Well. it was a horrifying journey back to Kolkata from Hyderabad. The date 11th Jan’07. The Train - Falaknama Express The TTE - "Good that I do not know his name - I therefore have the liberty to call him by different names.and I am sorry if they sound "Too Hard". well I can still catch him I want to by name. He started from Vijaywada and was incharge of AC 3 and AC2 tier. but surely I have no interest to look for that "Sick Brute"
It all started with a "Wait List ticket. and I was the unlucky one having the same with me. but I was sure like the innumerable last times. I would atleast be able to manage something and reach my destination. but How wrong was I?
The train left Secunderabad at 16:00 hours and thank God I was not the lone one to be carrying a wait list ticket. there were atleast 8 of them. and that way I was a bit lucky as my wait list was 3. so I had just 2 people before me. and they too were on the train. Yes. to add to my woes. I was carrying huge luggage.and had it not been for the help and cooperation of some co-passengers. I would have struggled to be on the train.
We(all Wait Listed passengers) waited to check some availabilty of seats. but to our dismay the train was going full and our situation would be reviewed in Vijaywada. scheduled to reach at 21:00 hours.(as per the TTE who baorded with us in Secunderabad) . but chances he said were remote. We tried all nukes and corners and decided even if we do not get a seat. we can just sit outside the compartment. use a seat that was prepared for the TTE and Attendants and make up our night journey. and by then we reached Vijaywada. and we were encountered with "The Brute". he was short on mannerism and well. "Humanity" was never taught to him. he forced us out of teh AC compartment and told us that we should baord teh sleeper class .and continue our journey.
That was not a problem provided there was availability there. but we had checke out that too earlier. and it was more crowded than the zoo on holidays. so we requested him to allow us to sit outside the compartment as it would not be possible to run with luggage. But the "BT" used his dirty ways and gor us out of there. and our plight started. some of the passengers gave in iasily after seeng his rude behaviour. but I was extremely hurt and didn’t want to let him loose. and then due to repeated request of teh attendant I too decided to tread down the Sleepere class. but by then the train had started moving. and me and another person were left stranded in a small platform of Elluru. I could not afford to miss the train and thus somehow got clung to the only sleeper class door that was opened. but unfortunately my co-passenger did not risk that. But it just aggravated my anger therefafter. somehow I managed to catch hold off the TTE in the sleeper class. passed on cash to have his seat and decided to sit my way till morning and Vishakhapatnam.(around 4:00 AM in the morning of 12th.)
Wel. somehow the 28 hour journey ended after 30 hours. and what it left was marks of inhumanity and rudeness in me. the last that I expected after seeing teh beauty of Hyderabad.
Just to conclude . Never board a Train and specially the AC comparttment if you are on Wait List. on this route. today it was me. it could be you some other day. so just a friendly advice to take forward. and by the way. it was not a luxury journey. I was a business passenger. but that was nothing to do with teh TTE - "Mr BASD" of Falknama Express between Vijaywada and Vizag.