Train, Tractor & Hungama: Masala to a Complete Drama

                And, now I was scratching my head, had it really happened? Had I really suffered the sāfār (tour) from Mumbai to Varanasi by a Tractor, with a few dozens of people, fowls and vegetables?

                "It started 3months ago, when I reserved an AC-II tier railway ticket from Mumbai to Varanasi. I felt real luck, when I got a confirmed ticket in the wedding months of June-July, and not that RAC or waiting thing. The day finally came, and with friends, I went to Dadar station to catch the train.

                To our very surprise, but not actually surprising, train was indefinitely delayed. Waiting for a few hours, we came to know that the train has actually been cancelled and those who still want to go to their destinations on Mumbai-Varanasi route can board a Tractor trolley specially managed for esteemed Railways' passengers! Yes, a tractor-trolley! Searching here and there, running in mayhem, when we finally were able to locate our Great Tractor-trolley, we were ruined to ashes to find no corner in that bigggg trolley is left vacant. It was filled with gaonwala people, their goats and poultry; rajai-gaddas (quilts-beds) and all the other unclassified things! Anyhow we managed to get some space to put our tashreefs (bums) in rest; and the journey started.

                I don't know why, but when the journey started, I noticed it started from some Bihar Police Station. I remembered perfectly that we boarded the Dadar Railway Station, and it was some Dadua Police Station when tractor's ignition was triggered by the driver. Anyways, our Great Indian Voyage from Bombay to Banaras (or may be Bihar to Banaras) started.
        Like many other things, I don't know when I felt asleep in that nauseating environment, stinking all the way of cattle and their byproducts. In dream, I felt an urge to relieve myself; and I left the trolley when the Sun was preparing to bid day's salaam! When, after fertilizing the nearby tree with natural-urea, I turned back there was no sign of my mighty tractor-trolley. I started running on that isolated plateau in the falling darkness, and all that I could see was a blackish-orange horizon and silhouette of far-or-nearby trees (I wasn't able to gauge the distance). When I turned back, the hoo-halaah of the typical colored Rajasthani market deafened my ears; and piercing Sun rays almost blinded me. Don't ask how I reached Rajasthan and how it turned to day, only thing I know was that train (in this case, tractor) crosses Rajasthan on a West-to-North India journey.

                Not mesmerized by all those colorful ghaghra-cholis and kathputlis, I searched a PCO booth and made call to one of my friend who was still on that trolley. Surprisingly, he said me to meet him at the next circle. I left the booth, and ran towards the circle, when a Jeep started chasing me. In that darkness (yes, I know it was day a few minutes ago), chased by Gundas on Jeep, I was running madly on that straight road leading to nowhere. Far away I saw a light, and assuming it from some house, I left the road and started running towards it. I have never been in top 10, forget any medal, in any race in my whole life; but, God only knows why I was no less then Usain Bolt that night! I was running towards that dim lit house, and Gundas were continuously practicing their shooting on me. When I was about to reach that house, my friend shook me and asked to bend my legs, so that he can now straighten his own.  Oohhh….I came to reality and stretched my spinal cord, and reset my body in that corner, allowing my friend to doze off.

Mighty Tractor  ~ from Color to B&W
(Background pic by Abhimanyu, Tractor thanks to http://www.noidascoop.com)

                Night was cool, and dew started pouring down. I don't remember I saw the time or not, but I feel dawn was just over an hour far. I started counting the stars, had a wished privilege to observe two or three shooting stars too. Don't remember when my eyes went heavy and I dived into the lap of Sleepy Queen!

                I would have missed the sunrise, if my friend wouldn't have shouted, hitting my left eardrum badly, "Aren't you going office today? Haan! It's already 9:30 buddy!" "Oh shit! This f****** alarm again ditched me. Wait, I'm getting ready….", I woke up, and couldn't realize  that had Train-Tractor-Dramatic dream, until evening, when after a long busy day in office I was almost half-slept watching some movie on cable!"

                I love to dive into, swim through dreams; but sometimes they are so fabulous, with so much of fantasy, it becomes difficult that one may have such Disney made animated dreams too! I read somewhere dreams are black & white, but I'm not in position to solve the mystery of my Eastman colors' Rajasthan in dream! And, yes how can't I cherish having dream-into-dream, the Inception'ist, type of dreaming too! ;)

               

                I had many, shared this one….wish to hear, if anyone else had some!? :)