Mathura --- What a trip!

It is not very often that I write a blog...my numbers tell you that..but then sometimes you have an experience which is so different and funny(though common , but occured first time to you) that you feel like sharing it....

A best friend's sister's wedding took me to Agra, and for the first time in my life I ventured a North India trip. I had been trying on various ocassions to plan a trip to North...but as it is said life takes to it when it takes you...

Anyways this blog is not about "the" marriage. Well experiences of the marriage were quite refreshing and tiring at the same time, but I would like to key in more about the Journey to Agra .More importantly the RETURN :) ...So let me get through the initial facts quickly...
On Friday , 12th Sept , I hit Dadar stataion to take the August Kranti Rajdhani (at a waiting list 10) .Being my first time , I wanted to be sure I get the seat , so with help of an agent and extra fee of 850/- Rs( for people smiling, yes I know I have been robbed..but hey can't help it!)...I secured a berth. And apart from putting me in the WRONG train (Rajdhani,instead of August Kranti Rajdhani, which unfortunately does not halt @ Mathura,which was btw my stop) he did everything right, like securing me a berth in the RIGHT train. Luck and thirst got me out of the train in nick of time to notice the error and get in the right train.Well apart from that all went smooth . Lalu and Rajdhani have improved grades and the journey was pleasant.

I saw Agra, met my best friend after a gap of a year , spent some great time at his place and had a ball at the wedding. All went great so far ... and on Sept 14th ( yes the very next day...manager sanctions ltd leaves you see!)... I left his place after Didi's Bidaai to catch my Paschim Express from Mathura , 7:10 pm...

I reached stn @ 6:15. Due to the unfortunate Delhi events , the trains were late , and my train got scheduled @ 8:45 pm ( 90 mins late) and being postponed every minute.. I was on Platform no 3 waiting to take my train...allllllllllllll the 90 mins , listening to every announcement.I will take a quick break here to mention that in Mumbai if a track is meant for Virar-direction trains, only trains going in the direction of Virar get on that track and same for Churchgate-directed trains..I have been to south and my observation tells the same story...Well, back to blog. So I was on this platform 3 directed towards Mumbai waiting for the train when the track-planners(dunno what they are called!) , suddenly decide to put the train on track no 2. Curse my luck , I got a phone at the same time and missed the announcement...Put this all together and you will understand when I say ...I was running towards the train when it waved me goodbye...Crux of the story ..I MISSED MY TRAIN :( ( for ppl giggling at the time , it may seem funny but yes it happened!! Hard luck!)

Well having no other option I started making calls to my friend to find out possible options to get back to Mumbai as I was to report back the next day( I know this sounds as if I am some military guy reporting on the border, but hey s/w engineer is no less than a soldier fighting all the time, only he doesn't know whom he is fighting for and why ;) ). The "ever-helpful" ( obviously I mean the opposite!) Mathura TC's and enquiry counter helped me a lot in loittering here and there and thereby contributed to my growing anxiety and reducing weight! Some officers were able to help me with information , one suggesting I take a Mewad Express , get down @ Kota and catch some delayed Janta Express to Mumbai, other suggesting I take the JammuTavi-Jaamnagar Express at midnight and get down at Vadodara and from there try my luck to Mumbai....well they helped me a good deal , but they also confused me a bit and I ended up buying and cancelling three unreserved tickets(each time a 10Rs loss!) .

Time went by and I kept loittering left and right trying to work out possible solutions , with my friend and family providing me options. Suddenly there was an announcement of a Karnataka Express (Delhi to BLore) to be expected in 30-40 mins ( i.e. at 11:00 pm ) . Contemplating a possibility of this train crossing Maharashtra, I rushed to the enquiry counter only to find it flooded like a scene where there is a dead/drunk person lying and all have gathered to see him/her. So I had no option but to search help otherwise . I met a senior TTE officer who bluntly refused to answer me saying that "this was not his duty and I should try my luck at the Enquiry Counter"! On my way back to the "surrounded" enquiry counter I met a TTE who happended to let me know that the train passes Manmad.... Next question.. Where the hell is Manmad??

Few phone calls and enquiries later I found that Manmad is a station near Igatpuri and Nasik and there are frequent trains from Manmad Junction to Mumbai ( taking 3-4 hrs to reach Mumbai). Wow! Next thing was to coax and request the TC to convert my unreserved seat to a berth..That happened 50-60 mins later ( as the train was delayed) and some requests and 600 Rs (400 on challan) later I found a berth as the train was practically empty( and passengers claim that the train had a HUGE waiting list).Well night passed with me all asleep on my upper berth and TC saying bye at Agra.

Morning came whem a guy woke me up at Bhopal stating that the Berth was his RESERVED SEAT. He had reserved the seat from Delhi but got in @ Bhopal.TC thinking the seat is empty assigned it to me.. But thank God as the train was empty and I could adjust elsewhere :)
The rest of journey was quite uneventful and I made it to Manmad @ 5:00 pm.
Got an unreserved ticket to Mumbai and a very helpful TC who guided me to Tapovan Express (Nanded to Mumbai expr daily @ 5pm) . This train got delayed by an hour and it finally left Manmad @ 6:30 pm and I got a seat in SECOND CLASS of the train...

It later turned out that all these Second Class seat are also reserved and though I could get some hopping seats between Manmad and Igatpuri , I stood the rest of the way to Dadar which came @ 10:40 pm. Lovely aamchi Mumbai and a 10.43pm Borivili Fast got me to my home by 11:50 pm and then good food!

I was supposed to reach home at 2pm in afternoon and got delayed by 10hrs..... But alls well that ends well ... What a trip !