It is 7:25 p.m. and I am standing in the ticket queue behind a profusely sweating executive with his heavy laptop bag dangling by his left shoulder and he is trying to pacify an irate customer (who knows maybe his boss or wife) over the phone. The person behind me is no different as she is whispering romantic lines to her ..er boyfriend(??). And the bloke standing between them both, that is me, is counting seconds and secretly cursing the ticket vendor for functioning at a pace as slow as Venkatesh Prasad's slower delivery.
The venue is Vikhroli station and after some light years I finally have my turn to buy the ticket. During the divine moment and after I have followed the protocol of handing the money and saying my destination aloud, I look at my tormentor who has lost any ability to speak, thanks to the gutkha. I was blessed with the ticket at about 7:45 p.m. and I raced to platform no. 2 to board the CST local. I prided myself for able to cover 50 metres in about 12 seconds flat. Once inside the new local (which the media fondly describes as swank!) , I look out for or rather beg silently for about 12 inches of space to sit. My prayers are answered soon as young man realizes suddenly that he has to get down at Ghatkopar station and shoots as soon as the train leaves Ghatkopar.
I reached Dadar at 8:05 p.m. and I casually walk towards the footbridge that connects the central and western lines. My goal is platform 5 of the western line and those who are not familiar with this platform, let me warn you that you will have to first solve the mystery of how to get to that platform. There is a stair just adjacent to the ticket sales hall which will take you to an open ground used for defecating the walls. You then need to walk about 10 metres till you find a gap in the wall which is the entrance to the platform.
Once on the platform, I patiently waited for the 8:23 Borivali fast. The reason I prefer this train is because it originates from Dadar and so the chances of you getting a 12 inch space is about 80%. At about 21 past 8, the train shows itself up. Now this is the moment when you will see all the people on the platform brace themselves for. It will be like 1 ball and 4 runs needed and the cup is yours. All the skilled jumpers take position and the moment the compartment nears them, they thrust themselves inside it and charge towards the vacant space. Did I mention that I too am a part of the jumpers brigade?
I secured a seat just next to the window seat and immediately pulled out my novel to read. The train chugged towards Borivali at about 8:25. The first stop, Bandra, brought in more commuters to the compartment, who with their experience, squeezed themselves inside and handed their luggage to the unfortunate person standing under the luggage stand. Why? Well this person's moral obligation is to take the luggage and place it on the stand.
Next stop Andheri and by now the train was so packed that from your seat you can barely notice any one getting in or out. From here the train will halt at all stations, as the announcer would yell. After Jogeshwari, Goregaon & Malad the next station, Kandivli, will see almost 75% of the crowd alighting and you can actually remove the gas mask if you are wearing it.
And finally at about 8:57 p.m., the train entered Borivali platform no. 8. After some more jostling and finding ways between the humongous crowd, I made out of the platform and headed home.
