A Train Trip to Banaras - Without Tickets - 2nd AC

A recent ad for a premium consumer durable brand said: India Jadoo ka shehar hai, yahan har cheez baaton se hal ho jata hai (translated – India is a magical country, here every problem can be solved by words).

I had the first had the first hand experience of the same on a trip to Banaras. It was Richa’s wedding and we had booked our tickets well in advance. It was waiting list 2,3,4 and 6. For our group of four people: Anuj, Monika, Vinod and myself. Ala KKR, we depended on luck and it never smiled at us. So we were at the station, very sure that 2,3,4 and 6 waiting list must have been confirmed. But none of the damned travellers had backed out: or so it seemed. And then it dawned on us: India Jadoo ka shehar hai, yahan har cheez baaton se hal ho jata hai. So we went to the TT, to see that perhaps he could do something for us. And thus we sang in chorus: ‘ Words and Words is all we have to take your heart away, oops, seats aways’. Teehee!! And he asked us to sit in a sleeper class and then he said he would transfer us to the 2nd AC. The train left the station at 10:30 pm and then we waited for another half an hour before our Saviour in Black Jacket came and as promised took us to the 2nd AC and gave us our berths. Words does work but then they need to be backed with money. But the TT was not rude, he showed us an elaborate calculation, if we choose to go by the rule books, to make us understand we are going to pay a ransom for travelling without tickets(point to be noted: He only had asked us to get into the train). And then he wrote down a figure which was less than the price of ticket for one person to travel in 2nd AC and the deal was struck. Some skills I must say. So as the papers changed hands, we were promised a berth per person and thus we had a happy journey, even without tickets to Banaras. I don’t know whether we got looted or did we manage to get a bargain, but it definitely was a learning experience…

Lesson learnt: India Jadoo ka shehar hai, yahan har cheez baaton(read negotiation) se hal ho jata hai.

And whoever said you need tickets to go places, please refer here. More on the Banaras trip next…