Will You Come With Me?

Will You Come With Me?​

I know it’s a daring question. But I am not going to be apolegetic. Nor am I going to be afraid of of infraction at the hands of our wonderful mods. Since all of you have accepted to be my GFs, I now have the liberty to pose a question as bold as, ‘Will you come with me?’

Having asked such a question I now have to get down to specifics. When I ask the question, you will respond, ‘Come with you, but whereto?’ ‘How are we going to go?’ ‘And what are going to do there?’

I will describe my recent experience of travelling to Chennai by a day train. The invitation is only to repeat the experience. So let me describe my experience first.

When I tell my friends or professional colleauges about my travelling to Chennai by a day train, the first retort I receive is, ‘A criminal waste of time, Sridhar. Spoiling some 8 hours of precious day time. Assume how much can you bill if you just sit in the office and clear your desk.’

In a way it’s true. We have very comfortable night trains to Chennai. You get into Pandyan Express at 845 PM here in Madurai, you reach Chennai next morning around 5:30. And there are a dozen more night trains.

Last time I went to Chennai I flew by Paramount. The flight time is hardly 40 minutes. One has to be really efficient in finishing off a typical airline breakfast within that time.

And <st1:City><st1lace>Paramount</st1lace></st1:City> stuffs with you so much food that invariably you will have to skip lunch on that day. Including airport transfers, the total journey time is less than two hours. Professionals in Madurai leave by the morning Paramount and return to their base by the evening Paramount.

All points agreed. 99 out of 100 times I go to Chennai either by a comfortable late night train or by air. But to travel in a day train at least once in a while is definitely an enjoyable experience. It redefines the very concept of travel.

The only superfast day train we have is the Vaigai Express which leaves Madurai around 645 AM and touches Chennai around 2 15 PM. Had you peered into the C2 Airconditioned Chair Car of Vaigai, on 24^th March you could have seen yours truly comfortably settled in an aisle seat.

Being peak exam season the train was not full. The airconditioning was very cool and after a while I even started to shiver.

The travel was an eye-opener in more ways than one. First the train service has tremendously improved since I last travelled in Vaigai. The seats are very comfortable almost like those in an aircraft with a food tray in the front, and a reclining back.

The lighting was of the correct intensity; it was neither the semi-darkness of Manirathnam movies, nor the glaring lights of a political meeting.

I had very talented companions for the journey. One was Ms. Elisabeth Kubler Ross and the other was Stella Bruce.

Yes, I was carrying “On Death and Dying” written by the former and “Oru Murai Than Pookum” by the latter. It was a pleasure to indulge in my favourite way of reading two books at a time – one chapter here and another there.

The coach had dark windows and one could not see the country side flying past by. But there was an electronic screen announcing all the stations on the way. I might have travelled to Chennai by train at least a few thousands of times.

In fact my very first journey in this world, when I was hardly three months old, was by a train. I was born in Chennai in my mother’s place in Saidapet and was brought to <st1:City><st1lace>Madurai</st1lace></st1:City> when I was three months old by the then Super Express which took in those days about fourteen hours for the 300 mile journey.

 

It was only this time that I came to know of many towns thanks to the flashing screen in the compartment – Meppuliyur, Pennadam, Kalpattichathram, Karupatti, Vadamadurai, Olakkur, Parikkal, Mailam, Thiruvennainallur Road, Kandambakkam….

And another very significant improvement is in the food. Not only there was a wide range of food available but they were of very good quality. I did not eat everything that came my way.

But I ate most of them. I can’t resist my temptation to give a list of what I ate on the train. And you need not have to stir out of your seat to get food. Food is served at your seat by very courteous attendants.

You all know (if you don’t ,ask my wife Indhu) that I am one of the acclaimed Sappattu Ramans down South. I had planned to induldge in gastronomic pleasures during the journey and had some two hundred Rupees in small currencies and change to have a hassle-free eating any time I want.

Since I had a very good, strong filter coffee prepared by my wife in the early hours of morning I did not eat or drink anything during the first thirty minutes of the journey.

I opened the account with three idlies, one vadai and a cup of strong tea. This was at a <st1:time minute="45" hour="19">quarter to eight</st1:time>. Then around <st1:time minute="0" hour="10">10 AM</st1:time> I went for a plate of curd vada for my mid-morning snacks. Around 11, I started feeling hungry. Those guys at the pantry car knew very well what items would sell at what time. So a person came with hot tomato soup with bread pieces.

What I missed was even more interesting than what I ate. There were hot poori masala, egg omelette, sweet bolis, pongal, masala dosa ….. I remember only these items.

I finished the soup and was feeling even more hungry. I looked up at the electronic screen. The letters were in green now, indicating that the train is standing at a station. It was Villuppuram. The lunch offered in the train was not up to my taste. They had vegetable biriyani, egg biriyani and curd rice.

So I got down from the train in search of some simple, wholesome lunch. A pocket of sambar rice, another of curd rice and a masal vadai. This was my lunch. Well cooked Ladies Finger proved as much an accompaniment to sambar sadham, as Palghat Mani’s percussion was to GNB’s vocal music. It was a moment of pride for me. Food packets purchased at random in a busy Railway junction tasting quite good!

My mind was thinking about the various stages of terminally ill patiens – a state of denial, then of anger and then of depression. Another part of mind was enjoying the stay with Vaidyanathan, Stella Bruce’s hero in a mansion in Mylapore and his love for his boss, Surya, a tall, fair girl resembling Poonam Dhillon of those days.

As I was immersed in one of these books, I felt at a sharp tug at my knee. I looked up with a shock. A small child of about three years was standing near me. His smile was disarming. He did not disturb me. He did not even talk to me. But was there for a full minute looking at me. He had fixed his gaze on me till his mother came to pick him up.

Then I dozed off for a while. When I woke up the screen told me that the train was in Tambaram. And the next stop was at Mambalam, where I had to get down. I got my suitcase down from the rack and went to the door.

As I got down into the long Mambalam platform welcomed by gentle showers, I looked back at the train with a sense of longing. People who had lived in the same house for many years have a numb ache in the heart when they move out. I was in a similar state.

The journey had taken on the whole, only about seven hours and forty five minutes. That was enough for me to develop a bond with the train, which people take some forty years to develop with the house they live in.

I am planning to make the same trip once again. Now go to the top and read the question. What’s your answer, my dear GFs?

 

That was a really prompt acceptance. I don't know what good deeds did I do to merit such an implicit confidence from you! Thanks ANK.

Like you said, nothing like good food and good books for a journey. These two are good companions not only for the train journey, but also for the journey called life.

thanks once again,
love,

 

Dear Srilatha,
Within minutes after posting I have got another ready acceptance. Thanks for accepting my invitation, Srilatha.

Yes, when you visit India next time, try to plan one long train journey in the day. With good books, good food and good friends, there is nothing like that.

I remember making a wonderful journey in 1980 from Madurai to Quilon by a day train. The train goes through the Western Ghats from Senkottai to Punalur. My God! The tunnels, the steep climb, the breathtaking view. Having got first class tickets I spent most of the journey standing by the door.

Thanks Sreelatha. That sure is a tonic for me.
regards,

 

Thanks, ANK.