One of the major things that the year 2011 gave me is the travel
opportunities. Though most were strictly official, still I have had the best of
times. Be it the overnight train travel filled with noisy and over the top
uproarious gang of IT guys or the uneventful 45 minutes flight travels to
Hyderabad, I really liked them all. But the best was my trip from Kolhapur to
Chennai :) Story time guys :)
The highly professional and over clocked LG had really had it all
and turned into the enthusiastic girl she ever was, deciding to have the best
of her times. She knew something was awaiting for her at her home (two days
holiday) hence the enhanced cheerfulness :) She hopped into her taxi, with her
oversized luggage, extra heavy backpack and the not so large Eatables (that was
the most blatant lie, of my times), thus well prepared for her long 5 hrs
journey from Kolhapur to Pune by drive. She was almost worried to think about
her 24 hrs travel from Pune to Chennai by train, but then reminded herself that
she might never have got those holidays, if she had flown. She would have had to
report the same noon, probably. So she gets back to her normal self, consoling
herself that she had had three books to give her company.
Thus began her eventful journey, with a Marathi driver who knew a
little Hindi. Having said that, it would be terribly unfair not to add that our
own LG knew only a little Hindi too, or so she thought. So she just kick
started the chatter of the driver just by admitting that her Hindi was
terrible, for which he replied mine too. Thus began her roller coaster ride. He
started to explore his Hindi showing around the places all through the highway.
For instance,
Example 1:
Driver: That is
a shoe shop
LG: (rolls her
eyes, thinking "yes very unidentifiable") Oh is it?
Are they cheap?
(Clearly utilizing
the chance to use her new word "sastha")
Driver: Yeah, real
good. (Not
catching the word, sastha)
LG: (Disappointedly) Oh.
(Thank God, Oh was Oh in all languages,
or is not?)
Example 2:
LG: do you
share Parathas with me?
(He gives
a real shock look, clearly none of his previous passengers would have offered
food in such a terrible language)
Driver: No
madam, I have to drive
LG: (So? you
mean no?)
(Gives one
blank look and bites into her parathas)
Driver: Do you
like the food here?
LG: (Paratha
is paratha everywhere) yes no
big difference
After ten minutes
Driver: I had food
before I started, so I did not accept your offer.
(yes he took solid two
minutes to complete the sentence, of course way better than our LG's talent)
LG: it is ok, but you can still have if
you want, I have plenty
Driver: (eats a piece to shut
her mouth)
Example
3:
Driver: Madam you told to
come by 10
LG: No, later I called and I clearly told
to your boss that I need the car by only 12
Driver: Will you call and
inform him the same?
LG: give me his number; I left his card in
my room
(Everything seemed in sync till this point)
Driver:
#&*#^@&
(Numbers in Marathi)
LG: ("ya, Missed just this") (frustrated) Show me the number
in your mobile
(Hated all the poor quality screen
resolution phones, that second, when she found she can’t see a thing in that
darn mobile. After trying many positions and many angles of sunlight trying to
see the number, she hands over the phone back)
Please dial the number in my mobile and give
Driver: (Sees her high end
smart phone touch screen and back at her, then dials the number in his own
mobile and hands it to her)
Example 4:
LG: So what is Famous in Kolhapur?
(For the fifth time during the trip and
third time during the day)
Driver: (still unable to
comprehend the meaning of "famous"), I don’t understand
madam
LG: (helplessly) what is?? Nothing..
Leave it..
(still she has not found the word)
Then
God answered to his prayers, LG slept for two hours. But then her God was also
not unkind, He woke her up such that she would not miss the beautiful drizzle,
in the greeny mountainous scenery. I know it is cinematic, but I am narrating
what really did happen. LG then asks him to switch the AC off and she opens the
windows. She was thinking to plug her headset and the driver turns on the
radio. Wow you think? No... He turns on some loud banging music and irate her
to the core and makes her shut up. Or was it the idea??
Anyway,
the driver offers to stop in a tea shop and LG says immediately
"yes", just to get out of the car and feel the breeze over her. Then
for the first ever time she enters a roadside shop, thinking of Bch, her best
friend, who has many a times wished for such an opportunity. She drank the tea,
wisely following the driver's advice about avoiding the coffee and ignoring the
noisy crowd, the dirty glasses, the wet chairs and the blatant stare of the
people. By now she had become accustomed to the latter, for she understood the
people's open surprise about a girl, correction, south Indian girl travelling
around alone. She had understood the south Indian tag was inevitable, and was
of no disadvantage, at least on the surface. By then she felt she had accomplished
something in life, not just drank tea in a roadside shop.
The
journey then began to get more interesting, because by then terrible Hindi had
become accustomed to both. So accustomed that, the driver ate LG's brain by
giving full description of his boss, his lifestyle and the other non
interesting subjects. Then in the midst of all these trivial talks, he dropped
the bomb, that he did not know the route to Pune station from the Highways. But
they were ahead the schedule by two hours, so what the heck she thought,
"we could just enquire the route and buzz off", still worrying what
to do in station to spend that two hours, after reaching the station.
Only
after reaching Pune, she understood his "poochke jayange" was not
asking to the locales but to his boss back at Kolhapur through his mobile
phone. Very ironic that she remembered the way she gets lost inside her own
city often like this. But she can afford to do that, but being a driver how
could he? She should have cursed him under her breath but she was calm as ever,
no, more excited about the whole thing. She is getting the glimpse of Pune,
which she normally would not have. That is the crazy damsel LG for you.
After
one hour, she understood she had been in the same place few minutes earlier, or
not? She saw the time and it was 4 45 already and her train was by 5 55. She
decided to take things on her own hands, if she were to save her back. By
now clearly lost, the guy had decided that LG was going to fire him, instead
our lady asked him to shut his phone and ask the passerby. Without even leaving
one fellow pass them, they enquired around, again went to another ride around
the city and then reached the station by sharp 5.40. She asked the driver that
he has to help her till the train with luggages, if she were to catch the
train. He understood he had to oblige and followed her into the station.
Of
course, for the first time, she decided against getting tickets for the
platform, and literally ran all through the station into the next platform. And
by 5.55 she was on the train. Only then she was able to see the relief on the
driver's face. She then thanked profusely and he escaped from the place. Thus
she boarded into the train, without much injury, but I can’t tell the same for
the persons, who were in the station, passerbies and other co-passengers, for
she had dashed, banged and stamped everyone near and around her.
Now
Now!! Did I come to the end of the story? No just a part of the story. Part II
is on its way and is much more fun than this.
Stay
tuned in!!!
Cheers!!
Elgee