Scene 1: Chengalpattu Station 11:30 PM April 2nd
I was on my way to Trichy. I had tickets with me for the Rockfort Express. When I entered the station, I had asked a railway employee about the location of the S9 coach. He asked me to head to the southern end of Platform 6. As I waited for the train, all the blood sucking mosquitoes from the lake nearby found my blood to be the best. It was a very painful wait. I was listening to some music on my phone when an announcement was made over the PA system.
Usually, it is a lady’s voice over the PA system. But this announcement had a male’s voice. It sounded strange. A train pulled in Platform 6 exactly at 2330 as the ticket said. I was impressed. Contrary to what the railway employee had told me, it was S1 at the southern end. I got into the coach and made my way through the train to S9. I reached my berth only to find a gentleman fast asleep on it. I woke him up.
“Sir, I think that I have been allocated this berth…”
“I too have been allocated the same berth”
The TTE arrived on the scene. I handed him my ticket and he found that the same berth had been allocated to me. The man, who was on my berth chipped in, “Sir, please check the date of journey…”
I thought to myself, “Do I look like a kid or something? Will I be stupid enough to board a train on the wrong day…??”
The TTE check the date of journey on the ticket. It was perfect. He told me to wait as he verified the tickets of other passengers who had got in at Chengalpattu. Meanwhile, my thoughts went to an article that I had read recently. It talked about the huge costs of software bugs. I also was wondering about the possibility of a bug getting into a software system that had been tried and tested for years! I also thought about writing a letter to the Techies of the railways highlighting the bug. What a find! And what amused me most was that a software engineer should be at the receiving end of a bug.
“6177“, said the TTE, “The train number is 6177“.
“Yes. So?”
“It is the Rockfort Express”
“OK…”
“This is the Chennai Mangalore Express”
I felt like jumping of the train.The kind hearted TTE offered me a neat place in the passage way near the restrooms. I also had for company, a constable of the RPF.
At a place before Tindivanam, the train halted. The constable suddenly got out of his slumber and asked me to get away from the passage way. [ I was sitting on the floor near the door. The door was closed] I sheepishly told him, “Actually the TTE asked me to get down at Villupuram…” He asked me to move away from the door. He opened it and then whistled to an empty platform and then closed it again before the train started. He had just given me the fright of my life.
I got down at Villupuram and then waited for the “real” train. Luckily, my berth had not been given away to anybody else. The TTE of Rockfort Express gave me a stare down before allowing me to board the train!! Thank God, that I did not board a flight or board a train that was not on the same line!!!
Scene 2: A room in Hotel Gajapriya, Trichy. 10:35 PM April 3rd
My brother and me were having a conversation.
“Anna, I think you should leave to the station asap…”
“The train is at 2330. It would be OK even if I leave at 11…”
After five minutes, he starts again, “I think you should leave for the station at least now…”
“I just told you that the train was at 11:30. There is no reason to get to the station so early. And that too with a confirmed ticket…”
My Dad joins, “Are you very sure…?”
I dig into my pockets and pull out my wallet. I glance at the two tickets. To my horror, the return ticket says 2200. AAHHH. Let me jump off the hotel. The entire family is grinning now as I pack my bags. My mother starts a lecture on the value of money. And before it starts to bleed in my ears, I run out. My Dad quickly puts on a shirt and follows me, telling my Mom, “I will make sure that he gets into the right bus…”
I finally got into a run down bus which was nothing but lot of seats fixed on to an engine. Somewhere during the journey, the bus driver applies the brake which causes my head to crash on the seat in front of me. Poor me! I had a huge swelling on my head for two days!! Never fail to listen to announcements in a railway station…
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