During Diwali eve, I was travelling by a south bound train. I had booked an AC ticket in the day train to avoid the Diwali crowd.When I got into the train, I realized that the chair car coach was replaced by a AC birth coach for this trip. I felt very happy as a birth would be more convenient to travel with no extra cost.
Due to the festival eve, the train was full and in our cabin, instead of 8 seaters, we had 10 seaters. Couple of them had already occupied the birth, so rest of us were sharing the seats below.
I too occupied the top birth so that I can have a peaceful book reading and sleep for the next 8 hours.
A family with a 6 months baby was seated opposite and 2 more ladies and 4 gents in our cabin. Another 10 mins were left for the train to start.
I just settled myself and opened a good management book. Suddenly I heard a tamil music "Nakku mookku nakku mooku Nakku Mookku" bonk in a higher decibel. It was quiet loud that all of us started paying attention to the direction from where the noise came. It was form one of the gentleman's mobile seated in the side birth. He attended the phone only after 4 or 5 rings as he was going through the calling number to take it or not. The gentleman started his conversation in Tamil (Though I don't eavesdrop, it was unavoidable) about his unplanned absenteesam from office due to diwali rush and also abt the small bonus they got for the festival.. It was a cribbing session went on quiet long for abt 20 mins.
In between, second gentleman's mobile and another lady's mobile started beeping. One is the song from Dasavatharam "Om namo Narayanaya" and the lady's an English song.. The lady had the courtesy to answer the phone in a low tone while the gentleman was shouting loud to some of his subordinates about the sudden pop up of issues. He immediately opened his laptop, connected to internet using GPRS and started discussing abt the issues.. for next 30 mins. Alas , save us Rant
The lady seated below has been speaking softly and also only for short duration. Suddenly there is a vibration on the device that is held to my chest.. (as I keep the phone in silence mode in public travel). The call was from home on to check abt whether I have started. I simply sent a message home abt the status and left the call un-answered.
Tried to concentrate on first chapter of the book. By then one of the 2 mobiles that were on were silent now. As I moved to page 4, there was another music "Nakku Mookku Nakku Mooku" and this is from a different mobile. Every one was checking their pocket and handbag to check where the noise from. Later realised it's the person who has been sleeping in opposite birth. He was so deep in his sleep that he did not realise to attend the call. It kept on ringing for next 2 mins.Big Laugh
By now, there were couple of small message beeps and the concerned were checking their messages.
Not even we had reached Arakkonam ( 1 hour from chennai), couple of phones started ringing simultaneously. One that belongs to the family and the other on the Project tracker who was still working in his laptop.
The kid's father was proudly conveying abt his kid's activity status to his parents and when tentatively the train would reach Salem and also abt the crowd status. Though it was not loud, still audible.But he kept on passing the phone to his kid's ears and also to his wife to listen and talk to the other end.
I am sure there would have been lots of crosstalks heard as one was tracking issues in a loud noise and other having a casual talk.
Now its the turn of the second lady's mobile. "Nannare nannare naare naare.... from Guru.. She got up from her nap and responded the call. It was a casual call from one of her friend on what she has bought for diwali and more on diwali shopping for her family..
Now the college student's mobile started ringing. Its from his friend and the conversation was so long and loud. It covered all topics on current IT trends, lay offs, various job employment melas, about other friends who are looking for jobs in Bangalore and chennai, about the train crowd and diwali shopping. I think they don't worry abt the bill as BSNL and other operators have separate cheap schemes for college students and their parents tip them well.
Now after all this, I lost my hope on reading the book and closed it. Tried to concentrate on sleep.
Though we were 10 of them in the cabin, we were not talking as groups, not facing each other, but talking to our friends and relatives. I was also little irritated with headache. I wonder is it that I am not accomodative about so many mobile rings? I had the urge to talk to the people who had been talking loud to maintain some decibel levels, but controlled it as I might appear in-human.
I started thinking about a 1.5 decade ago when mobiles were rarely available and the tele-density was very low.
We used to write letters to update our parents/relatives abt the trip, call our neighbour's phone to inform any emergency news.
Now that each member of the family holds couple of mobile phones (personal, official) and carries out conversation for every silly thing, I am proud to say India is growing and there is tremendous potential.. for more growth.
At the same time, we are lacking civic or social sense on using the technology without disturbing public.
My God, I was just waiting for my destination to reach and popped up a headache pill along with a striong coffee.......
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