It is said that local trains make up half of Mumbai Bombay.
And true to the saying, local trains run in the blood of every mumbaiite (so they do on the rails also..)
A typical scene during the go-fast-or-the-boss-will-fire-you hour:
Start:
Leave home late because you came in late last night or watched a late night movie on HBO.
Try in desperation to get share-a-rick, afterall you dont want to end-up spending more than your daily quota. Moreever it hurts the ego to be unable to get the usual find. You frantically look around, but cannot find any people. You realise that today you are really late. Swear at yourself and catch a rick.
Reach the station where you find people who are pretty much in the same position. You indulge in the usual push-shove-bump-swear routine.
Finally enter the station, when the railways rub it in. The usual train is today on some other platform. Drat!! You will have to climb the bridge.
The bridge climbed and a sigh of relief heaved you try and stand under the fan which consumes more electricity than it provides air.
In the distance you see the train coming in and position yourself in such a away that you’ll get in like a superman, in the moving train. But today not being your day, half the door is closed and you bang against it in a bid to get in the moving train. Awww..!! The elbow hurts.
Finally by hook or by crook, you manage to sneak in the fourth seat which allows you to rest half of your bum. Never mind!! Something is better than nothing.
Just as you pass the initial stations and the hooplah subsides a little, the sleep catches up with you. You feel drowsy and are about to doze off when suddenly an 80 decibel noise emanates from the gangway. Somone stepped on sombody’s toe and that somebody is now cursing that someone. This is when the typical Bombayite mentality comes into play. You get up to see whats going on, the curiosity getting the better of you, and so do some others. Now you cant resist anymore. You just have to join the others. Join them in cheering the fight. Adding some more fuel to the fire. Entertainment for free until either they or you alight.
All this said and done, or rather undergone, you reach office and carry on your usual chores, checking mails and reading/writing blogs. Come back home in the evening and promise yourself, about no more getting up late. Suddenly an old friend calls up and you make a plan/you make a plan for a movie/sit at home and watch a movie/go out for dinner with your family. Afterall you had a bad day and need to unwind. Enjoy and come home late.
Go To Start.