The coupe in the Duronto is clean, the sheets spotless. A far cry from the Haridwar Express.
There are several people who keep dropping in, to lay out two folding tables and serve us food, to clean the coupe every time we eat, to ask us what we would like to eat.
The food is the best I have had on a train, tasty, yet simple. The only complaint is that there is too much of it. Teja and I pick out the things we like, for now or later, and give back the rest.
Soon Teja has enough goodies to set up a small food counter on the table. We wonder if we should invite the other passengers to come play ‘shop’.
We wonder why we are taking this crazy journey, 3 days to go, 2 days coming back, when we are staying there only for 3 days. We wonder why we did not take other travel options. It makes us laugh. The chaotic planning makes us a little giddy-headed.
We spend a lot of time reading, sleeping, doing Sudoku. The IPad we bought after years of squabbling is used mainly for Sudoku.
A querulous voice in another coupe complains to the Supervisor about the lack of soap in the toilet, that he asked for some special vegetable and got served lunch only at 3 pm, and the fact that he has launched several complaints about the railway staff in the past.
Teja says, “You should go and watch. He will calm down.” I am happy to have him continue with his complaints. I say, “He should be made to travel by the Haridwar Express”. The Haridwar Express is much on my mind, because a few days after we get back home, a journey by 3 tier A/C on it, awaits us.
Teja goes off to watch the to-do, and comes back laughing. At one of the few stops, he goes off to buy some more food at the station. And props up the packets on his food counter.
I think it’s important to have a good companion in a first class A/C compartment. There is not much else to do, otherwise.
“I think it’s important to have a good companion in a first class A/C compartment. There is not much else to do, otherwise.”
Oh yes. This.
It seems like it’s been years since I enjoyed the process of travelling. In general I prefer arrival to departure and neither to staying at home! Lovely posts, B. Wish we’d managed to meet in Bombay.
Same here, Space Bar. I am so resistant to leaving. I’m OK once I reach. But I’d rather stay at home.
Oh, I wish I could travel by train again. I have such great memories of previous train travels, even if they were in less-than-stellar compartments. A coupe such as you describe, would be the height of luxury!!
Anu, yes, the height of luxury, indeed. Just it being clean.
Sounds like fun, a happy couple in a nice clean coupe!
Our last train journey was about two years ago, to New Jalpaiguri, on our way to Darjeeling. It was great fun, because everyone was following the cricket world cup final, so the whole 2nd A/c bogey bonded over that, some on their laptops, some on phones.
Dipali, trains are nice, if you can take the time out.
NOSTALGIA!!!!!!!!!!
Harvey,