YPR - TATA

Early morning. The 21st of December, 2009. The YPR-HWH is scheduled to arrive at KGP at 4:05 AM. Having slept till noon during the day, I keep tossing and turning on the upper berth till about 12:30 AM. I have a nagging suspicion that the train is running late. My connector to JSR, the Purushottam arrives at KGP at 4:40 AM. It will be touch and go.

Awake at around 2:30 AM. Am down & ready by 3:30 AM. There's 1 guy at the door of the 3rd AC already. The usual conjecturing about the platform number takes place. We pause for some time near the huge Loco Shed on the outskirts of KGP station. The air is nippy .... the I-am-near-home feeling arises .... I've spent the last 38 hours inside the stuffy compartment.

Finally we pull in. I step down on the platform .... it's exactly 4:05 AM! We are on platform 3 .... start walking toward the shaded part .... it's a relief I won't have to lug the unbelievably heavy VIP all the way to the waiting room like I had to in 2007 & 2008. Reach a tea shop & ask the vendor where the Purushottam comes in. He replies it comes in right on this platform. Cool. Ask him for a cup. It's good to hear Eastern Indian Hindi after a long time.

The announcements for various trains are on. No mention of my train. As I finish the tea, the YPR-HWH begins moving out. Even as it picks up speed, the voice over the PA system announces my train number .... it's on time & coming in within 10 minutes .... super!

I move over to the platform's edge & peer into the direction I think it will be coming in from. Obviously it should be the direction in which the YPR-HWH just went since, JSR is the other way. And suddenly, it's in .... coming in from the JSR side! I'm confused .... is this the other train, coming from Delhi? Anyway, let's check the reservation chart .... which turns out does not have my name on it. Hop on to the coach anyway.

# 55, a side lower is my reserved berth. And it's empty. Good. The caretaker appears .... I confirm with him .... yes, this train does go on to JSR. Sit down, make myself comfortable & pull out the Walkman. Daddy calls & confirms my position. And then the train lurches backward .... going back in the direction it entered the station .... no wonder the halt here is for 25 minutes .... the engine was changing ends.

All is well as we pick up speed. It's close to 5 in the morning but it's inky black outside. I let it sink in .... my last rail journey as a bachelor .... Belinda Carlisle sings 'Circle In The Sand' on the earphones. Time passes quickly. The train shoots past stations draped in darkness with the exception of the lone signalman holding up the signal lamp with it's blinking green LEDs.

And then I spy it, around an hour after the train left KGP, dawn is breaking over the horizon. I seem to be the only one awake on the train. And then it keeps on getting brighter. We cross the state border, Chakulia passes, Ghatshila too, it's overbridge clearly visible now. Govindpur appears, I pack up the Walkman. The journey home is always the sweetest. Stand at the door ..... the electric loco shed appears & soon we have halted at platform 3. JSR, good ol's JSR.

So everything worked out according to plan. The departure, the journey, the connection & the arrival. Daddy is there looking tired. We take the overbridge, Daddy pays 10 bucks to the coolie who asks for 20. I pay him off & sit in the car. I've come home for something big .... let's start it off on a good note.

The route home is dusty as usual. On arrival, Ratan uncle is on the driveway with Chhotu. Am meeting him after around 20 years. And Y Fi greets me inside. Her affection is real & touching .... unlike a lot of others in the family. I am home.