The Great Train Adventure

My Trissur adventure. Great adventure again, my belief in God strengthened. Went to my friend Remani's house on way to station to board the Bangalore express. After having a lovely lunch and tea later, she called auto to drop me at the station. She assured me that she and the driver will help with the luggage if no porter around. luckily a porter was soon located. so Remani left. the porter told me to take the stairs as he will be crossing over to platform from the track. I came down and saw my luggage neatly piled on the luggage cart but no porter around. An elderly gentleman seeing me uneasy said not to worry and that he will come on time. I got up and began pacing up and down. Soon a lady came and sat beside me. We got chatting. Luggage too was more. My 3 months stay in Guruvayoor clothes plus things purchased and given by my relative. She lessened my tension saying her brothers in law will help if porter did not come. Luckily she too was travelling by the same AC coach. The train arrival was announced.I saw the train chugging into the station. My heart was beating fast. Then I saw the porter rushing, picked up my luggage and neatly placed them under the seat. He left. The TT came checked my ticket and announced that I was sitting in the wrong coach as my coach was B4 and I was in B3. I Was at a loss when the lady I met at the station told me to go to my coach and she will take care of my luggage. A couple, a witty Muslim husband with his charming Hndu wife assured me that my luggage will be safe. He would have helped to carry my luggage but his backache was bad. I asked if my luggage will be a problem. He told me no problem and if any precious. items inside. I told him lot of clothes that he can take. All were laughing. There was a charming young girl who said she too will be getting down at the last stn I was getting down. Truly, felt wonderful. The lady whom I befriended asked the girl to take my no. to contact. Along with a heavy bag kept on the berth I left for my coach. Realised I had forgotten my water bottle, so went to collect. As I came back an elderly man was looking for me. When he saw me he pointed to a mobile lying on the seat. I was shocked when I saw that it was mine. Now the problem was the direction. I had lost track of where B3 was. So kept asking all Tom, Dick and Harry where B3 was. Then asked a chai wala who brough this ware at 5 .30 am. Bought a cup and sat wondering if I should call Sheen , the girl whose no. was with me. The train was supposed to reach at 6.40 am. I thought I should not trouble Sheen so early. Did not want to carry my bag not knowing which direction to go. But when lights were on for passangers to get down at 5.30 am, I walked both direction looking under berths for my luggage. In my anxiety I thought my luggage was not anywhere. But a good morning walk I had. When it was 6.15, I called Sheen and she assured me that luggage was safe. I tried my luck and went to the direction shown and was very happy to see Sheen waiting to use the restroom. She had not seen me. Now sure about direction. I picked up my bag and proceeded to B3. Sheen saw me and smiled saying she will come soon. When I approached the berth I found my luggage all taken out from under the berth and placed in a way that it was easy for me to carry. Sheen and the husband and wife had gone out of their way to see that I did not have any problem. Their station came and as they were getting down. I thanked them and blessed them from the bottom of my heart. Sheen told me she will place my luggage near the door. I told her not to worry and leave. I was hoping against hope to get a porter. When stn came Sheet placed my box on the platform and was going to take the other box when a hand appeared and placed my luggage down. I looked at Sheen in surprise. She too looked surprised. I found my voice and asked him if he was a porter. He nodded his head. Sheen left. The porter placed two suitcases on his head and some bagss on this shoulder and began walking fast. I found it difficult to catch up with him. He climed up the stairs also in speed. I could locate him as the boxes could be seen. Soon we reached down. To my glee a cab driver asked me if I needed a cab. The cab driver and porter placed my luggage in the dicky. It was sheer pleasure to be safe in the car and to cool my heels. Soon we reached home. The driver drove into the driveway, parked the cab near the lift. He put down my luggage. Then proceeded to carry them and place near lift. I told him to leave but he waited for lift, placed my luggage inside and left. It is because of such positive minded people that the world survives.

Providence

I was involved in a near fatal accident when in Secuderabad in 1992. Since Venu had left for office, and Pravin to school, I felt bored and decided to visit an aunt in whose we were staying as tenants. When company provided a flat for Venu, we shifted. I know aunty from my Kolkatta days. Hailed a auto. When I am in any vehicle , I am oblivious of everything. I am just in my own world. Suddenly I found my mouth hitting the iron rod and my knee also hitting the bottom rod with full force. The hit was enough to break all teeth and fracture the knee. Everyone at home considers me weird. Maybe I am not a normal human being,, the reason was proved when there was no fracture or broken teeth. As I sat dazed, the auto driver rushed to me enquiring if I was ok. Then I noticed the front portion of a van inside the driver's seat. Luckily the driver was not harmed and no damage to auto. . Still with the throbbing pain on my knee I decided to visit my aunt. I did not find any problem with my teeth. When we reached the road leading to aunty's house, I found a herd of buffaloes blocking the road. The driver expressed his inability to go forward. I got down. The pain on my knee was really bad, but still I manaded to reach aunty's house. I told her what happened. She immediately got Narayana thailam, an Ayurvedic oil and started massaging my knee. The massage was a great relief and I did not have any problem after that. I feel my guardian angel is with me. For the number. of falls I have experienced, a normal person will not be in one piece. Once counted my falls and found they were 18 in total. Twice had slipped inside bathroom and hit my spine on the raised platform of two bathrooms, once in Kolkatta and once in Bangalore. Twice I escaped as doc said I had fallen on my side so no damage to spine. Had missed a step when returning home from a neighbour's first floor flat in Kolkatta. Kolkatta used to have load shedding at 6pm everyday. I wanted to reach home before the load shedding. As i put my foot down on the first step leading down, the power went off. I missed my next step and fell rolling down the stairs to the landing. I balanced with my right hand so as not to hit my head. Luckily no fracture only a bad pain on left wrist that was there for a week. Still keep falling but always my guardian angel protects me. Hope she does not get bored and leaves me. My surivival with good health is in her hands.

The helpful auto driver

In January 2023, I was in guruvayoor. I had planned to visit a few relatives and stay with them for two days. I have a very friendly auto driver, rajesh, who is at my beck and call. Takes me to Shree Krishna temple whenever I call him. Had taken me to Kuttipuram , an hr away ride from Guruvayoor to catch the Kannur express. On the way there were stunning scenic views, Rajesh went on explaining the places. Truly some spots make one believe that Kerala is God's own country. One day told Rajesh, I wanted to go to Pollachi. I checked and found a bus leaving at 7 am. I called up rajesh at 6am asking whether he can drop me at the bus stop. What he said truly overwhelmed me. He said, Chechi I am at the bus stop looking for Pollachi buses. He asked me if I was ready. I told him yes. You come down Chechi fast. There is a bus leaving at 6am. Since bus stop was close by, Rajesh came within minutes and told me to get into auto fast as a bus was leaving. The time was 6am. He was speeding and I told him not to hurry as my trip was not urgent and I can go anyday. Rajesh said Chechi since you are dressed you should go today. He entered the bus stop. waylaid a bus that was leaving. He got down to enquire and ran towards me saying Checchi get in, this bus is leaving for Pollachi. He got me a comfortable seat, put my bag inside and after making sure I was comfortble, he left. Will be happy to avail of his services on this visit also. If ever he is not free, he sends his friend. Had dropped me at my friend's house in Trissur. From Trissur,I was to board my Bangalore mail after 3 days. From Guruvayoor to Trissur, there are stunning churches. Rajesh used to stop the auto and help me take some beautiful snaps.

The good deed

Last year while travelling from Chennai to Trissur, it was sleeping time in train. So snice I had a middle berth, I made ready to sleep. Had seen a father and daughter get into the coach. The daugher was in a burkha, found they were Malayalee Muslims.As I got ready to climp to my berh , the daugher looked perplexed. The father asked for my ticket and said my ticket was for the next coach. I told sorry and proceed to go to the adjoining coach. To my surprise, I saw the father carrying both my luggage. When I objected , he said no problem with a little help. I found the berth, thanked him whole heartedly. Then realized, I had left my charger hanging in the previous coach. Was getting ready to go when I saw the Muslim father, coming back with my charger. Truly a positive minded person. In the couch as I was ready to get up the middle berth, I found it difficult to heave myself up the laddre. I was having a blanket with me. A couple, who was by the side seat, the lady noticed and immediately helped me with the blanket and my climb. When she found I was finding it difficult, . she requested a young girl on the lower berth to exchange her seat with me. She willing agreed saying Sure aunty. So it was a comfortable journey as I felt the presence of my gurdian angel in the form of the father and the kind ladies.

God's Mysterious Ways

I had booked a train ticket to Trissur for 25th Nov. and reaching on 26th Nonember two months back. From Trissur, I take a cab usually to Guruvayoor. This time the ticket I booked for Trissur was reaching early morning at 2.30 AM. So I decided to get down at Trivandrum reaching at 5.30 AM. I booked a ticket from Trivandrum to Guruvayoor for the 26th Nov. I had got the print out for the ticket for 29th Nov not noticing the date. Since I did not find my berth on the train from Bangalore I went through my IRCTC booking. I found my Bangalore train and also the train from Trivandrum dated 29th Nov. I panicked and wondered whether I had to stay two more days in the hotel.. But call it a miracle, just below the ticket was another ticket for November 26. I truly have no idea when I booked the 29th ticket because I had made sure to book for the 26th November. I immediately cancelled the 29th ticket. I really wonder what would have happened if I had boarded the 26th train with my 29th ticket. God's ways are truly strange.

The Good Samaritan

The Samaritan My Bobworld on my mob just conked off one fine day. My incessent trying, proved to be of no use. Try try try again is the mantra, but here the mantra proved wrong. Since I used to depend on my mob for my bank affairs, I got cold feet as I was going to travel to Kerala and wanted my Bob World to be activated. Called my usual autu guy. I went to my branch. It was a very busy day. I waited for sometime and then approached a staff. She asked to activate and reactivate my account in the ATM outside. Saw an ATM under repair and tried in the other. I failed in my mission, and decided to approach another staff. I waited as he was busy talking to a customer. I went to him with my problem. He made many attempts and then declared, madam I am an insurance guy so not much aware of all these. I stood shocked. How in hell did he solve his problem if something like this happened to him? Luckily another staff came and said ATM was under repair and the machine I tried was not an ATM. She told me to go to the other branch a furlong away. Went there and asked a staff at the counter. Don't know whether she had got up from the wrong side of the bed because she seemed grumpy waving me off saying RBI has blocked all Bob World IDs and nothing can be done without RBI order. Approached another staff and she seemed very helpful. With the details she gave me I tried again but did not succeed. Then decided to attempt opening BobNetworking. I was not sure of the customer id. Since my son knew it, I called up and in the din was not able to make out what he was saaying properly. I told him to give me in Whatsapp message. As I got up the pen I was using fell of and rolled away, so did some coins from my pouch bag. A lady sitting close to me immediately got my picked up a coin near by and my pen and went to the next counter to pick up another coin. Truly a very helpful lady. I thanked her wholeheartedly. Then something promted me to approach the manager. He was busy with a few staff. I waited and seeing him free walked into his room. A very young person. I went to him and told him my problem. He asked me to sit and went through all procedure and said my Bobworld login is unlocked. I told him a staff has said all IDs blocked. He smiled and said only for new users. I sat before him trying myself and again I was not able to. He very patiently did it for me a few times changing login id and transaction id. Hats off to his patience. I then told him about my BOB networking. He went through and and and created a sign on id and trans id. Indeed a true Samaritan. My mission completed, I thanked him with glee writ all over my face, blessed him and took my leave. My belief in God and miracles will never cease.

My Calcutta University days

My university memories. Calcutta University was established on 24 January 1857 and is the oldest multidisciplinary university. Some prominent personalities were, Swami Vivekananda, Rabindranath Tagore, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and Rajendra Prasad Bankim Chandra Chatterjee became one of the first graduates of the university. I am a proud alumni of this prestigious university. Joined Calcutta University in the late 76 to pursue my MA. literature. Our English classes were on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd floors. Got to make some good friends also. Once when entering university, I saw a blind male student floundering through the gate to reach the stairs. Without thinking, I rushed towards him, held his hand and lead him to his class on the 3rd floor. Within a few months, in the mid 77, I got married. My MIL an elderly and affectionate lady was staying with us. I am fortunate that my MIL and husband allowed me to continue my studies. My MIL used to make sure that I was having enough money with me when I left for university. On returning, I used to see her sitting on the stairs waiting anxiously. The smile that lit up her face at my sight was truly heart warming. I would be delighted to see hot bajji and steaming tea waiting for me. Very soon I conceived. I used to go by a particular No. 5 double decker bus which stopped near the university. If I missed the bus, I had to take 2 buses. I remember running behind the no. 5 bus in my pregnant state when it used to leave the stop and stop some distance away. Once my husband took me to his TOI office. I was wearing a white organdi with orange flowers. A sari my father had given me knowing I loved organdi sarees. At the office, the receptionist a boisterous lady seeing me said that I looked beautiful and surely it was going to be a boy. (Unfortunately, a few years later she passed away at a young age from brain hemmorage.) Later, my husband dropped me at a lane leading to my university as he was in a hurry to reach a place. It was quite a long walk to the university. I started walking and was aghast to see my sari opening out and following a cycle. I stood shocked and bewildered in my petticot and pregnant state. No one around came to help. The cyclist who had gone some distance felt something wrong, turned back and simply freed a stitch of the sari hem that had got caught on his cycle wheel and nonchalantly rode away. I was in tears feeling uneasy with all the stares. I quickly scooped up my torn sari held it and walked slowly to university. Upon reaching, I rushed to the washroom and wore the sare upside down so that the torn area was hidden in the pleats tucked above. A sorry tale of a beautiful sari. It was during my MA exam that an unfortunate incident in the family made me refuse writing the exam. It was my father whose coaxing and advice made me write the exam and clear it. My son was 4 moths old. My witty husband who knew I had not studied well used to make fun saying I bribed Ma Kali to pass my exam. Truly some precious memories of my educattion in Calcutta university. See less