us to the hotel, took us straight to Railway Station got the tickets Cancelled and then booked unreserved Sleeper class ticket for next day and then took us to the lodge very next to Miraj Railway Station so we can be on time next day.


The Next Day, we finally got into the train, with 10-11 Bags + 2 kids ( my sister and myself who are no better than those huge bags), Mummy, Cousin and Ajja in his early 70's. We girls could only carry the water can and Ajja's small briefcase which he carried even for 15-day trip. Every other bag was beyond our capabilities and the older ones had to manage them.

In the train, we had to adjust with other reserved seat passengers until the TC allocates us the seats of the passenger who missed their train on this day!!!!

Probably if Jab we Met had been there then, we would have said, "Babaji!!! Ab Aur koi excitement nahi chahiye , Boring Bana do ji iss journey ko".

However, it was not that boring, as Mum met her childhood friend (who was also travelling with her daughter to meet her husband who was in Indian Army) for her relief she can at least talk to her friend. As much as I know my Mum, she would not have spoken to Ajja entire train trip directly without having us as mediators, and would have wondered what conclusion my paternal cousin come to witnessing the entire drama!!!


This is what happened " Jab We Met " our Dad. And In My Mom's perspective Jab She Met dad in the Great city, with one of the seven wonders of the world, which an emperor built for his beloved, Taj Mahal, Agra.

The END- Part One

4 comments:

Easwar Subramanian said...

Brilliant recollection.

I love the anecdotes on the van full of bags and dresses packed for every day of the stay :)

You are an amazing raconteur.Keep blogging

shamita said...

Hey u forgot something..... we actly got into a wrong bus to miraj then tht conductor dropped us in old dwd .....from whr ajja went to walmi office to get the jeep ....i cant forget tht place whr we were sittin on our luggage beside a gutter n waitin for ajja to come

Charu said...

Memories!!

Keep updating ... you will smile at them 20 yrs down :)

Unknown said...

bhaari dummi story...id nanaga hyela illa....alomst 9 yrs dat we met...bt din share this mast story...keep writing

Cheers