An Awkward Journey

Shri. N. Pandurengan had posted this in MDMS (fb) on Mar 07, 2014. My translation of the same into DM is given alongside.

Awkward journey

अवधड अनुभवाच यात्रा

In our life time we have been traveling to so many places. Some journeys are adventurous and some would have put us in awkward position. I have one such position. Some years back I had been to Coimbatore with my family. My sons were small boys at that time. We had to return to Bangalore by catching the Inter City Express leaving CBE at 2.30 pm. We reached CBE Jn. by 1.30 pm itself. We had booked our tickets in A/C chair car. Since we had a lot of time I thought of bringing some snacks etc., for our journey from a good sweet stall outside the station. I asked my family to wait in the platform and I would return by getting some snacks and train had also not come. I went outside the station in search of some good sweet meat shop. In my mind the 2.30 pm(2 1/2) had been registered as 2.50 pm since 50 is also half of 100. After much search I got a shop and bought the snacks and returned to the station by 2.35 pm. When I entered the platform I saw the train was just vanishing from the station. My family had boarded the train in a/c. car. I was shocked and realised my foolishness. I knew that my wife would be in distress. Immediately I contacted the Station Master and told him my positon. I requested him to contact the next stop SM and find my family. Tickets were with me. I requested the SM to inform the other Station SM if my wife was having sufficient money let her pay for the journey and continue the journey and I would catch next train. The train would reach Tiruppur after one hour. The SM contacted the Tiruppur Station and informed the SM there. When the train reached Tiruppur the SM went to the A/c compartment and told my message. He asked my family to get down at Tirupr and wait in his office till I arrived at Tiruppur by the next train. He informed me also not to worry and he would place them safe in his office and I could come by next train. Luckily within minutes next train came and bought a tkt to Tiruppur in another one hour I arrived at Tiruppur and took charge of the situation. My wife was of course in an agitated state and she was virtually broke down. I pacified her and regretted my foolishness. Then I thanked the Tiruppur Station Master for his timely help. Then we travelled by another passenger train to Erode and from their caught the train at 10.30 pm to Bangalore. Luckily I could manage to get sleeper by talking to the TTR and reached Bangalore safely and comfortably. From that day onwards I avoid going outside the station for any purchase !

अम्च॑ जीवनांत अम्ही इकडे-तिकडे भरून यात्रा करणे सहजच॑. त्यांत॑ कित्येक साहसाच अनुभवाच अस्त॑ अणी कित्येक अवधड अनुभवाच पणीं अस्त॑. विचित्र अवधडाच अनुभव एकदपा मला झाल॑. थोड वर्षापुढे कुटुंबाच बरोर मी कोयंबत्तूराला गेलों. ते वेळी मझ॑ लेंकरे ल्हान पोरे होते. परतून बंगळूराला याला CBCन्तून 2:30 pmला निघाच इंटर-सिटी एक्सप्रस धरामते होते. 1:30 pmलाच CBCला अग्गिदनीं आलों. अम्च॑ टिकट A/C चेर-कारांत बुक केल्होतों. निघाला अण्कीन भरून वेळ होत-ते-करतां, वाटेंत खायाला स्टेषनाच बाहेरच॑ एक चोक्कोट दुकानांत्सून काय तरीन घेईंगून येऊया म्हणून मला वाटले. ट्रेन पणीं आल होत नाही. अग्गिदनासीं प्ळाटफोमांतच असाला सांगूनटाकून पल्हाराच दुकान हुडकींगून बाहेर गेलों. ट्रेन निघाच समय 2:30 pm म्हणून होत॑. पण, कसकी मझ॑ मनांत॑ ते 2:50 pm म्हणून वाटले. कां म्हणजे, 2:30 म्हणून म्हणाच्याला 21/2 म्हणींगूनटाकलोंकी कायकी. तस॑ 2:30 म्हणाच॑ 2:50 झाल॑ ! (100च अर्ध 50 नहो का ?). इकड॑ तिकड॑ हुडकला नंतर॑ एक दुकान मिळ्ल॑ अणी आवश्याच पल्हार अग्गीन घेईंगून वापस स्टेषनाला येताना 2:35 pm झाल॑. प्ळाटफोमाच आंत वेघत असताना ट्रेन स्टेषन सोडून जायाच पाह्यलों. मझ॑ कुटुंब a/c चेर-कारांत॑ बसल्होते. काय कराम॑ म्हणून मला कळ्ल॑ नाही. मझ॑ बाईल तरपडत असलकी, एवढ॑ मुट्ठाळपण केलोंकी म्हणींगट्लों. समच स्टेषन-मास्टराला पाव्हून झालते सांगट्लों. अग्गिदनाच टिकटीं मझकडच होत॑. पुढे याच स्टेषनाच स्टेषन-मास्टरावाटे मझ॑ कुटुंबाला संपर्क करून, मझ॑ बाईलीकड॑ पैसा असलतर॑ नव॑ टिकट घेईंगून पुढे प्रयाण करूनदे, मी नंतरल॑ एक ट्रेन धरींगून येतों अस॑ सांगट्लों. एक घंटेंत॑ ट्रेन तिरुप्पूर पावल॑. स्टेषन-मास्टर तिरुप्पूराला संपर्क करून हे अग्गीन सांगट्ले. ट्रेन तिरुप्पूर पावल॑ की नाही, तिकडल॑ स्टेषन-मास्टर a/c कंपार्टमेन्टाला जाऊन विवर॑ सांगट्ले अणी तिरुप्पूरांतच उतरून, मी या पतोरी त्यंच ऑफीसांत राखून बसाला सांगट्ले. भाग्यांत॑, थोडकच क्षणांत॑ एक ट्रेन मला मिळ्ळे. तिरुप्पूराला एक टिकट घेऊन एक घंटेच आंत मी तिकड जाऊन सग्ळीन सांभाळलों. खर॑ सांगट्ल तर॑, मझ॑ बाईल उजंड तरपडून जाऊन काहीं कराला होयनाते स्थितींत होती. तिला समाधान करिवून, केलते चूकाला क्षमा सांगिट्लों. समयांत सहाय केलतेला तिरुप्पूर स्टेषन-मास्टराला थॅन्क्स सांगून, वेगळ एक पास्सेंजर-ट्रेनांत ईरोड पर्यंतीन जाऊन, तिकडून साडे दहाच बंगळूराच ट्रेन धरलों. ते ट्रेनाच TTRकड॑ बोलून कसकी स्लीपर बेर्त पणीं मिळ्ळे अणी बंगळूरला वेगळ॑ तंटा काहीं नाहीस्क॑ जाऊन पावलों. तद्दी पसून प्रयाणाच वेळी काय घेम॑ म्हणजेनीं स्टेषनाच बाहेर जायाच सोडूनटाकलों !