The adventurous journey

12th May

Goshhhh!!!! What a journey it was!!

Her uncle left, we adjusted our stuff and then started talking, unlike last time we were comfortable in others presence this time but still we were a little bit uncomfortable as of other people in our compartment especially the elderly couple who were keep on staring at us. They were more of skeptic as in presence of her uncle she pretended like she didn’t know me but the moment we lost sight of her uncle we started talking. After a while we decided to ignore them and after getting ignored they also stopped staring, by this time we just had a formal hi, hello and we reached Mathura.

At Mathura our train didn’t move for about 15 mins as against 5 mins of regular stoppage, I came out and found that our train engine had some problems and due to unavailability of another engine our train had to wait till the engine came from some other station. Rather than sitting and waiting in coach I asked Sia to come out and we roamed around on the station only. Luckily it rained that day to weather was cool and although there was humidity but it was comfortable out there. After about an hour wait our train was ready to leave.

Here once a train becomes late, it gets on delayed in order to keep other trains on schedule. 1 hr late at Mathura became 2 hr by Gwalior and 3 hr by the time it reached Bhopal. Rather than reaching at 12 the train reached Bhopal at 3 a.m. We didn’t mind this delay as this just gave us 3 more hours to talk, we talked about almost every possible thing that we could talk about and whenever ran short of some topic we get back to the topic of our New Years Date and it leads to a new topic. During one of those discussions I’ve asked her to be my girlfriend, she told that she will think about and tell me.

At 3 am the train reached the deserted Bhopal station she came out to station to bid me good bye.

Sia: Bbye Sho, will miss you.
Me: Will miss you too!!! And Sho, a new name for me??
Sia: Well Pranjal is too long so here is a new nick name for you. Sho, short and sweet name for my Shona.
Me: Good so let’s call each other Sho :).
(The train whistled.)
Sia: Great, will miss you sho…


And we hugged goodbye, at the same moment she kissed at my cheek and ran back towards her coach, I was stunned standing there smiling and looking her as she was standing at the coach’s gate, smiling and waving goodbye. After 5 mins I came back to my senses and realized that I was alone at platform and after a little bit enquiry I found out that I missed my train to Ujjain by 1 hr, and the next one was in the morning. I couldn’t afford to take that train, so I went to bus stand and enquired for next bus either to Ujjain or to Dewas (so as to catch intercity exp for Indore). After waiting for about half an hour around 4 am, a bus came for Ujjain. I boarded that bus, and immediately fell asleep.

I slept for about three hours and at around 7, I got up with a good morning SMS from Sia. She woke up as all other people in her compartment woke up and there was noise by vendors. We then chatted for a couple of hours and mostly talked about last night. Also as the time was passing on, I was becoming more anxious as it was 8.30 and Ujjain was nowhere near. Finally around 9.50 I reached Ujjain bus stand after completing 4 hr journey in almost 6 hrs, courtesy flat tire and then traffic jam on highway. 9.50 it was arrival time for the train at station with 10 mins halt and the railway station was also about 10 mins away from bus stand, I immediately ran towards Railway Station with the hope to catch the train and found out that the train was about 15 mins late, it was about to enter station. I thanked God and Indian Railways for my delayed train. I was never been so happy with a late train.
I boarded the train, took my berth (I already had my reserved ticket) and slept. I didn’t realize when the train reached Indore. My brother came in the coach and woke me up. I found out that whole compartment was empty and outside at platform my parents were laughing at me.

Ahhhh a tiresome but an amazing journey with even astonishing luck, the adjacent berths, the three extra hours in train, a new girlfriend, her kiss, the extended bus journey, the delayed train and then finally parents to receive at station.

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!