Rail Road travels are a wonderful part of one’s life. It is such an experience that whether one be poor or rich, he or she will definitely remember it.
Rail roads are the backbone of many a civilizations. The Indian Railways is such a backbone of the travelling facility of the entire country.
The space, distance and time covered on rail journeys are unique in themselves.
On rails, whether be it hills or the deep and treacherous waters of any ocean or be it any terrain, travelling to any part of the world is possible if rail tracks are present at that location.
Wonders of wonders they are.
Travelling in the general bogey gives such a thrill of experience that it will keep you on your toes for the rest of life. In most parts of the world where the ratio of train seats to people is 1:10 or 1:20 or 1:30, there you will find people standing on every inch of space available. Not a single centimeter would be available for you to breath. Despite that, one can see that on the next station ten to twenty people will get in and be cramped up in the general compartment like money paid as salary by most of the companies. Even if you work 24×7, they will pay so less, that sometimes sleeping at home is a better than going to work. It’s the same with general compartment of trains.
From the station or the terminus from where the train starts, you will most probably get an empty seat and once you are comfortably seated in the general compartment, you will think-“Oh! Such a lovely morning. I shall reach my office nicely”.
The train starts its journey. By the time it reaches the next few stops, you will see people breathing and blowing hot air on your face and their sweats falling on your pants. By the time you get down, your tie will be at a 180 degree round about i.e. it will be at your back and your pants will look like it hasn’t been ironed for the last few centuries and your shirt will be asking you-“what have I done to deserve such a punishment?”
The next day you will again get ready for the next rail journey to your office.
Rails are inevitable part of our lives. Without them we wouldn’t have been able to reach the place where we all are at the moment.
General compartments are the place where most of the common men start their lives’ journey from. I have written about the experience of travelling in general class compartment as my mother, my father and me, the writer of the post, we have innumerable experiences of travelling in general compartments with people from all parts of life. It is such a place where there is no distinction. First come first serve basis and to tell you the truth, I sometimes miss those days. The excitement of being able to get a seat, of travelling to a particular location, of buying small things from vendors who get on the trains and of reaching the place of destination safely and again getting on the return train back to home. This journey of a whole day, used to be thousand times better than a three days, two nights trip to any place. Sometimes time changes, sometimes people change, sometimes even basis changes, sometimes even friends change, places change, routes change, luck changes, school changes, office changes, health changes and food changes but rails always remain the same. Just a bit of repair here and there and a bit of paint and it is as good as new.
So, summing up, rail journeys are wonderful. They are God’s boon on mankind. Rail and man has always gone hand in hand and foraging new rails and building new tracks has always been the destiny of men and women. Rails and rail journeys are beautiful, the safest and not the fastest but full of life experiences and teachings. They teach us humility,to be humble, kind, grateful and to respect the whole ecosystem.
Adios!
Before You Travel. 